Travel: Venice Beach

Technically, Venice Beach is…a beach. It has the Pacific Ocean, three miles of sand, and palm trees. But in reality, the beach is a prop, a nice addition to what Venice Beach actually is: a scene.

On any given day you can find thousands of people at Venice Beach, at least a hundred of whom have found the sand. The number of weightlifters who choose to work out here lends the area one of its nicknames – Muscle Beach. You can also find courts for volleyball, handball, paddle tennis, shuffleboard, and basketball (made famous in the opening of the movie White Men Can’t Jump). Venice Beach is considered by some the birthplace of the skateboard movement. And the boardwalk is a natural draw for dining and shopping establishments.

And then there’s the street entertainment. At any given time you might see a chain saw juggler, a roller skating guitar player, dancers, jugglers, comedians, acrobats, mimes, fortune tellers, and preachers.

When you go to Venice Beach, you become part of the scene. You’ll enjoy some good food, watch some fascinating people, and maybe even see stars in the making. And who knows, you may even go to the beach while you’re there.