Happy holidays from the SoCal beach
It’s our family tradition to celebrate the season in the sand. Walking on the beach, taking the occasional cold plunge and listening to the surf is a long way from Bing singing “White Christmas,” but we like it. Here are a few holiday highlights so far.
Pee-ew: The stank is real when you camp at Dockweiler RV Park near Los Angeles International Airport, especially if the wind pushes the funky fragrance from the nearby water treatment plant a certain direction.
It’s one of the trade-offs we’re willing to make for the chance to enjoy the upside of this unique destination in El Segundo, Calif., where we’ve stayed several times. We’re a two-minute walk from the beach and a 15-minute bike ride to the pleasant seaside communities of Manhattan Beach and Hermosa.
One sunny morning, we hopped onto the popular Marvin Braude Bike Trail and headed to the latter, where a chill breakfast was enjoyed outside, the still-pale Pacific Northwesterners bathed in those warm rays. Bonaparte Bistro serves some stellar French pastries and a cup of coffee for under $3, a true bargain in this neck of the woods.
From our table, we admired the massive tree that adorned the entrance to the historic pier. Taking a stroll on that structure is a must if you’re a surfing fan. The wooden walk is decorated with the names of local longboard legends and if the waves are breaking, you’ll see the current crop of surfing stars.
Back at our tiny home on wheels, we made the best of our stinky surroundings by having happy hour down on the seashore and staying cozy inside, our modest assortment of decorations twinkling in the holiday glow. Cue “Love Actually” on the DVD player!
Taco Time: Heading south to one of our all-time favorite California state parks – San Elijo north of San Diego – we renewed our never-ending mission to find the area’s best fish taco. Kind of like an advent calendar, we opened a different corn tortilla-stuffed treat every day leading up to Dec. 25 in the home of some of the world’s best fish tacos.
Besides more beach walking and sunset gawking, thrift store shopping and visits with friends who live nearby, we got into the holiday spirit by cooking some special meals.
Our grownup kiddo, who now lives in Los Angeles, requested shrimp and grits for the night before Christmas and, of course, we’re going to accommodate. There’s also the great chicken roasting experiment of Dec. 15, 2023. Could we get that spatchcocked bird from Trader Joe’s to adequately cook on the portable outdoor grill? Yup and yum!
As we toward year’s end, we made a point of sitting around a roaring campfire to list some of our favorite moments on the crazy, wonderful journey we’ve been on. We will revisit the best of the best next week and in the meantime, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good ride!
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