*only 3 miles south of LAX
*you will need car

Hungry for breakfast? And a view of the South Bay's crashing waves? Wake up early; grab your flip-flops and shorts because we're having pancakes at Uncle Bill's Pancake House (1305 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA, 90266) in Manhattan Beach. Most popular dishes: yummy strawberry waffles, phenomenal macadamia nut pancakes, and their famous cheddar cheese and bacon waffles!

Matt, not Bill, owns this little eatery and his rugged Californian good looks and easy way will charm you. Sit outdoors, bask in the sun, and catch a view of the waves. Be prepared for a wait if you go on the weekends. If you do have to wait, there is great street window shopping to while away the time. It's popular with the local surf crowd as the following excerpt from citysearch.com suggests Lines of hungry surfers awaiting a wooden table contribute to the hectic outdoor scene, while more tranquil beach-themed pictures adorn inside walls. www.losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/140418

Once you're full, walk south on Highland and enjoy the unique boutiques, browse the real estate listings and prices of the quaint homes on the "walk streets" just feet from the ocean.

If you're in the mood for more adorable shops, turn left at Manhattan Beach Blvd.... OR, for a breathtaking view turn right at the ubiquitous Starbucks and have your breath taken away as you walk down the short block to the 928' long, Manhattan Beach Pier. Sun worshippers dot the sand and surfers wait for the next big wave.

You're staring south to the tip of the Peninsula called Palos Verdes (Green Sticks), a wealthy suburban community with city mandated red-tiled roofs. You will be driving out there soon.

When you’re ready, jump into your convertible (it’s LA, after all) and head south on Manhattan Avenue (just up from the pier) toward Hermosa Beach. Take a right on the short street of Greenwich Village which then curves left on to Hermosa Avenue. The Hermosa Beach Pier is on your right but we'll save it for this evening's sunset.

Once you've passed the pier, look on your left to the low, black building that says: The Comedy & Magic Club (1018 Hermosa Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA, 90254). This is where I suggest you make your reservations for tonight's show. Tip: Jay Leno performs here most Sunday nights!

Stay on Hermosa Avenue and it turns into Harbor Drive once you pass Herondo. On your left is the famous 87’x622’ Robert Wyland (1100 Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach, CA, 90277) mural, covering the exterior wall of the Redondo Generating Station. It was created in 1991 & depicts California’s Pacific Gray Whale migration. This is #31 of 100 life-size murals in 100 cities around the world. The murals are dedicated to the great whales and to saving our oceans.

Turn left at Portofino Way and make an immediate right on Catalina. You're now driving through Redondo Beach and into the charming "Riviera Village". Got an appetite yet? Stop in at the best pizza this side of L.A. Pedone's Pizza (1332 Hermose Avenue #10, Hermose Beach, CA, 90254) has been a local favorite for 35 years. My favorite: the artichoke pizza. Grab a generous slice of your favorite and jump back in the car. This is LA; we all eat in our cars. But feel free to sit & take your time to savor the flavor!

Turn right at Palos Verdes Blvd. and drive on. You're entering the exclusive enclave of Palos Verdes Estates (or PVE), a sleepy, secret, bedroom community of Los Angeles where homes are more like mansions than houses. Notice that virtually every home in Palos Verdes Estates has Spanish red-tiled roofs! That's mandatory here for view ordinance reasons.

Stay right on Palos Verdes Drive, hugging the bend. Notice the wonderful Italian replica Neptune fountain on your left in the Spanish Renaissance styled Malaga Cove Plaza, built in 1925.

We will go 13 miles to our destination: the Abalone Cove Tide Pools!

Catch glimpses of the amazing views some of the lucky owners here have of the California Coast line. You will pass through Lunada Bay, its new fountain is in the center of the street, then into Rancho Palos Verdes. When you come to Hawthorne Blvd., look off to your right at the historic Pointe Vicente Lighthouse. Check for hours of operation. (www.palosverdes.com/pvlight)

Once you come up and around the bend, you will see the massive new Terranea Resort looming on your right. Beautiful walking paths perched above the rocky cliffs have been created for public access thanks to the California Coastal Commission.

Start to look for the parking lot of The Abalone Cove Shoreline Park & Tide Pools, a state ecological preserve. (The Tide Pools is optional. It requires a not-so-hard hike but if you have children or grandparents who are wobbly on their feet, you may want to just enjoy the views from the look out.) Hike down the trail to the rocky beach and walk gingerly to the tide pools for starfish gazing and sea anemone looking. But PLEASE do not touch the sea creatures. We are environmentally friendly and honor their habitats. www.palosverdes.com/rpv/recreationparks/AbaloneCoveShoreline/index.cfm,

Back at the car, wipe off your feet and put on your clean shoes.

Next stop is optional for golf lovers: the new Trump National Golf Course, (1 Ocean Trails Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, 90277) one of the most expensive golf courses ever built. Head north 2 miles. Stop in for a look if you like. This is a public golf course so all are welcome. Easy access paths have been built for the public to walk down to the water.

If golf is not your thing, then look across the street from the Abalone Cove Shoreline Tide Pools. You will see Pine trees. Nestled in there is the famous Wayfarer's Chapel (5755 Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, 90275). Architect Frank Lloyd Wright's son, Lloyd Wright, designed this tiny Swedenborgian chapel made of glass & surrounded by pine trees. Hop in your car and swing a u-turn so you’re now heading north and make a right into the parking lot. If a wedding is in progress, you can glimpse the stunning Chapel from the parking lot. Summer weddings are very popular here! If not, do stop in and see this famous, tiny chapel!

Heading back - turn left at Paseo Lunada (the second of 2 Paseo Lunadas) which will take you on one of the most coveted streets in PVE. Mansions dot this breathtaking ocean-view street. The street curves and it becomes Paseo Del Mar. It will connect to Palos Verdes Drive. Turn left, heading back to Riviera Village.

Once back into Redondo Beach, Riviera Village it's time to stop at the charming Yellow Vase Restaurant (1805 S. Catalina Avenue, Redondo Beach, CA, 90277) just down the street from Pedone's Pizza. Aside from wraps and great tomato basil bisque, try their divine homemade cupcakes! The favorites: red velvet, mocha-chocolate, and the black & white. This new restaurant is also part florist so you'll enjoy glorious flowers, music and Belgium chocolate truffles. Say hi to the owner, Morgan and her beautiful daughter Hastie. Their lattes are fabulous in big soup-bowl sized cups. Tank up because your day is not over!

It's now time to go back to your hotel for a cleansing shower. Catch the sunset at the edge of the Hermosa Beach Pier, then, dressed in beach casual attire & a spritz of cologne, head to the Comedy & Magic Club. If you choose to have dinner there you get preferential seating (the apple & gorgonzola salad is terrific!) Sit close to the stage and prepare to laugh out loud!

You'll be trying to remember your favorite jokes as you exit into the evening while listening to the waves crash off the Hermosa Pier. If it’s summer, the square at the pier will be teeming with revelers at some of the many restaurants and bars.

If you still have energy, grab a late night cocktail and prepare for your next day of discovery in Los Angeles!

DO AHEAD:

Check the tide times:

Make reservations at the Comedy & Magic Club

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