Marina Del Rey Staycation

If you live in LA, you know there are some amazing things to experience here in the city of Angels and along the coast. However, when you live here it’s easy to take for granted. So why not enjoy a Marina Del Rey staycation?

Coastal *Clouds; photo by Kathy Leonardo; all photos courtesy of ETG*

Between the beaches and the mountains as well as the Hollywood tourism scene, museums, parks, fabulous food and more, you will never be bored. You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to have a lot of fun here either. For less than $100 you can purchase a roundtrip ticket to a beautiful island. The Catalina Express offers daily trips leaving from Long Beach, San Pedro and Dana Point. The journey to Catalina Island is less than an hour and 30 minutes across the pacific ocean.

A Marina Del Rey Staycation

My husband and I frequently take an entire day off to enjoy the local treasures on a day trip. We drive the coast, head to the beach, then go out to a nice meal and pretend we’re vacationing. We also visit local gardens, museums and parks. I walk everyday and love beaches with good walking/biking paths and parks with easy hiking trails.

Burton Chase Park

A wonderful place to spend an afternoon is Burton Chase Park. It’s perfect for taking long walks by the water while enjoying the marina. There is a Trader Joe’s right there, so we often stop, get a salad and have a picnic in the middle of the park while enjoying the ocean view and all the boats in the marina.

Of course, summer is even better in Los Angeles, because there are tons of free concerts. CLICK HERE see our list of free annual concerts that take place in Los Angeles every summer.

Like many travel writers, we typically schedule our trips on the shoulder seasons. Summer is never a good time to travel. The kids are out of school. The airports are super busy, and hotels are packed. Since we live close to the coast, my husband and I typically head west to enjoy the cooler temperatures and ocean breezes during the heat waves. When it’s not so hot, we explore other options.

Drive by Truckers at Burton Chace Park

During peak travel times, we prefer to stay home and enjoy the city we live in. Recently we decided to attend a free concert at Burton Chase Park in Marina del Rey to see the band Drive by Truckers. It was a hot summer day, but not in the Marina…it was lovely. I actually put my sweatshirt on as the sun began to set.

Knowing that this popular band would attract a large crowd, we decided to pack a picnic and head to Burton Chase park early. We snagged a front row seat, had a fantastic picnic and then sat back and enjoyed the concert.

*Sunset by the Coast; photo by Kathy Leonardo*

If you decide to attend any of the numerous live music events in Los Angeles during summer, parking can be a challenge. So, it’s best to arrive early. When visiting Burton Chase park in Marina Del Rey, Trader Joe’s is in walking distance so you can pop by, grab something great to eat after you park, and have your picnic ready to go.

Let us know what you love best about LA or the city that you live in…you might just get featured on EatTravelGo.com; Visit our We Love LA Page (see the Search Interests tab) on the Homepage for more articles about our Day Trips.