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Beer & Bikes on the Beach: A Craft Beer Bar Crawl in Los Angeles

Self-Guided Craft Beer & Bikes on the Strand Bar Crawl in South Bay, Los Angeles
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A self-guided craft beer bike tour in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach. Drink locally brewed craft beer on the Strand in South Bay, Los Angeles, California!

The South Bay is our favorite part of Los Angeles. The South Bay in Los Angeles is home to several cute little beach towns, such as Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach, as well as the beautiful high bluffs of Palos Verdes. It’s where we always stay when we’re in Los Angeles. It’s conveniently close to LAX, and removed from the crazy Los Angeles traffic hell. What’s more, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach are all connected by a wonderful bike and walking path along the beach known as The Strand. Walking along The Strand, you’ll find everything you’ve ever wanted out of your Los Angeles beach experience: tan, fit people playing volleyball; long haired dudes surfing sick waves; chill bros whizzing by on rollerblades carrying Starbucks. It’s classic Los Angeles. Not only are these towns home to great beaches, good surf, plenty of sunshine, and delicious food, they also have a variety of local craft breweries and tap houses! So we figured, what’s the best way to visit beach towns? By bike, of course! And thus, The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl was born.

     The self-guided tour we’ve laid out below makes a great day long date for two (or like, your entire group of friends). It takes you to 8 bars and breweries in 3 towns: Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach. And the best part? The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl can be done for as low as $100, including bike rental and so much beer! Oh and did I mention you’ll sample at least 29 beers? You might want to split a couple of those growlers.

By the way, we’ve created a super handy FREE downloadable Google Map & PDF for the South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl. It’ll make this whole drinking beer and biking thing a lot easier, trust us. Enter your email address below to have the map delivered straight to your inbox.

Without further ado, we present to you our The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl. 

The Strand bike and walking path in Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, California.

The Strand bike and walking path in Redondo Beach, California. Photo Credit: “Redondo Beach – 038” (CC BY 2.0) by SupportPDX

Redondo Beach, California

     The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl  – SBCB&BBC for short (okay maybe the name doesn’t work as an acronym) – starts in one of the larger South Bay beach towns, Redondo Beach, located just north of Palos Verdes.

Here are some random facts about Redondo Beach that I found on Wikipedia just now:

  • Lia’s Dad grew up in Redondo Beach. Which isn’t really that interesting, but it does give us sort of half local’s cred, because Lia’s been coming here for her entire life to visit family. Also, her dad still knows the location of every Starbucks and surf shop in town. Yes, my father-in-law grew up surfing, too. We’re all California stereotypes here.
  • Redondo Beach was home to the filming of the classic television series, Baywatch.
  • Fox’s The O.C. (which everyone knows is way better than Baywatch) was seen filming at Redondo Union High School, Redondo Beach Pier, and local parks.
  • The area of Redondo Beach that starts in Palos Verdes is known as “RAT” (Right After Torrance) Beach. Cute.
  • Redondo Beach was described “The Gem Of The Continent” in the Los Angeles Daily Herald in 1887. Aww, that’s sweet.

Chill vibes. Anyway, all you really need to know is that there’s a sweet pier, some docks, and a bunch of great places to drink craft beer.

South Bay Beaches in Los Angeles on The Strand

South Bay is our favorite part of Los Angeles. Great vibes, good surf, plenty of sunshine, and tons of craft beer! Photo Credit: “Los Angeles – USA” (CC BY 2.0) by -marika bortolami-

Where to Start the South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl

Before we can start the South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl, you’ll need to park your car and rent a bike – both in Redondo Beach. We recommend starting early, like around lunchtime. 

     Look for parking in Redondo Beach near the bike rental spot that we recommend, Perry’s Cafe and Beach Rentals*. Conveniently, you can also get a delicious brunch at Perry’s before you rent your bikes! Check out the breakfast menu and the bike rental prices. (If you’re rad and have your own bike, just skip to step 2 and park nearby.) After a hearty brunch (the better to help you soak up all the craft beer you’re about to drink), rent your bike (better make it an all-day or 24 hour rental, just in case) and begin the half-mile jaunt to the first stop on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl.

