24 Hours in Marina del Rey
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24 Hours in Marina del Rey and Venice: Sand, Water, Sailing and Sun
MARINA DEL REY, March 2008 - You've just found out that your one-stop flight to Bali includes a six hour layover at LAX. Or you have a spare day on your way to that remote Hawaiian cruise. As always, unexpected surprises can cause business in the Pacific Rim to end with an extended airport stop, too. However long your stay, it doesn't mean you're stuck with duty-free shopping or trapped for hours in a stiff airport chair. This trip, it's time to check out Marina del Rey.
Located just 10 minutes from LAX, and easily accessible by taxi, the Marina is a hidden gem tucked into the Los Angeles coastline that holds an array of exciting options for spending your day, or night. Its perfect year-round weather and blend of interesting eateries, upscale shopping and water and land-based activities will turn your unexpected detour into a destination all its own. And, if your stop in the Marina includes an overnight, the Marina features six harborfront accommodations from budget to five-diamond, where you can rest easy, far from the bustle of busy LAX. Better yet, for all your L.A. travel, schedule in a day to explore Marina del Rey.
Eat Here Now
No matter if you're on your way for business or pleasure, a stop in the Marina is all about leisure. Begin with a decadent breakfast or lunch at any one of the waterfront eateries along Admiralty Way. With outdoor patios, endless harbor views and great food, these dockside dining options are perfect places to unwind and enjoy a relaxing meal. For a casual bite with delightful views, stop at Tony P's Dockside Grill. Find yourself in the Marina on a weekend? Shanghai Red's, Jer-në Restaurant +Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey and Cafe del Rey are favorites for their fantastic brunches and water views. Or, get the royal treatment at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey with its signature afternoon tea served in the lobby lounge.
Get Out on the Water
Set foot in the Marina and you'll soon see that it's a mecca for those who love to boat. Getting out on the water is a great way to spend the day, and here there's plenty to experience -- from cruises, to fishing trips to small boat rentals that make for hours of fun you can't experience anywhere else in L.A.
Hornblower Cruises & Events (Hornblower.com) offers Sunday brunches and weekend dinner and cocktail cruises for a unique dining experience right on the water. Thanks to Marina Boat Rentals (310-574-2822), there are more ways than one to whet your appetite for being on the water. With a full range of small watercraft rentals, including electric, power and sail boats, along with kayaks, you can spend an hour, half a day or a the whole day puttering or paddling around the channel and harbor. Pack a picnic and enjoy ocean breezes and the serenity of being on the water. Into fishing? Here's a bonus for being on business: Marina del Rey Sport Fishing (310-822-3625; marinadelreysportfishing.com) makes getting out on the water easy. This company specializes in public half-day and 3/4-day fishing excursions that are open to the public. Trips depart mornings and afternoons and they'll supply licenses, poles and bait. Advanced reservations are recommended, so call ahead, hop aboard and catch that big one! A visit to the Marina in summer means exploring the harbor aboard the WaterBus, a weekend water shuttle which glides between six popular Marina locations including Burton W. Chace Park, Dolphin Marina, Fisherman's Village, Marina Harbor, Mother's Beach and Waterfront Walk. For just $1 per person each way, you'll see the harbor's major sites. Think of it as the Marina's answer to the vaporettos of Venice. Visit marinadelrey.lacounty.gov or www.visitmarina.com for hours of operation and other information.
Walk, Bike or Blade this Way
On land, there are many ways to pack in a little fun in the sun. One way to stretch your legs and get a close-up of the Marina's yachts is a stroll down Waterfront Walk. Begin at gentle Mother's Beach at the corner of Admiralty Way and Via Marina and walk past waterfront hotels, yacht clubs and slips of gleaming boats. Or, start with an exploration of the place where the Marina meets Venice Beach at End of Washington Boulevard. Spend the afternoon people-watching, or catching the bay view from the Venice pier. For nature lovers and bird-watchers, the Marina-adjacent Ballona Wetlands offer plenty of flora and fauna to fawn over. Free Freshwater Marsh, Saltwater Marsh and Dunes Interpretive Tours operate year-round on select weekend days. Call 310-306-1507 or visit ballonafriends.org for more information.
Active Angelenos have long known the pleasures of exploring the beaches, bike paths and walkways that surround and intersect the Marina. Rent inline skates at Venice Beach Rentals (2500 Ocean Front Walk at the end of Washington Blvd., 310-864-3290) or bicycles at Daniel's Bicycle Rentals & Sales at Fisherman's Village (310-980-4045) and roam the 22 miles of the beachside South Bay Bicycle Trail which stretches from the Marina to Torrance. Another option: head north and bike or skate along Venice Beach to Santa Monica. For information on city bike routes, go to labikepaths.com.
Short Stop, Why not Shop?
There's always time for retail therapy, especially when a layover is involved. The Waterside Marina del Rey, on Admiralty Way between Mindanao and Fiji Ways, is the perfect place to spend a few hours window shopping for bling at Universal Jewelers and Brighton Collectibles, or picking up designer duds at Theodore Man and Jill Roberts. Take some time out to sip a latte while relaxing on the patio near the central fountain, or pick up perfect little gifts and mementos at Beyond Scents. For some pampering, head to Christine Valmy for a manicure or a pedicure to refresh travel-weary hands and feet. And remember to grab a bite at Le Marmiton or some snacks at Rainbow Foods or Ralph's Fresh Fare to bring along on the rest of your journey.
Love the Nightlife
After the sun sets, the fun just begins. That's when the area's hip restaurants and bars pulse with live entertainment, dancing and DJs. Glow in the Marina del Rey Marriott is a sexy outdoor lounge with warm amber lighting, comfortable couches, fire pits and a crushed glass waterfall. Listen to DJs spin house music on the weekends, or wind down any evening with a tasty selection of appetizers and a trendy martini. Jer-në Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey is another option for low-key relaxation. Sip cocktails fireside while listening to live jazz and DJ lounge and house music on Thursdays and Fridays. Put on your dancing shoes for a night at Club Narain (13723 Fiji Way) where late-night revelers dancing the night away to world music with the Marina skyline as a backdrop. Or stop at Casa Escobar, which features live music and salsa dancing during the week, and DJ dancing on Fridays and Saturdays.
Hit the Hay
Rest easy in the Marina, where four of the community's hotels are right on the water, from the luxurious five-diamond The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey (ritzcarlton.com) to the harbor-surrounded Marina del Rey Hotel (marinadelreyhotel.com), to the budget-conscious accommodations of Best Western Jamaica Bay Inn (bestwestern-jamaicabay.com) and Foghorn Harbor Inn (foghornhotel.com), which offers complimentary shuttles to and from LAX. Meanwhile, Marina del Rey Marriott (marriott.com/laxmb) features upscale accommodations with beach or Marina views, and Marina International Hotel & Bungalows (marinaintlhotel.com)
offers large rooms perfect for families.
For more visitor information, contact the Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau at 310-305-9545. For group information and travel trade, call 310-306-9900. More information is also available on line at www.VisitMarina.com.