Manhattan Beach In Los Angeles Is A Beautiful Beach Mainly For Locals

A longtime goal of mine was to spend several days in Los Angeles seeing the sites and photographing my journey.  We have been to L.A. for only hours at a time before, so this time I was going all-in on my trip.  My plans included Manhattan Beach at sunset, Malibu at sunset, a couple studio tours, and plenty of hours of plane spotting at LAX, Los Angeles International Airport.

Manhattan Beach

I stayed at a hotel in Manhattan Beach, just 8 minutes from the beach itself.  On my first evening I parked two blocks away and walked down the strangest street or sidewalk I’ve ever seen.  There are large walkways that run downhill to the west and are lined by homeowners’ backyards.  By backyard, I mean patios that would normally be private and behind someone’s house.  At this beach, they are almost on top of each other and provide a great way to access the Pacific Coast.

As I walked south along the pedestrian path with the Pacific Ocean on my right, I admired the rolling hills beside the multi-million-dollar homes along the coast. For the next 90 minutes, I explored the Manhattan Beach Pier, visited the free Roundhouse Aquarium, and watched the sunset. It was the perfect way to end a long travel day.

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Manhattan Beach Venice Beach Los Angeles 2024

I then spent 30 minutes photographing beneath the pier and capturing the sunset. I had brought flip-flops but forgot shorts. A few waves soaked me up to my knees in warm ocean water. I kept my camera dry and captured some cool shots. They didn’t break new ground, but they were the photos I wanted.

The next morning, I returned to the beach for a pre-dawn walk before heading to Palm Springs. The calm, beautiful morning drew only about 30 people. I’ve always loved waking up early on vacation. My love of exercise, especially by the ocean, made the morning even better. Then I was off to Palm Springs.

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More About My Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles Trips

Manhattan Beach LA is my go-to area when visiting Los Angeles. When selecting an area to stay in for vacation, I consider safety, price, and convenience. Manhattan Beach is perfect for me, since I stay 10 minutes from the beach. It is inexpensive, close to the 405 highway, and safe.

Each day, I get up early and go for a run on the beach. There is a paved boardwalk that runs the length of Manhattan Beach, so I run on that. Getting to see the large beach-front homes is pretty sweet. I love seeing the Pacific Ocean as I am getting a morning workout. This beach town is mainly a locals area, so there are very few tourists who visit. Although I am a tourist, I act like I belong there

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