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     *Important Note: Perry’s is only open during the high season, which starts in May. If you’re visiting South Bay in the off-season, we recommend renting at Marina Bike Rentals instead, and skipping the first stop – it’s a bit too far. Instead, your first stop will be at King Harbor Brewing, below.*

The South Bay craft beer & bikes bar crawl on the Strand in Hermosa, Manhattan, and Redondo beaches in Los Angeles.

Don’t get excited. This is 2 flights. Also, friendly advice: don’t start the day off with 2 flights.

The Redondo Beach Brewing Company

     Your first stop for beer is the Redondo Beach Brewing Company. While the name might be a slight misnomer (they don’t actually brew their own beer here), the Redondo Beach Brewing Company has an impressive beer list with about 40 taps, most of which are from Los Angeles or nearby. The vast selection ranges from sours, to Belgians, to porters and stouts. A flight of 4 beers at the Redondo Beach Brewing Company costs $11.

Our favorite Los Angeles area (and nearby) craft beers at the Redondo Beach Brewing Company were:

  • Anderson Valley Bourbon Barrel Pumpkin Ale from Boonville, CA
  • Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout from Vista, CA
  • Modern Times Black House Nitro Coffee Stout from San Diego, CA

     Once you’ve finished your first flight, hop on your bikes and head to the next spot. As The Strand becomes the harbor, you’ll be met with dozens of boats to the left and a parking garage on your right. Lock your bike up in the rack and head down a set of well marked stairs to the docks, where you’ll find your next two stops.

King Harbor Brewing Company, a Los Angeles area brewery on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl

King Harbor Brewing Company, a Los Angeles area brewery on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl

King Harbor Brewing in Redondo Beach

     Your second stop on the South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl is King Harbor Brewing, whose in-house brewed list of craft beers is packed with hits. Your first thought might be “This place is small. They brew here!?” Well, not here, exactly. This is the tasting room. The actual brewery is located about two miles away. But don’t worry about the specifics. Just focus on the beer. There are 16 locally brewed craft beers available on tap. The flights here are “Choose Your Own Adventure” and the price is scaled depending on the beer. You can pull off a flight here for $12 and up.

     One of the most popular craft brews from King Harbor Brewing is the Coconut IPA. I think I should confess something: I’m not that into IPAs. I know. I can already feel my friends in the Bay Area disowning me. Look, they’re usually too floral, too bitter, and lack real complexity outside of the hops of choice.  Bearing that in mind, I LOVED the Coconut IPA from King. It has a toasted coconut taste, with the floral quality of IPA, and a lighter body. It’s the perfect beach beer.

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Our other favorite locally brewed craft beers from King Harbor Brewing were:

  • Darkness Before Dawn: A very dark, full-bodied creamy stout.
  • Blackberry Before Dawn: A very dark, full-bodied creamy stout made with blackberries, which add a slight tartness.
Naja's Place, a Los Angeles area brewery on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl in Redondo Beach, California

Naja’s Place has gnarly taps and surfboards on the ceiling. Rad, dude!

Naja’s Place in Redondo Beach

     A grueling 1 minute walk down the Redondo Beach  boardwalk puts you at Naja’s Place, where you’ll see the most beer in one place on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl. They have a stunning 88 beers on tap here, and all of them are from California! Given the decor (or lack of), intimidatingly long menu, and super knowledgeable bartenders, it’s clear this place is all about the beer. Fair warning: this place gets packed on the weekends and evenings.

     Naja’s Place does not have flights. Beer prices range from $7 to $9 a pint for most beers, and $8-$10 for specialties. After much discussion with the helpful bartender, I decided on the Stoutella from Knee Deep Brewing. The name says it all: a Nutella Stout! If you ordered the Peanut Butter Stout at Redondo Beach Brewing Company, expect something similar, but with a chocolate and hazelnut finish. My mouth is watering just remembering it.

