California Gold: Redondo Beach Day Date

Vivi is ready for the Boardwalk.

Text and photos by Jason McKenney (except where noted)

Escape to the Coast

We're married. We have a young child. Date nights are now few and far between. We have no extended family nearby. Going out for dinner at night is out of the question. So my wife and I put together plans for a day date. I took the day off from work. My wife, Vivi, works part time from home and can ditch work for a day easy. We dropped off our daughter Frankie at the daycare and made our way to the Redondo Beach Boardwalk in hopes of experiencing as much as the humble harbor has to offer.

Moving out towards the breakwater.

We live in an apartment right on the beach, and we are very familiar with the Boardwalk. We stop in to get gelato on most Fridays. We have eaten at many of the restaurants. We've played the arcades and we've walked along the pier enjoying the picture-perfect sunsets. I've even cast a few lines at Fisherman's Wharf, pulling in small mackeral and large weeds. What we hoped to accomplish on this day was a few of the water-based excursions and a few of the food joints that we had yet to experience.

Our first stop at ten in the morning was the Fast Kayak dock to rent stand-up paddle-boards (SUP) for an hour. There are days when the water off Redondo Beach can be very calm. Like a giant duck pond. There are spots near some of the breakwaters that generate waves and attract surfers, but for the most part, SUP is very popular here due to the controlled conditions.

"You can only paddle around the harbor," the pretty girl working the station told us. "Please do not go beyond the breakwater."

Stand-up Paddle-boarding.
Image from Surfari SUP and Surf.

The harbor along the International Boardwalk is protected by a man-made breakwater of large boulders that help keep the water calm and provide great toilets for the albatrosses and pelicans. Pushing off into the shimmering bay, it took me a few beats to get up on my feet. SUP boarding is good exercise for the core and for the upper legs. You're constantly balancing yourself. You also feel closer to nature. You're standing on a floating ironing board atop the sea like a Son of Neptune. The fishes look up to you in ah. The fresh ocean air circulates through your nostrils and lungs. The sun is perched right above your shoulder. You're on top of the world.

A SUP teacher paddled by me leading two girls on their own boards. They were scared. Tentative in their paddling. I turned to see how Vivi was doing on her board. She was paddling into the bay, but she was yet to stand up.

View of the harbor from the water.

"Don't be chicken," I told her. "Up on both feet at the same time. Use those thighs."

"I'm too scared!" she said with a self-effacing giggle.

SUP'n can be tricky the first time. It requires strength and balance, and just like climbing a tall building, you should never look down. At least not until you have learned to embrace the challenge. Enjoy it. Laugh at the dark waters below.

I paddled my way out across the harbor, soaking in the gorgeous day. I paddled back, passing the two girls on their first lesson. The world slowed down. I noticed the fish trolleys out near the horizon, being followed by a cloud of hungry birds, probably on its way back home. A weekday before noon

From a pedal boat, looking towards
Palos Verdes.

in the harbor is quiet, drowsy. Lovely.

Moving closer to the dock I noticed Vivi was already there, putting her shoes back on. Tacking in a boat to a dock can be tricky. Moving in a SUP board is similar. Left here, right there, just a touch, and . . . KER-SPLASH! In the water I went. I zigged when I should've zagged maybe. Lost my balance like an amateur.

I have to admit, it felt liberating to fall into that bath. Giving in to gravity. Submerging into the void. The girl helming the rental station tried hard not to laugh. Vivi just bust loose. The only problem was I was wearing my only clothes, including my t-shirt. I would have to find new clothes if this day date was to continue successfully.

A New Set of Clothes

Approaching Polly's Cafe.

I was soaked. We ducked into one of the small clothing shops along the Boardwalk that smells like incense and is full of beach trinkets. I picked up a Redondo Beach t-shirt and a pair of board shorts. I was a new man. I threw my wet clothes in a shopping bag and we were ready for lunch. We walked to the end of the Boardwalk where the R10 Social House stands. They specialize in seasonal, farm-to-table offerings inside a trendy, bistro-like setting. The view of the harbor is gorgeous. The buffalo sliders are amazing. I had a local lager to wash down the saltwater I imbibed when I fell in the drink, not knowing we would soon be experiencing more local beer than I could have expected.

Boat rides along the coast run daily
most of the year.

