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Travel Articles by David Bear

Versions of these articles and columns have appeared in newspapers around the county. Please enjoy them for your own use, but if you want to reproduce or publish them in any form, please let us know first by emailing us

Watching our son shine in Santa Monica

03-31-2011

Seeing our son shine in Santa Monica

By David Bear

Although my evidence is personal, I suspect parental curiosity motivates many journeys. It’s been my experience that when one’s offspring springs off into a new phase of life, mothers and fathers naturally to want to check out the situation for themselves, especially when it is far from home.

So it was when our son Ben moved last July to sunny Santa Monica, California to accept a promising job-offer, his first, significant post-university professional posting. Phone calls, e-mails and third-party reports since then sounded excellent. In addition to getting in to the work, he’d found an apartment to share with two other guys. He was close enough to work bicycle, making the car he’d leased somewhat superfluous. But of course for parents, the only believing is seeing.

The occasion of his late February birthday provided us with a date for planning this reconnaissance trip. After determining frequent flyer mileage could get us to Los Angeles and back, finding a suitable place to stay for six nights (Wednesday to Tuesday) was the next order of business.

Although my wife Sari and I know several couples in greater LA and had visited the area on numerous occasions, we wanted to stay in Santa Monica, both to be near Ben and to familiarize ourselves more with this sophisticated coastal enclave that has differentiated itself from the mega-city that surrounds it on three sides. Since its fourth face is a high bluff that fronts a half-mile-wide beach and broad sweep of Los Angeles Bay, we were confident we could find plenty of sunny strolling. It may have still been winter by the calendar, but our friends reported spring flowers were in full blossom.

Santa Monica features several classic hotels along its Ocean Boulevard, but after we researching the possibilities, we thought about other beach vacations we have taken and wondered whether we could rent a cottage or condo instead.

Accessing the Web site Vacation Rental by Owner (www.vrbo.com), Sari located a one-bedroom bungalow on a residential street just off Montana Avenue, a hip, happening thoroughfare lined with non-chain stores, local restaurants, little galleries and chic shops.

Situated less than a mile from the Pacific and even nearer downtown Santa Monica where Ben worked, the location seemed ideal. The photos looked charming. Bedroom and bath with a small kitchen, living/dining room, wood floors, flower fringed patio, TV, WiFi, even a tiny garage, it offered all the amenities we wanted. Even better, it was also available when we wanted and less costly than other options. Dealing directly with the charming owner by email and phone, we came to a quick agreement.

The bungalow proved to be a perfect choice, providing us with a comfortable, pleasantly private, centrally located home base from which all the stops on our itinerary were easily accessible by foot, bike, or vehicle, since Ben lent us his car. That flexibility was important, because we had plenty of plans.

Knowing Ben would be busy at work during the days and not wanting to intrude too much on his life, we’d made arrangements to visit with several old friends. One couple lives in Malibu. Another from San Francisco was flying down to visit their son. A third had been kind enough to accommodate Ben in their home during his first several weeks in the area.

So we had plenty of people with whom to play. Rather than being tourists, we organized our visit around spending time with friends, which often involved a meal. In fact between lunches, dinners and so many excellent eating options, the making and reconfirming of restaurant reservations became a significant and engaging activity.

Our dine-around started with elegant sushi after Ben picked us up at the airport. Wanting to show off something of his new town, he walked us through the two blocks of the Third Street Promenade to Ozumo, a contemporary Japanese aerie perched atop the new and nifty Santa Monica Place.

The following evening we celebrated Ben’s birthday with one of his oldest friends, who also now lives in LA. We all met at The Tasting Kitchen, a happy, happening restaurant in nearby Venice. Ordering from a menu that might be described as nouvelle eclectic, we relished every morsel and drop that arrived at our table, from the succulent mussels to the bread pudding dessert.

Despite a steady downpour, Friday was a lovely evening, starting at the home of Ben’s benefactor hosts and then moving back to Santa Monica and Blue Plate Oysterette, a new ocean-front eatery with the busy ambiance of a Cape Cod crab shack, with a raw bar and succulent lobster rolls.

On Saturday we celebrated our San Francisco friends’ anniversary at Vincenzo Ristorante, a classic Italian bistro on Montana a few blocks from our bungalow. The meal was even more enjoyable because it reintroduced our sons after more than a decade.

On Sunday our Malibu buddies hosted a small Oscar-party at their condo, which opens on a panoramic Pacific perspective. The activities started with an afternoon stroll along the beach to the aptly named Paradise Cove Café, where we enjoyed lunch with the sand between our toes.

Later back at their condo in addition a wonderful visit and getting the inside stories about the red carpet proceedings, we had a chance to hang out with Ben and his boss, who drove out for the evening. All in all, an Oscar-winner of a day, capped with home-made jambalaya I thought the most enjoyable meal of my week.

Finally on Monday evening, Ben joined us after work for a goodbye bite at R + D Kitchen, a happening Montana Avenue hangout known for its excellent comfort food, myriad margaritas and celebrity clientele.

With all that excellent eating, it was good we did a walking around Santa Monica. In addition to getting familiar with its streetscapes, we visited farmers markets and took several strolls along the beach to the city’s famous pier, with its sea life aquarium, old-time amusement park and solar powered Ferris wheel. The bluffs along Ocean Avenue, with its panoramic sweep from Palos Verdes to Malibu, are a perfect place to find Pacific sunsets.

We did make it to the Getty Villa in Malibu one afternoon and enjoyed its extensive collection of ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan art and artifacts. But on drizzly Saturday afternoon, rather than checking out what we’d heard were awesome images at the Annenberg Space for Photography, I wound up helping Ben clean his apartment and get himself organized for his upcoming business trip. Hey, that’s what parents do!

And another morning, Ben took us to his office, where we met many of his colleagues. Instead of a jazz club one night after dinner, we wound up watching The Devil Wear’s Prada at Ben’s apartment with him and his roommates.

All in all, mostly mundane activities, but perhaps that is also what made it a successful reconnaissance trip. In addition to coming home reassured about our son, where he lives and works, and the choices he’s making, we now know our way around Santa Monica, at least a little.

We’re already looking forward to our next visit.

Post-Gazette travel editor emeritus, David Bear can be reached at his Web site: www.travelersjournal.com

Dining Sampler

Here’s a quick menu of the dining establishments we enjoyed, all selected at the recommendations of various friends and other review sources.

Santa Monica

R + D Kitchen

1323 Montana Ave.

310-395-3314

Blue Plate

A neighbor eatery where locally grown breakfasts all day long, as well as finer, chef prepared fare at lunch and dinner.

1415 Montana Ave.

310-260-8877