     When you’ve finished your beer, hop back on your back and continue down the strand towards Hermosa Beach.

The Hermosa Beach Pier boardwalk in South Bay, Los Angeles, just off the Strand.

The Hermosa Beach Pier boardwalk on a foggy yet beautiful day.

Hermosa Beach, California

Hermosa Beach is an adorable little beach town. The Hermosa Beach Pier is the main spot in town, and nearby you’ll find loads of excellent places to eat, drink, and shop. One weird quirk that I’ve never understood is that all of the street signs are in a sort of Lord of the Rings font, which is super adorable.

Here are some other sweet truth bombs about Hermosa Beach:

  • A very long time ago, Hermosa Beach was a lot of farmland and barley, with herds of sheep and the occasional horse roaming about. Picture a sheep on the beach. How cute is that?
  • The very first Hermosa Beach pier was built in 1904 out of, presumably, driftwood and dental floss. It quickly washed away and was replaced in 1913 with a much more robust version.
  • Hermosa Beach has an average of 325 days of sunshine a year, and the rest of them are all misty, gray, and foggy. We can attest that it’s still really pretty, even in the fog.
  • There is a Surf Hostel on the Hermosa Beach Pier! Check it out!

Gnarly facts, bro. Your first stop in Hermosa Beach is a little bit before the pier and just off the Strand.

Surfer statue in Hermosa Beach Pier on the Strand, South Bay, Los Angeles, California

Just a mad chill surfer bro statue in Hermosa Beach, California. Hang ten, dudes.

Hot’s Kitchen in Hermosa Beach

     It might be a little off the pier, but even locals agree: Hot’s Kitchen has the biggest beer selection in Hermosa Beach. Taps range from local selections to ubiquitous domestic beers and even some imports. You’ll find beer flights available, plus daily $4 craft beer “Dank Deals” (that’s what they’re actually called. You’re in Los Angeles, remember?).

Here are a couple locally brewed South Bay craft beer recommendations:

After Hot’s Kitchen, ride your bike to the Hermosa Beach pier and lock it. You’re hoofing it for a little while.

Street signs in Hermosa Beach, California

Check out these quirky street signs! All of the street signs in Hermosa Beach have this incredibly cute little Lord of the Rings style font. Which I love because I’m a giant nerd.

Abigaile’s in Hermosa Beach

     A block or two up from the Hermosa Beach Pier is Abigaile’s. Part craft brewery, part fine dining, part… punk rock? Totally, dude. It might sound like an identity crisis, but this place owns it. They serve up craft beers brewed in house (you’ll see the actual brewery equipment behind the bar!), locally brewed beer selections from around Los Angeles and California, and incredible food like bone marrow, chicken and waffles, and goat cheese brussel sprouts. You know, the kind of stuff that make our foodie, hipster ears perk up.

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     On weekends the place is packed with brunch goers, but by the time you arrive, they should have died down. Grab a seat at the bar to make it easier, and order a beer flight. This is a good place to grab some snacks as well (but save dinner for the next spot). Lia really likes the sausage stuffed fried olives. I, on the other hand, think olives are best served in the trash, so it’s your call.

Beer flight at Hook & Plow in Hermosa Beach, California, on the Strand in South Bay.

Everything is better when served on a California shaped wood slab. Especially locally brewed craft beer at Hook & Plow in Hermosa Beach, California.

Hook & Plow in Hermosa Beach

     Located a couple blocks up Pier Avenue, this place seems to have been made for us. The decor is all wood, succulents, and Mason jars (we’re stereotypes, and I’m not even mad about it). Another pointless reason we love this place? Their flights are served on California shaped wood boards. We have the same one at home, because everyone in California is obsessed with California. You can buy your very ownCalifornia wood board on Amazon too! Anyway, their flights are $12, and you’ll find some excellent selections. These were our faves:

  • Blood Orange Amber Ale from The Dudes in Torrance, CA. Tastes like an orange creamsicle.
  • The Patsy Coconut Rye Stout from Barley Forge Brewing Company in Costa Mesa, CA. A light bodied stout that tasted like coconut cream.

