Walk On The Beach

It was almost perfect beach weather yesterday. The wind was blowing just enough to cool the sun to a walkable temperature. We walked from Manhattan Beach Pier to Hermosa Beach Pier and back, a journey of more than four miles. Manhattan Beach Farmers Market was open and the people were out in throngs and droves. It must have been a combination of the summer season and the weather.

We parked in the underground structure because all the free parking was full of tourists' cars. We made a quick detour to the post office and Starbuck's. When we arrived at Manhattan Beach Pier we turned left and walked south along The Strand.

We always enjoy passing the beach houses. These homes are built right on the sidewalk. In fact, the addresses reflect that-- 907 The Strand or 1123 The Strand.

If you live on The Strand, you expect people to stare in your front windows. This is exhibitionism with a twist of home ownership pride. As we walk and peek, we wonder, "Who lives there?"

The Strand in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach is an urban beach environment. People walk, bike, skateboard, scooter, dog-walk. On the beach, people run, sunbathe, and play beach volleyball. Hollywood is often present here in the form of film and movie crews and all the equipment that goes along with it. We passed a film crew but I didn't photograph anything worth seeing-too far away.

Hermosa Beach Pier is almost two miles south of Manhattan Beach Pier. The two structures are very different. Manhattan has a building at the end. Hermosa is "just there".

Fishermen seem to prefer Hermosa Pier.

As we walked further out the pier over the sand and the waves, past the sunbathers and surfboarders, we looked back and realized just how urban the Los Angeles Beach Cities are.

But we turned and gazed the other direction, to the west, and we saw a completely different atmosphere. A solitary adventurer.

Woman Against the Sea