Venice Beach: Get in the circle!

Wednesday, 01 April 2009 15:43

As a SoCal resident, you should seriously consider yourself fortunate… If the U.S. of A. is the land of the free, SoCal is the epicenter of the so-called melting pot… it’s really hard not to notice the fact that el Sur de Califas is home to a wide array of people. No other place in the country- with the exception of New York- hosts as many weirdos and outcasts in one place.  With sunny skies year-round and an eternal summer, a weekend on this side of the world represents endless possibilities ya que todo nos queda cerca… we’re always a Freeway exit away from everything.  With so many options and places to chill and just getaways for a day or for the whole weekend, the escapade du jour seems to be the beach… with so many beaches around, it can be hard to pick just one, but when in doubt… just head over to Venice Beach, where you’re guaranteed to have a swell time no matter what.  

Splish Splash

You’ll find Venice Beach just south of the overcrowded Santa Monica Beach.  Surprisingly enough, the Venice Beach “strip” stretches for several feet, where you’ll find loads of amusing shops, chill eateries, funky vendors, and jaw-dropping interesting people to say the least.  

If you think Hollywood deserves to have its name changed to Hollyweird since it is so jam-packed with weirdos, you’ll be blown away by Venice Beach, which is apparently officially the unofficial epicenter of all things weird.  

Now the kind of weird you’ll find at Venice is not creepy weird, but fun “I-don’t-give-a-shit-what-people-think-about-me” kind of weird… which is always great and oh so encouraging… al final del día, todos sienten unas ganas enormes de soltarse la trenza and just enjoy themselves and unleash their inner weirdo.  

Muscle Beach

One of the main “attractions” you’ll find at Venice Beach is the world-famous “Muscle Beach”.  The name says it all… even though it’s not a complete beach, “Muscle Beach” is a part of the beach (several foots long) which hosts all muscle builders both pros and amateurs… it’s just a place for them to do their thing and flaunt the freakishly muscular bodies they achieved with loads of hard work and in some (extreme) cases, steroids.  

You’ll find some really good eye candy in this part of the beach… definitivamente no es apta para los débiles de corazón.   

The Circle

One of Venice Beach’s oldest traditions, and unfortunately (and surprisingly) unknown to many is the weekend gathering of the Drum Circle.  

Even though it may sound like some kumbaya Lion King b.s., the Drum Circle is something you must experience at least one in your life time.  

Every weekend, hordes of people and percussionists gather at random places and just jam all day until the sun goes down (o hasta que la chota kills the party).

The Drum Circle is an out-of-this world experience… you’ll bump elbows with all kinds of people, all united because of music… it’s interesting to see the twists and turns the music takes… it ranges from tribal African beats, to Caribbean and Latin-tinged jams… lo mejor de todo es que todos son super buena onda… if you fall there’s always a friendly hand willing to help you up… es una vibra fuera de serie.

Cuando tengas un tiempito, no la pienses dos veces, and just gather a group of friends y lánzate a Venice Beach… make sure you schedule a stop by the Drum Circle… take lots of water and sunscreen.

Gotta love L.A.!  

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