If you’re getting hungry for dinner, this is the spot. The food is on the pricier side, but it’s worth every penny. If you can, arrive around happy hour (3-6PM on weekdays). Our food recommendations (I’m not going to lie. We ate here like 8 times):

  • Seafood Chowder: It has bacon in it and it’s amazing.
  • Furikake House Fries: Truffle oil, seaweed flakes, parmesan, and incredible house made ketchup and mustard.
  • 30H pulled pork sandwich: braised with craft beer, of course.
  • Flat iron steak: with fingerling potatoes and smoky grilled piquillo peppers
  • Pear and burrata salad: with truffle oil and hazelnuts. Add scallops, too.

Save dessert for another spot. Chill, bro – we totes gotcha covered. Fersh.

Clock tower in Hermosa Beach, California, on the Strand in South Bay.

These gorgeous old clocks on the pier, as well as beachy street art, add charm and character to quirky little Hermosa Beach, California.

     Now is a good time to take a little breather and walk down the pier (and look for the resident dolphins). If it’s around sundown, definitely find a spot on the beach to relax and watch the sun set. Hermosa Beach’s sunsets are breathtaking, and no trip to California is complete without watching an ocean sunset. If you’re lucky, some mad chill surfer dude with a ukelele will be serving up chill vibes nearby. (That’s not like, a joke. That’s realistic. One time I went surfing in Hermosa and as I walked back across the beach, a surfer bro with a guitar gave me the hang 10 and asked if it was “crunchy” out there. It was totes crunchy that day, actually.)

After your romantic moment of California happiness (peace and love, brother!), hop back on those bikes and continue up the Strand towards Manhattan Beach.

Manhattan Beach Pier by demxx, on Flickr
Photo Credit: “Manhattan Beach Pier” (CC BY 2.0) by demxx

Manhattan Beach, California

Redondo Beach has its docks and marina charm; Hermosa Beach has chill, grungy surfer vibes; Manhattan Beach is, by comparison, posh. It shares the same love of beach volleyball and surfing as its neighbor beach towns along the Strand, but it’s decidedly more upper crust. Its hilly downtown can be explored from the starting point of the gorgeous Manhattan Beach Pier.

Here are some useless facts about Manhattan Beach that probably won’t be relevant to you at all:

  • Their school districts are REALLY good. There’s like 8 different school rankings on their Wikipedia page.
  • Speaking of their schools, Hannah Montana’s school was actually on location here in Manhattan Beach. You’ll catch views of the Manhattan Beach Pier in the show’s intro, too.
  • Some other notable TV shows and movies filmed in Manhattan Beach: Starsky & Hutch, Tequila Sunrise, Veronica Mars, Jerry Maguire, Point Break, Against All Odds, and the video for White Walls by Macklemore. And a bunch more.
  • The Beach Boys used to hang out and surf in Manhattan Beach, and they mention it in Surfin’ USA.

Totes chill, dudes. Chyea! Anyway, park your bike at the pier and hike up the hill to the next stop.

Cali Creamin vanilla cream ale at Brewco in Manhattan Beach, South Bay, Los Angeles California

This is the Cali Creamin’ nitro vanilla cream ale. Its incredibly foamy head tastes like Butterbeer. SO good!

Brewco in Manattan Beach

The penultimate stop on the tour is a tap house and sports bar with a rotating So-Cal craft beer menu. When we visited, they offered 2 pre-set beer flights. If you’ve had your fill of California craft beers (bummer, dude) Brewco has a great selection of Belgian beers. But in the spirit of keeping it local, these were our fave craft brewed California beers:

  • The Nothing Imperial Stout from Smog City Brewing in Torrance, CA. Aged on raw cacao nibs. Dark and bitter. Just like my heart. What? I’m totes JK, dudes.
  • Cali Creamin’ Nitro Cream Ale from Mother Earth Brew Co. in Vista, CA. This delicious vanilla cream ale has a frothy, creamy vanilla head that reminded me of Butterbeer (like, at Harry Potter world in Universal Studios. You know. The good stuff.) It was definitely one of our absolute favorites of the day.