Whether its a day trip or a week-long vacation, there is a fine balance between scheduling everything out to make sure you don't miss what you want, and just exploring off the seat of your pants in hopes of finding things you never anticipated. On this day, I had a thumbnail sketch of what I hoped to accomplish: SUP, eat, pedal boats, eat, boat ride, eat. I didn't want to plan too much detail. I wanted to remain open to any surprises that might pop up. Falling into the water off the SUP board is an example. I obviously hadn't planned that (at least not consciously), but being forced to buy some RB surfer clothes was a great tangent. It's great to have a plan when you travel, but being open to happy accidents and modifications is a useful skill. These are the moments that we usually remember with the most fondness.

After lunch we returned to the Fast Kayak dock and rented a pedal boat to take out into the bay. It was an over-sized toy. Similar to those you might see in small Midwestern park with a lake. Good exercise. Me legs were sore the next day. We pedaled out towards the breakwater, said hello to the gulls, and slowly approached Polly's Restaurant from beyond the pier. We turned around and glided gently to the middle of the bay, soaking in the beautiful California sun. The air was clean. The breeze gentle. The ocean air made me thirsty.

Wrapping It Up

The Sampler. The Swirly is the foamy
one on the right.

Every time I visit the ocean I get a craving for fish n'chips and beer. I was still full from R10 when we left the pedal boats, but I was now craving something cold and hoppy. When we left Fast Kayak I spotted a recently opened King Harbor Brewery location on the Boardwalk. King Harbor is one of the newest (and finest) additions to the South Bay micro brewery scene and their location in the harbor is a great place to visit.

Vivi and I each ordered a sampler set which included 4 small glasses of some of their best contributions. These included an IPA, a lemony lager, a sweet ale, and what they refer to as a Swirly which is a chocolaty stout with a hint of vanilla. All were delicious.

We capped the date off with a sightseeing boat ride out of the harbor and out along the coast towards Palos Verdes. Redondo Beach is probably the quietest member of the South Bay beach cities. Regal Manhattan Beach is home to several LA sports stars. Hectic Hermosa Beach caters well to the young
party crowd. Redondo is more laid back. More dive bars than night clubs. More family eateries than posh restaurants. Home to more senior citizens than young singles. But it still has a lot to offer both on the water or along the Boardwalk.

View of the harbor from R10. Image from R10's website.

California Gold: Fishermans Wharf in Redondo Beach

Text and photos by Jason McKenney

The Fisherman's Wharf at the Redondo Pier is a curling concrete walkway that extends out from the boardwalk over the water. It's a broad structure giving plenty of room for local fishermen to set up and cast their lines over the rails in hopes of catching mackerel or sablefish. The area is also used as common space for small concerts during the summer and a viewing point for the Holiday Boat Parade at Christmas.

A summer concert on the Wharf

High surf advisory in Redondo. The pier can be seen to the left.

Concert at Christmas time

A friend hits the bar at Old Tony's on the pier.

California Gold: Sailing Lesson

Text, photos and video by Jason McKenney.

I don't believe in reincarnation. But if I did, I would be convinced that I must have been a sailor in a previous life. I have always loved the ocean, the organization of boating, tying knots, pulling ropes, being free to travel wherever one dared to go.

But I am not a sailor. I have spent most of my professional career typing on computer keyboards in well-insulated office buildings. So after reading the novel The Celtic Ring by Bjorn Larsson I felt I was ready to take the next step to being a part-time man of the sea. The novel follows the journey of a man who owns and lives in a small boat and who can sail virtually anywhere he wants. In the story he navigates through the isles of Ireland and Scotland searching for answers to a dark mystery. It's a wonderful book and prompted me to ask my wife to take a sailing lesson with me.

South Bay Sailing in Redondo Beach offers several different courses on how to sail boats including
coastal cruising, keelboat sailing, and racing tactics. These classes run a few hundred bucks and require four 3-hour classes. They also offer an Introduction to Sailing class (for soft landlubbers like yours truly) that only lasts a couple hours and runs under a hundred dollars. That's what we chose to start with.

"Do you want to help sail, or do you want to just sit back and enjoy the view?"

Our instructor's name was Steven. He gave me the option of either learning how to set sails and pulls ropes or let him do all the hard work while the wife and I unwind like tourists. I'm no tender foot. I wanted to help the man sail. Captain George was one of my favorite characters from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I wanted to learn how to handle a boat from stem to stern just as he could. And all in 90 minutes!

