Rolling Through Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach & Manhattan Beach With Beach Cities Bike Tours
Well that was fun.
I made money, talked a lot (including some about myself) and even got a free beer.
Is that great or what!?
I was giving a bicycle tour of Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach for one of my side businesses, Beach Cities Bike Tours. On the tours, I pedal with people and give them a visual and vocal tour of the South Bay (and beyond, if they wish, all the way up to Santa Monica) along the bike path known as The Strand.
There were 13 people on this tour and that may be an unlucky number but I was lucky to have them. We had not even gone 10 feet when they started asking about bars.
These were my kind of people!
Starting at the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach, I showed them the crumbling pier and pointed out Polly’s as a great place for breakfast (on the old small wooden pier) and quickly hit the highlight: Old Tony’s bar with its locally legendary Fire Chief cocktail.
From there I led them to Hermosa Beach. Before going onto The Strand, I stopped and explained that it is called The Strand and not a boardwalk. “That’s a New Jersey thing,” I explained. “There are no boards here, so in California, we call it The Strand.”
But before we got moving again, a girl in the group said “take us to Sharkeez!”
Like I said before, this was my kind of group!
When we reached the Hermosa Beach Pier, the group leader asked if was okay if we stopped for a drink.
Would it be okay – heck yeah!
So I took them into not Sharkeez but the Sharkeez “sister,” Tower 12. They loved it.
While on Pier Plaza, I pointed out American Junkie to a guy in an Ohio State shirt. I mentioned AJ’s is the Ohio State alumni bar. He dashed in to have a look at it and came out beaming. I had the feeling he would almost like to be there for a game instead of in Ohio Stadium.
Our next stop was the “90210” house which, I pointed out, was also used in the movie My Stepmother’s An Alien starring Dan Aykroyd and Kim Bassinger.
While we were there and the group was poising for the obligatory tourist photos, I noticed local party band leader Joe Middler of Joe’s Band was inside the house with home owner Gary. I just know they were rolling their eyes saying “tourists” but guys, I was just doing my job!
I then took them to what I call the “Mel Gibson house” and the Manhattan Beach Pier, where I explained the history and culture of beach volleyball, pointed out great spots for food and drinks and then took them to the birthplace of beach volleyball.
Next on the tour was El Porto – North Manhattan Beach to you South Bay newcomers – which is one of the top three surfing spots in LA County. I showed them the movie locations for 2012 and Blow and explained the colorful history and culture of this “hey dude” true Southern California beach community.
We then headed back to Redondo but at the MB Pier the group peeled off for a team dinner (and more drinks, no doubt) at Strand House. That is where I left them, to the smiles of not just me for hosting such a great group but them, as well.
“It was like a movie tour,” one said. “On bikes. It was great.”
Said another, “We spend a lot of time traveling and there’s a lot of hotels and meeting rooms for us. Occasionally we get out and do fun things and this was the most fun thing we’ve ever done as a group.”
These and other positive comments made me feel good. Really good.
Cheers to them!
Thanks Jim. I really enjoy giving bike tours – wish there was more business for tours in the South Bay!
You are such a giver Kevin!!