Down your beers and hit the street one last time for the very last stop on our craft beer bar crawl!

Simmzy's beer flight in Manhattan Beach, South Bay, Los Angeles, California.

The beer flight at Simmzy’s is served on a tiny surfboard, because of course it is. I love you, South Bay!

Simmzy’s in Manhattan Beach

Our very last stop on The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl is Simmzy’s, which is a totally chill sports bar with, of course, a fantastic selection of locally brewed craft beers. There are 24 drafts on tap. These were our faves:

  • Mocha Machine Porter by Beachwood BBQ from Long Beach, CA. Smells like coffee, tastes like coffee.
  • Gypsy Tart Brown Sour by Bruery Terreux from Anaheim, CA. Flanders-style brown ale; tart, sour, dark and syrupy.

You did it, bro! Celebrate your success by drunkenly inhaling a stuffed Apple Caramel Doughnut from Simmzy’s. Or, if you need a pick-me-up, stop by Manhattan Beach Creamery for a cupcake and a Cold Brew Nitro Float (that’s coffee with an ice cream float, not beer).

The apple caramel stuffed donut from Simmzy's in Manhattan Beach, California, in South Bay, Los Angeles.

The apple stuffed doughnut covered with salted caramel, chopped pistachios, and vanilla ice cream from Simmzy’s is incredible after a long day of drinking a ton of craft beer. Or like, anytime.

The South Bay Craft Beer & Bikes Bar Crawl: Locations

Here’s a handy list of all the places along the Strand that you’ll be visiting on this self-guided craft beer bar crawl. But to make it even easier, we’ve compiled the entire post into a handy dandy FREE printable map with directions (and a Google Map, in case you’re more of a digital dude).  I know, we’re the best, right? Sign up to below to have the map delivered straight to your inbox.

  • Hook & Plow: 425 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach CA | Open 11 AM-10 PM daily
  • Brewco: 124 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA | Closes at 11pm
  • Simmzy’s: 229 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA | Closes at 11pm
  • Manhattan Beach Creamery: 1120 Manhattan Beach Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA | Closes at 10, 11 on weekends

Looking for even more amazing South Bay craft beer breweries? Local expert Craft Beer Guy has a comprehensive list of South Bay breweries! And if you’d like to spend more time in Los Angeles, here’s a quick guide to Fun Things to Do in Los Angeles, aka the World’s Worst City (look, we didn’t come up with the name. But it’s true. Don’t hate us, we’re NorCal). 

Hey, we’d love to hear how your bar crawl turns out. Tell us all of your ridiculous bar crawl stories in the comments below!

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A self-guided craft beer bike tour on the Strand in South Bay, Los Angeles! Drink locally brewed craft beer in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach.

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Comments

  1. Vrithi Pushkar says: March 18, 2017 at 5:03 pm

    I love Craft beer. I need to do this when in California. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. kellybarcus says: March 26, 2017 at 4:49 am

    The Strand is one of our favorite places to ride our beach cruisers. And love the idea of making your own pub or food crawl. We did that once in SF where we rented bikes and rode from chocolate shop to chocolate shop! It was so much fun!

    Reply
    • Lia says: March 27, 2017 at 5:53 pm

      That’s an awesome idea! Although the hills in SF make biking a much more challenging task. The Strand is quite a bit easier for a novice bike rider like me!

