Tuesday, November 10, 2009

venice beach

While visiting California, we had one day in the Los Angeles area with nothing on the agenda...and so we made a trip out to the ocean on the western edge of the city...a place called Venice Beach.

Once known as 'the Coney Island of the Pacific'...Venus was the brainchild of one man who turned the marshland west of the city into a replica of Venus, Italy through the use of a massive canal system around the turn of the century.

During the sixties Venus Beach became a popular place with hippies and activists. Now it's just a charming place to visit...unique and worth the drive out.

For us, it was not really about the three mile stretch of sandy beach...as much as it was to experience the atmosphere of the place. It seemed to be a sidewalk circus...and we had a great time enjoying street entertainment and watching the people. We strolled the promenade that runs parallel to the beach....and watched outdoor paddle tennis, beach volleyball, skate-boarding and street basketball. And on the beach...

...we watched the surfers

...the Frisbee tossers

...and the sand tossers. Just a routine mid-fall day at the beach!


As for these two girls...seen here dodging the waves with their dad...they are having their eighth birthday today. How quickly the years fly by! I wish you both many blessings on your birthday, Emme and Spencer...and look forward to celebrating the occasion with you tomorrow.

Have a great day!

9 comments:

  1. It's fun seeing Southern Cal through your lens. My husband graduated from Venice High School and during high school one of his physical education classes was surfing. It really is an interesting spot these days.
    Happy birthday to the girls!

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  2. Oh do I ever envy you in the warm sunshine. It is threatening rain here in Ky. again and my joints feel it coming. Happy Birthday to the kiddos. Blessings
    QMM

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  3. Surfer girls in the making...

    Happy Birthday to both of them!

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  4. Oh the years do fly by. . and I've only "known" these sweet twins for such a short time.
    The beach looks so wonderful. We'll have to look for it next time we are there.

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  5. I am sure our twins will reach their 8th birthday before we know it too. How much fun you will all have celebrating together.

    I enjoyed the pictures of Venice Beach and hearing a bit of it's history.

    Happy Birthday to the two dear girls!

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  6. A beautiful beach, absolutely! What magic you do with that camera of yours! You should be very thankful for your talent!
    Sandi

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  7. A beautiful beach! I'd love to watch the surfers and the little ones playing in the waves - we'll be waiting a "few" months before we are doing that again around here :)

    Happy b-day to your grands!

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  8. Happy Birthday girls! and I like the new signature too.

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  9. Happy birthday to Emme and Spencer tomorrow! Eight years old already!

    It was interesting to see Venice Beach and learn about its history as I am someone who frequents Coney Island :-) No surfing here!

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson