Santa Monica - July 4th weekend - Tiki Travel

J JOHN-O Tiki Socialite Dogtown, USA Joined: May 16, 2008 Posts: 2721	J JOHN-O Posted posted on Fri, Jun 13, 2008 12:02 AM I live in Santa Monica and would recommend the following: Rent a bike or some skates and cruise the beach bike path from Santa Monica to Venice (or even further south). It's the quintessential LA experience. Be careful though, July 4th weekend is a zoo. The Santa Monica pier has historical significance as well as the beach area just to the south. It's the original Muscle Beach (not the one in Venice), the birthplace of the 20th Century fitness boom. It's also the location of the first Hot Dog on a Stick built in 1946. Do not go into the ocean around the pier, it's very very dirty. Strolling streets would include 3rd Street Promenade (pretty touristy). More of a local flavor for shopping and dining would be Main St., Montana Ave, and Abbot Kinney (which is actually in Venice). On Main St., you have the Galley. Although the Galley is nautical rather than tiki, it's a must for anyone who follows this site. It dates back to 1934, has a great funky decor (hey that rhymes), tasty surf and turf as well as one strong and good Mai Tai. If you like the Galley, I would also recommend Chez Jay as another funky SM dining and watering spot. An upscale drinking experience would be the Casa Del Mar hotel (also historical) which overlooks the beach. Is it worth it to drive all the way to Tiki-Ti from Santa Monica? If you're an absolute Tiki fanatic and must make the pilgrimage then I would say yes. Otherwise limited time is better spent at unique places much closer to SM like the Getty Center. If you do make the trek out to Tiki Ti (Silverlake actually, not Hollywood) call first. They may be closed that holiday weekend. FYI, they've been opening at 4pm rather than 6pm in the last few months. If you go later in the evening on a Fri or Sat night, it can be a pretty uncomfortable experience even after waiting in line. Tito's Tacos is the best "bad" Mexican food around. The tacos taste like horse meat but are strangely addictive. Much better in flavor is Johnnie's Pastrami just around the corner. That place probably hasn't changed much since the 1950's. Both are in nearby Culver City and are probably not worth the drive if you're already having a good time in Santa Monica. For close proximity low-brow dining, I'd just go get a sub sandwich at Bay Cities Italian Deli on Lincoln. [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2008-06-13 00:15 ] [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2008-06-13 00:25 ]

I live in Santa Monica and would recommend the following:

Rent a bike or some skates and cruise the beach bike path from Santa Monica to Venice (or even further south). It's the quintessential LA experience. Be careful though, July 4th weekend is a zoo.
The Santa Monica pier has historical significance as well as the beach area just to the south. It's the original Muscle Beach (not the one in Venice), the birthplace of the 20th Century fitness boom. It's also the location of the first Hot Dog on a Stick built in 1946. Do not go into the ocean around the pier, it's very very dirty.
Strolling streets would include 3rd Street Promenade (pretty touristy). More of a local flavor for shopping and dining would be Main St., Montana Ave, and Abbot Kinney (which is actually in Venice).
On Main St., you have the Galley. Although the Galley is nautical rather than tiki, it's a must for anyone who follows this site. It dates back to 1934, has a great funky decor (hey that rhymes), tasty surf and turf as well as one strong and good Mai Tai. If you like the Galley, I would also recommend Chez Jay as another funky SM dining and watering spot. An upscale drinking experience would be the Casa Del Mar hotel (also historical) which overlooks the beach.
Is it worth it to drive all the way to Tiki-Ti from Santa Monica? If you're an absolute Tiki fanatic and must make the pilgrimage then I would say yes. Otherwise limited time is better spent at unique places much closer to SM like the Getty Center. If you do make the trek out to Tiki Ti (Silverlake actually, not Hollywood) call first. They may be closed that holiday weekend. FYI, they've been opening at 4pm rather than 6pm in the last few months. If you go later in the evening on a Fri or Sat night, it can be a pretty uncomfortable experience even after waiting in line.
Tito's Tacos is the best "bad" Mexican food around. The tacos taste like horse meat but are strangely addictive. Much better in flavor is Johnnie's Pastrami just around the corner. That place probably hasn't changed much since the 1950's. Both are in nearby Culver City and are probably not worth the drive if you're already having a good time in Santa Monica. For close proximity low-brow dining, I'd just go get a sub sandwich at Bay Cities Italian Deli on Lincoln.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2008-06-13 00:15 ]

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2008-06-13 00:25 ]

Post #386775 by JOHN-O on Fri, Jun 13, 2008 12:02 AM