Some Girls Just Have Venice Beach In Their Soul

I know, it took a year, but I finally finished weeding through my Cali pics and I'm now ready to get the rest of them posted here. When we were planning our trip, I went back and forth on putting Venice Beach on our itinerary. From what I was reading from other blogs and even some of my family and friends that have been there, I was getting the impression it was a nasty rat hole with nothing but beggers and homeless dirtying up the area. We were told, "keep your kids close, don't take valuables with you, try to avoid the sketchy people." Now, honestly, can't that be said for a lot of places around the U.S.? I mean, we just wrapped up a few days on the Vegas Strip where it's pretty well policed for cleanliness and keeping the beggars to a minimum, and while there we saw a lady pull her pants down in broad daylight and do her business right in the middle of the busy sidewalk. That's not even something I've ever seen happen in Chicago, and with all the bad press that city gets, you would expect it there. I think with all of the bad reviews, I didn't have high hopes for a pleasant Venice Beach experience.

We did want to head to the Santa Monica Pier, so we booked an AirBNB that was just 3 blocks from there. We got lucky because our rental house offered 4 bikes, and while old and rickety, got us to the beach just fine. There's a wide pathway you can walk or ride along that goes from the Santa Monica Pier through Venice Beach, so we decided to ride though both areas and get a feel for the area before tackling it on foot. To my surprise, I thought the area looked quite interesting.

Now, yes, there were quite a few homeless camping out in the area, but not once was I approached by anyone and not once did I feel unsafe walking around the area with the girls. What I did see was an eclectic mix of people minding their own business, doing their own thing.
 

Street performers:

People displaying their own original works of art. I do believe I made my Barbie Styling Head look quite similar to his work though, when I was a toddler :)

Lots of places to shop for trinkets, souvineers, medical needs, and tasty treats:

Grab some friends and drink and ride your way around the area on a Barcycle...

We did have to take a minute to appreciate the sweaty hunks working out at Muscle Beach. Well, not so much Jason, but I sure did.

I'm glad I didn't listen to the negative reviews of Venice Beach because I enjoyed the area so much, I went back 2 more times before we had to fly home. We did only cruise the area in broad daylight, and even though I felt perfectly safe there, I would not recommend venturing out into the area after dusk because I'm sure there are sketchy folk wandering around then. However, I did make Jason take me back at night because I wanted to see the sign lit up.

If you're planning a trip to the area, don't discount Venice Beach based on internet reviews. If you don't mind strolling the area with a wide mix of people, it's a cool spot to experience. And be sure to check out the El Bordello Alexandra Apartments and Venice Beach Canals. Both are a must see!

Do you like exploring beach towns?