Venice

In an effort to avoid the sun (we are so burnt!), we ventured to Venice, CA yesterday. I've had the opportunity to visit Venice in the past, as my friend Julie lived there for a few months in 2005. However, yesterday we were able to explore aspects of the town that I hadn't seen before. We began the day by window shopping on Abbot Kinney Blvd. Abbot Kinney is an eclectic shopping district. Every building has a different architecture and feel than the one before it and Daniel was inspired by the creativity that infuses this town.

After lunch we explored the neighborhoods of Venice and visited the house that my friend Julie used to live in on Nowita. We just loved the diverse architecture, greenery and walking paths.

Next we moved towards the beach to visit the notorious Muscle Beach on the Venice boardwalk. I honestly felt like I was in the middle of a freak show or circus. I can't remember ever being in a place where I felt more unsafe or dirty. What is so interesting is that this 10 block radius of street performers, homeless folk, drug dealers, etc, is in the midst of gorgeous, expensive beach homes. The clash of cultures and disparity of wealth in California is so bizarre. After our stroll through the "freak show" we sat on a patch of grass and read books for a little while. We were shaded by the beautiful palm trees and had a nice rest, across from interesting homes such as this:

After our rest on the beach, we headed to the Venice canals, which are simply gorgeous. We loved looking at the beautiful homes dotted along the canals.

Finally we wrapped up the day by visiting 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica where I bought two books at Barnes and Noble for the purpose of beach reading :) We were starving by the time we got home, so we devoured hamburgers, cucumber & tomato salad and baked beans while watching HGTV (!) and the end of Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone.

California is a funny place. So many wealthy people, so many impoverished people. Lots of cultures. Lots of muscle cars. Lots of marijuana. Lots of tattoo parlors. Lots of sunshine.