Julie's California Blog - Day One, April, 2013

Julie's California Blog - Day 1, March 31, 2013


Ok. Since I had a hard time with the Word Press Blog page and nobody could log in to read my entries, I've decided to keep track of my California adventures by email.
I rented a condo in Hermosa Beach, California for the month of April and I arrived in California with Carolyn McRae today. I've been so excited about spending a month in a little condo, right on the beach. The first little hiccup had to do with our rental car. I rented a full size SUV, a Yukon or larger. The Dodge SUV fell way short, but somehow, the valet was able to load all of our stuff. We soon learned that the smaller car is a good thing. 

We found our way to the condo, which was about 5 miles due south of LAX, without any difficulty. That's when the fun began. The parking garage is very small. We could park in the garage, but then we had to crawl out the back of the SUV because we didn't have room for the doors to open. That should have been our first clue that the condo was not exactly as advertised. Note to self. Not everybody's interpretation of "luxury" is the same. "72 The Strand," advertised as the best rental property in Hermosa Beach. In reality, it is more like a 2 bedroom suite at a B class Holiday Inn Express. Well, maybe not quite that nice. My son's dorm at USC is nicer, certainly less worn and perhaps a lot cleaner. I'd really like to meet the photographer who photographed this condo for the website. His trick photography skills are incredible. He really made this place look nice. Did he use a diffused lens to hide the worn look or did he photograph it twenty years ago? Anyway, we were greeted in the parking garage by Pat, the maintenance man. Second clue for a super sleuth. He was working on our condo, putting it back together after a bunch of "kids" rented it for spring break. How nice. Kid filth. We're going to need lots of disinfectant. Pat said we'd be seeing a lot of him. What does that mean?

Well, we got all of the gear moved in to the condo and then went to Ralph's for groceries. We got all the necessities ... eggs, lysol disinfectant, clorox wipes, detergent, sterilizing products and wine as well as a few munchies. I must admit, after a few glasses of wine, the place looks better. But we need more wine for tomorrow. We're going to need a LOT more wine.

On the brighter side, the view of the Pacific Ocean from the condo is stunning. A boardwalk runs along the beach for miles. Squeaker and Scruffy love meeting new people and dogs while walking the boardwalk, which is called The Strand. I look forward to 31 sunsets here. 

Carolyn and I walked down The Strand towards the Pier and found a restaurant called "American Junkie," which was highly recommended by the condo maintenance man, Pat, who looks like he may be two snorts short of a full high. Our waiter, Ryan suggested the "Crazy Shrimp Tacos" which may have been the highlight of our day. They were so tasty. And the $3.00 happy hour wine and beer complimented the tacos perfectly!! Imagine, dinner for two in Southern California, including 3 glasses of wine and 2 beers for $34.95! I think I like this place! Perhaps these prices are to off set the 14.3% state tax for residents???? 


We're back at the condo and winding down. More news of our exciting Hermosa Beach Adventures tomorrow!!


Carolyn repairs the vertical blinds. They fall if touched, but improves the view immensely. I noticed several lying on the floor behind the couch. That's the recommended "quick fix."


The remote controls are equipped with the new see through backs to enable the user to easily check for batteries. These are super selling points and should be included in the brochure for the condo.