Maje Exploring L.A. Venice Canals, Venice, California

I have been exploring LA. I prefer doing things on my own time and finding events or discovering the unusual. A friend suggested I start writing about some of my explorations.  So here I go. Today I am going to start with my weekend walking experiences.

Yesterday, I went on a walk around the Venice area. I waited until early evening because of the heat. It was triple digits in the valley! It was way too hot so it seemed appropriate to go to the beach. I have always liked to walk for exercise but I became restless a few months ago walking the same streets over and over again. I decided to expand my horizons and so to that end I bought two books to help me find new places to walk in LA. One of the best investments I have ever made. For my walk yesterday I used the book "Walking L.A." by Erin Mahoney. I am working my way through all the walks in this book. I have been to about 6 or 7 of the walks. I haven't been a fan of all of them, but there are some fascinating walks that I highly recommend,  I have never walked around the canals near Venice Beach. Not sure that many of us that actually live in LA have actually taken the time to walk around the canals in Venice. I think of Venice Beach and my thoughts go to the actual beach, not to mention the problem with finding parking.

The walk I took yesterday is definitely one I would recommend. I have lived in LA for 33 years and I have never walked around the canals in Venice. I parked my car near Ocean Avenue, on a side street in a residential area. I had no problem finding parking. I don't know if that's always the case or if I got lucky. I  walked through the residential area and crossed over a bridge on Linnie Avenue.  I was thrilled when I saw the first canal. What a beautiful sight. Hidden from any main street it is a sight to behold. I thought about all the relatives that come to visit  from time to time from all over the world and how I half heartedly take them to the most touristy places in and around Los Angeles--Hollywood, Universal etc. I should have been taking them to see the beauty and wonder of the canals! I knew there were canals but never thought to go and actually see them for myself. I don't recall anyone ever telling me how fascinating they are to see. In fact, the last reference I remember hearing about the canals of Venice was in the documentary "Dogtown and Z Boys".  And the canals weren't exactly a showcase. In any case it's not just the canals that are interesting to see, it is the homes around the canals. They are distinct, beautiful and unique. Everything from funky, to Victorian to cottage like homes. I immediately wanted a home with a canal as my backyard!

After my walk around the canals I continued to Abbot Kinney. There you will find lots of places to shop and a variety of restaurants. I like the old buildings on Abbot Kinney. Yet as old and worn as some of the outside of the buildings appeared to be, a glance inside the restaurants and gallery's all appear new and well cared for. It  was definitely a busy, bustling street on an early Saturday evening.  I walked into a few restaurants and checked out some of the  menus. I  took their cards from several of them for future exploration. From Abbot Kinney I looped back to the canals and ended my walk. The entire walk was an easy 2 miles. 
This is my first article. I hope you find it helpful.  I plan to share more about the places I go to about once a week. Some of the future finds I plan to write about will include:

Beautfiul garden area in Los Angeles where a portion of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes is housed.

Best Saturday morning restorative yoga class for early risers. It's at 7:30 a.m. and usually only has about five people! Only fifteen dollars!

Secret public staircases in Los Angeles to walk and explore.

Where to get awesome voice lessons via Skype from a seasoned professional if you have always wanted to sing. :)

In the meantime feel free to write back, post comments and share places and events that you find interesting.