A Relaxing Day in Malibu

Having planned part of my trip down to LA around my vacation day on Friday, it was now here and I wasn't sure where we were going for the day.  Had talked about Santa Barbara, Laguna Beach, San Diego, etc.  Ended up getting a late start due to work stuff anyways, so Malibu seemed like a good option for the afternoon.  I have not been to the Malibu beach or canyon area in years.  They've suffered a lot of natural disasters over the years including mud slides, flooding, and of course, the recent wildfires.  Decided to take a drive through the canyon which was absolutely beautiful and hang out on the beach for a bit.  The marine layer was already coming in so it was mostly overcast and pretty chilly which was a welcome change from the 100 degree heat we experienced at Disneyland on Wednesday! 

Paradise Cove

Paradise Cove is actually a privately owned part of the Malibu beach coastline.

  It's owned by the Morris family (ironically my mother's family's side surname but no relation sadly!) This is a very popular location for filming in Malibu, being featured on a number of shows, movies, and even commercials.  Apparently most recently, it's the site of Paris Hilton's new video (not that I really give a flying you know what about her though! LOL).  The location is famous for shows and movies like Gidget, Beach Blanket Bingo, and Rockford Files. 

Part of the area is a Mobile Home park (one of which Matthew McConnaughey is rumored to be leasing right now) and the remainder is a beautiful beach cafe with tables set right in the sand, allowing ample opportunity to enjoy the coastline views.  The cafe is obviously a very popular location as it was about 3pm on a Friday and still had a 20 minute wait for a table outside!  Will write a review on the restaurant itself but I thoroughly enjoyed my seafood platter and saw many other yummy dishes served at neighboring tables.

 

Santa Monica Mountains

After lunch, decided to check out the Santa Monica Mountains and drive up close to Sandstone Peak in hopes of taking in some great views. Unfortunately, it was already close to 5pm which meant the marine layer had come in pretty far.  This is the first time I'd been up in the mountains on the Malibu side.  There are some great hiking trails and lots of spots to pull off for picture taking and parks with picnic areas available as well.  Some of the rock formations headed to Sandstone Peak (the highest elevation) are beautiful examples of volcanic intrusions which have been exposed. 

Driving through these mountains also gives you a first hand feel of the severity of the fires that plagued Malibu.

  Many homes were damaged, some in the process of rebuilding, others left with nothing but their cement foundations still intact.  I saw a number of trailers and motorhomes on lots where the people are obviously trying to rebuild their homes, but it's a lengthy process.  The damage extended up to the highest point in the range, much of it carried by the infamous Santa Ana winds.  As you drive the curvy road, you see portions of the hillside that sustained visible charring from the flames that skated over it and on to the homes which were destroyed.  It's a rather humbling experience to visit an area after a natural disaster and quite the reminder of who, not what, is important in life.