Page 104 - 2018 Travel Guide to California

REDONDO BEACH
SoCal’s family-friendly seaside getaway
»SWIM, BIKE,
DINE, RELAX!
Redondo Beach
Chamber of Commerce
& Visitors Bureau
visitredondo.com
REDONDO BEACH, above;
fishing from the pier, below.
PERCHED ALONGSIDE the Pacific Ocean
with a glorious coastline and lively pier,
Redondo Beach is an ideal venue for living
the California dream, if only for the
weekend. Just seven miles from LAX and
not far from Los Angeles’ top attractions,
historic Redondo Beach is a magnet for
those who love the coast.
Typically sunny and in the 80s in
summer and comfortable the rest of the year,
the beach is less crowded than better-known
sands in Malibu and Santa Monica. Popular
activities include sport fishing, whale
watching, diving, surfing, stand-up paddle
boarding, biking and beach volleyball.
Redondo Beach rose to prominence early
in the 20th century when George Freeth
came from Oahu and introduced surfing to
the mainland. Known as the “Man Who Can
Walk on Water,” Freeth attracted thousands
of spectators who gawked in amazement as
he rode his eight-foot-long wooden surf-
board from sea to shore.
Today the Redondo Beach Pier attracts
visitors with events including a kite festival
on March 11, a classic car show on Sept. 30
(redondopier.com/events), and the annual
Redondo Beach Lobster Festival, Sept. 28-30
(lobsterfestival.com).
On the second Saturday of each month
there are free yoga sessions on the pier,
which has more than 50 shops, rides and
restaurants, and there are more choices on
102 2018 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
B Y M I C H A E L S H A P I R O
the pier’s adjacent International Boardwalk.
Chef Tin Vuong recently opened Sub-
urbia, a restaurant in Redondo Beach’s
Riviera Village featuring global specialties.
There are lots of American standards too.
The city’s cultural anchor is the Redondo
Beach Performing Arts Center. The 1,457-seat
venue hosts performances by the Los Angeles
Ballet, a slack key guitar festival, and theatrical
musicals such as 2018’s highlight, Mamma
Mia!, featuring ABBA’s songs, Aug. 3-12.
For lodging, a top pick is The Portofino
Hotel on the waterfront, with ocean views in
Redondo Beach’s marina. The hotel’s Baleen
Kitchen reopened last summer after a com-
plete redesign. A new upscale hotel called
Shade, with yacht-chic design elements and
a rooftop pool, overlooks the marina.
While staying in Redondo Beach, don’t
miss The SEA Lab, a marine science educa-
tion center (lacorps.org/programs/sea-lab). If
you’re in Redondo Beach between
November and April, try to spot gray whales
migrating between California and Mexico.
You can often see the behemoths from
shore. To get closer, book a whale-watching
tour on a boat such as the Indian
(rbwhales.com).
But perhaps the best way to enjoy
Redondo Beach is to simply relax in the
sand, watch the waves curl and enjoy some
California dreamin’ in one of the state’s
premier beach towns.
SAHANI PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK; VISIT REDONDO