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124 2 0 1 7 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A PERCHED ALONGSIDE the Pacific Ocean with glorious coastline and a lively pier, Redondo Beach is an ideal venue for living the California dream, if only for the weekend. Just seven miles from LAX and not far from Los Angeles' top attractions, historic Redondo Beach is a destination in its own right. Typically sunny and in the 80s in summer and comfortable the rest of the year, the beach is less crowded than better- known sands in Malibu and Santa Monica. Popular activities include sport fishing, whale watching, diving, surfing and stand- up paddle boarding; biking and beach volleyball are available too. Redondo Beach rose to prominence early in the 20 th century when George Freeth came from Oahu and introduced surfing to the mainland. Known as the "Man Who Can Walk on Water," Freeth attracted thousands of spectators who gawked in amazement as he rode his eight- foot-long wooden surfboard from sea to shore. Today the Redondo Beach Pier attracts visitors with events including the annual Redondo Beach Lobster Festival, Sept. 22-24 (lobsterfestival.com), a classic car show and a kite festival (redondopier.com/events). On the third Saturday of each month there are free yoga sessions on the pier, which has more than 50 shops, rides and restaurants, and there are more choices on the pier's adjacent International Boardwalk. Chef Tin Vuong recently opened Sub- urbia, a restaurant in Redondo Beach's Riviera Village featuring global specialties. There are lots of American standards too. The city's cultural anchor is the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. The 1,457- seat venue hosts performances by the Los Angeles Ballet, a slack key guitar festival, and theatrical musicals such as Oklahoma!, which premieres in mid June. For lodging, a top pick is The Portofino, a waterfront hotel with ocean views in Redondo Beach's marina. A new upscale hotel called Shade, with yacht-chic design elements and a rooftop pool, overlooks the marina. While staying in Redondo Beach, don't miss SEA Lab, a marine science education center (lacorps.org/programs/sea-lab). If you're in Redondo Beach between November and April, look out to sea and try to spot gray whales migrating between Cal- ifornia and Mexico. You can often see the behemoths from shore; to get closer, book a whale watching tour on a boat such as the Voyager (voyagerexcursions.com). But perhaps the best way to enjoy Redondo Beach is to simply relax in the sand, watch the waves curl and enjoy some California dreamin' in one of the state's premier beach towns. REDONDO BEACH SoCal's family-friendly seaside playground B Y M I C H A E L S H A P I R O VISIT REDONDO ยป SWIM, BIKE, DINE, RELAX! Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau visitredondo.com REDONDO BEACH AND PIER, above; paddle boarding in the marina, below.