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502 Words
California - Los Angeles - California Dreaming...
"Repent Sinners!" The man's ebony face drips onto his baby-blue tracksuit as he stands on Pacific Blvd. admonishing mankind. The tanned blonde woman with the tutti-frutti bikini appears oblivious as she roller skates past him with her hot pink surf-board held loosely under one arm.
I wait for a director to appear and yell, "Cut!" It's all just too cliche. In this state of perpetual make-believe California fulfills all it's stereotypes. But it's at Venice Beach where the quirky and the bizarre go full out. Oiled up muscle-bound bodies working out in the outdoor beach gym ignore the elderly lady who has dressed herself - and her poodle - in head-to-toe shades of purple. Dreadlocked young boys carry their boom boxes on their shoulders. The throbbing bass competes with the pounding of the Pacific flinging surfers to its shores. The chopped low-rider cyclist sports his leathers as he wheels his heavily chromed bicycle onto the basketball court. Doesn't he see the neon sign above the Cow's End coffee shop announcing the 94 degree temperature?
I wind through it all on my one-speed rental bike. I'm pretty sure they've found my bike from Grade 6. The skiffs of white sand obscuring the lines on the miles of bike lanes makes a satisfying squishy/squeaky snow-sound as my fat wheels roll through. I'm on my way to Fishermen's Village in Marina del Rey.
I cruise down Admiralty Way, past the Marriott and oasis-like pool, past the Jamaica Bay Inn with its movie-mogul look-alikes sporting aloha shirts and cell phones lounging around the cafe deck. I grab a bite at Edie's Diner and plug a quarter into the table-top juke boxes and listen to the Beach Boys. Riding by the crowded and popular Tony P.'s Grill, I decide on dinner that night. Later, I'll find portions for giants and patio seating next to the largest man-made marina in the U.S.
Marina del Rey is a short ride from the tie-dyed characters of Venice Beach but it's a million miles away in terms of clientele. There are 6000 yachts in this marina and another 1500 up in dry-dock. I jump on Just Fun Stuff tours for a 40 minute jaunt amongst the rich and famous. Johnny Carson's 14 million dollar powerboat Serengeti floats among its peers. By the size of the Flo, it looks like maybe the Brady Bunch paid off fairly well for Florence Henderson.
Tomorrow, I'll drive down to take in the carnie-atmosphere of Santa Monica's pier and sneak away for a soothing massage at Le Merigot Hotel and Spa.
But now, back on the dock, I decide to take a duck's eye view of the marina. At Marina Boat Rentals I find my new perfect vehicle. The yellow plastic kayak scoots me past pelicans, under bridges and lets me bump up against the ritzy hulls.
And here, in LA-LA Land, it's as close to being rich and famous as I'm going to get…even if I do decide to repent.
Search for your own stars: www.SeeMyLA.com
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