around the marina to Pacific Ave
by the beach, turn right and roll
north to Venice.4 Venice
Created in 1905 by
eccentric tobacco heir
Abbot Kinney as an
amusement park, the
‘Venice of America’
became complete with
Italian gondolieri poling
the canals. Now new-
age hippies, muscled
bodybuilders à la Arnold
Schwarzenegger, goth
punks, tribal drummers
and freaks have taken
over Ocean Front Walk
(you may recognize it
from the opening scenes
of Three’s Company),
where the crazy side of
SoCal really lets it all
hang out. Imagine an
experimental human
zoo, and strap on those
rollerblades, hop on
a fluorescent-painted
beach cruiser or just
shake what yo’ mama
gave you. Venice is also
the birthplace of SoCal
skater-punk culture, as
chronicled in the movie
Lords of Dogtown.54 p309
The Drive » Drive north on
Ocean Ave and rejoin PCH past
the I-10. Cruise past Santa
Monica’s carnival pier with its
solar-powered Ferris wheel.
Keep following Hwy 1 (PCH)
north as it curves alongside
the ocean to Malibu, just over a
dozen miles away.5 Malibu
Measured mile for
fabulous oceanfront
mile, Malibu may have
the densest collection
of celebrities anywhere
in SoCal. Keep your eye
peeled for the paparazzi,
especially at the Malibu
Country Mart (www.
malibucountrymart.com; 3900
Cross Creek Rd) mini-mall,
where the A-list crowd
sips iced lattes as they
shop. About 15 miles
further west, pull into
Leo Carrillo State Park
(www.parks.ca.gov; 35000
W Pacific Coast Hwy; entry
per car $12; h8am-10pm;
c). This beach’s hidden
coves made a romantic
backdrop in Pirates of the
Caribbean, The Karate
Kid and 50 First Dates.
Beware of rough surf:
John Travolta and Olivia
Newton-John almost got
swept out to sea here
in the opening scene of
Grease.The Drive » Hug the coast
by following Hwy 1 north, which
turns inland to intersect Hwy
101, a multilane freeway that
swings back to the coast at
Ventura, then flows past ocean
cliffs and beaches northwest
to Santa Barbara, about a
90-minute trip from Malibu
without traffic jams.6 Santa Barbara
A Mediterranean
vibe and red-roofed,
white-stucco buildings
give credence to Santa
Barbara’s claim of beingthe ‘American Riviera.’
Spanish Colonial Revival
buildings clustered
along downtown’s State
St (for our walking tour,
see p194) have made
cameos in countless
movies, including
It’s Complicated. A
45-minute drive up
into the mountains
via scenic Hwy 154,
Santa Barbara’s wine
country (see p187) sets
the hilarious scene for
the Oscar-winning 2004
hit film Sideways. Just
east of Santa Barbara
off Hwy 101, celeb-heavy
Montecito is a leafy
suburb tucked between
the mountains and theTRIP HIGHLIGHTTRIP HIGHLIGHTPATRICK ESCUDERO / HEMIS / CORBIS ©SOUTHERN.CALIFORNIA29
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