I hoped to gain an understanding on rigging and terminology. We took out a J/80 monohull, 8 meters long with a 2.5 meter beam. Nice and cozy. The boat had just the mainsail and jib. After tacking out from the docks near the Redondo Harbor, I helped Steven unfurl the lead jib and speed out (as best the wind would cooperate) of the bay and into the Pacific.

As it ended up, I didn't do much work. No captaining, little rigging, and I now don't remember much of the terminology. I actually spent most of the time enjoying the scenery, chatting with seals, looking for fish, and expanding my tender lungs with fresh sea air. Steven led us out near a bouy layered with lazy seals. We avoided a large yacht we guessed was heading out towards Catalina Island. I dipped my hands in the blue-green sea and imagined what giant beasts lurked underneath, just out of sight.

We made our way back to the dock with sun-tanned smiles and big appetites. I thanked Steven for the wonderful morning on the water and walked out on deck. A small crowd had gathered around a pelican moping along the pier in obvious discomfort. The large bird had the misfortune of having a fishing hook snagged in the gray skin just below its eye like some sort of rebellious teenager.

The noble men and women who work along the coast of California know a thing or two about handling its wildlife. After a few minutes of patiently corralling the frightened bird, the hook was removed from the skin and the pelican was released. All in a days work.

California Gold: Polly's On the Pier

View from the park

Text and photos by Jason McKenney

There are few things more relaxing than taking a quiet walk through Redondo Beach on a lazy Sunday morning. I had little Frankie in her stroller and we were out the front door by 7:30am. The overnight marine layer was quickly fading away and patches of blue could be seen above between puffy white clouds.

From home we headed down Torrance Blvd towards the shoreline. We crossed the Pacific Coast Highway and continued on to Catalina Ave where we turned north. Motor traffic was still light. Weekend cyclist teams were passing us by like gliding flocks of birds. Many of these groups nowadays seem to be populated almost exclusively with retirees, chattering away like teenagers as they ride.

Halloween on board!

We were moving parallel to the beach which was just on the other side of a row of apartment buildings and condos. Walking at a healthy pace I noticed some other Redondo eateries that I enjoyed visiting. The Standing Room shares a small space with Catalina Liquor and delivers amazing burgers with a Korean twist. Catalina Coffee & Café was where the missus and I stopped for a large breakfast prior to getting married (at a courthouse in Compton of all places). Their waffles are out of this world.

None of these places were my focus today. On this particular Sunday morning, my eldest daughter and I were making our way to another one of Redondo’s best breakfast nooks: Polly’s On the Pier.

I turned the stroller west into Czuleger park and we walked out to a circular bench built up with concrete that somewhat emulates the bow of a ship, providing a great view of the Pacific and the horizon beyond. During the week, this little hideout will often be commandeered by high school kids smoking pot or riding skateboards. Today I had it all to myself.

International Boardwalk

Moving on, we followed the sidewalk down the hill of the park and towards the pier. We walked along the International Boardwalk where some very interesting boats are docked. This is also a great place to rent stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, and take glass-bottom boat tours.

Heading out through the parking lot past the R10 Social House (great seasonal bistro food) and Sambas (lots of meat, lots of samba), we walked along the breakwater towards the small wooden pier where Polly’s is located. Time to rest.

Across the breakwater

Polly’s is open from 6am til 2pm every day and is cash only. We sat outside by the water. Frankie pointed at the long-legged pelican walking along the hand rail and yelled, “Nini!”

“No, Frankie, that’s not our dog.”

The pelican was waiting patiently for any dropped bait the fishermen further down the pier might leave behind.

Polly's On the Pier

Drinking hot coffee with cool morning sea air in your lungs must be what heaven is like. Or it might be like the 3-egg omelette I ordered that was stuffed with cheese and fresh crab. Brutally delicious. Our waitress, a chipper young woman named Cassie, suggested the Minnie Mouse pancakes for Frankie. For $2 she got a large pancake, two silver dollar pancakes on top for eyes, and a generous helping of melons and pineapple on the side. Frankie devoured the pancakes as if she had just returned from the war. Nap time would soon be on her horizon.

Redondo Beach is not exciting. If you want that, go to Sunset or LA Live or Koreatown. Redondo is a place meant for leisurely walks and breakfasts by the sea. And on a slow Sunday morning what could be better than that?

Frankie loves her pancakes

The RB later in the day, after the sun had returned