      Reply
  3. Eloise - MyFavouriteEscapes.com says: March 26, 2017 at 1:12 pm

    I’d love to visit California one day. And now that I’ve read your article about all the craft beers, I’m even more interested!!!!! 😉

    Reply
    • Lia says: March 27, 2017 at 5:52 pm

      We’re only slightly biased, but California is the best place in the entire world and you should definitely come visit 🙂

      Reply
  4. Dhaval Parmar says: March 27, 2017 at 12:09 pm

    This is an incredible and comprehensive list! Totally bookmarking this for the next time we visit there!

    Reply
  5. Luke Marlin | Backstreet Nomad says: April 3, 2017 at 8:09 am

    This is such a great guide, I just wish I had read it before I was in CA last December!

    Reply
  6. Lloyd Brown says: April 13, 2017 at 7:17 pm

    Thanks for the mention; cheers!

    The Craft Beer Guy 😉

    Reply
  7. Dan Clinton says: July 27, 2017 at 1:31 pm

    This looks awesome.
    The link for map isn’t working, any idea why?

    Reply
    • Lia says: July 28, 2017 at 4:48 pm

      You’re totally right, thanks for calling that to my attention! I removed the links. Instead, please use the forms to get your downloadable map. It’ll be sent right to your inbox!

      Reply

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  • When people think of the Bay Area’s amazing food scene, they typically think of San Francisco. And while no one is disputing San Francisco as a world-renowned foodie destination, in our extremely biased opinions (as Oakland residents) the food in Oakland is hella underrated. . There is incredibly good food in Oakland – but it’s different than what you’ll find in San Francisco. San Francisco tastes like a Mission Burrito from a taqueria, clam chowder in a bread bowl, fresh oysters, a sweet bun from a Chinese bakery, a crunchy banh mi sandwich, and fresh avocado toast. But Oakland tastes like chicken & waffles, shrimp & grits, smoky ribs, spongy Ethiopian injera bread, sizzling Korean bulgogi, juicy burgers, and bubbling mac & cheese. Oh, and this extra AF ice cream with a donut on top from Sweet Belly 🍦 Also, amazing coffee (you're all welcome for Blue Bottle, by the way). Oh, and we have a winery trail AND an Ale Trail. Oh man, now I'm hungry... . Oakland's food scene is one of my favorite ways to convince people to come over to the East side of the Bay from San Francisco, and I'm not above bribery. But while you're over here, take a break from scarfing down everything from sight to take in some of our other favorite things to do in Oakland! The link to our Oakland guide is up in our bio. . What does your hometown taste like? I'm hungry, so feel free to get real deep with your adjectives! . #oakland #eastbay #iloveoakland#oaklandpride #oaklandcalifornia#oaklandloveit #dubnation #dothebay #bayarea #dessertporn #sanfranciscobay #igerseastbay #yelpeastbay #travelblogger #passionpassport #travelstoke #visitoakland #beastoakland #goexplore #travelDeeper #oaklandfood #bayareafoodie #pursuepretty #iamatraveler #TravelDiary #LovetoTravel #exploretheworld #eeeeeats #OpenMyWorld #eatfamous
  • When I moved to the Bay Area in 2012, fresh out of college, I expected some culture shock. But San Francisco didn’t just give me culture shock: it gave me TIME shock, too. I felt like I’d been living in the past in Indiana, and San Francisco was in the future. There were billboards advertising video and mobile games, drones flying over head, delivery for everything from food to toothpaste, and everyone I met worked in the tech or game industry. It was overwhelming!.Oakland, San Francisco’s neighbor just across the Bay, felt like a refuge. With its rolling green hills, redwood forests, far-less-bustling downtown, and a culture that felt - if not remotely familiar - far more accessible to someone who wasn’t working in the tech industry, I quickly chose Oakland as my home. I’ve loved San Francisco from a distance ever since, but I’ve lived in the same neighborhood in Oakland for over 6 years now. . Although Oakland and San Francisco are neighbors, the two cities could not be more different. Oakland has its own distinct history, sounds, tastes, and social movements. While San Francisco’s flower children were dreamily Summer of Love-ing all over the place, the youth in Oakland were forming the Black Panthers and the Chicanos, declaring that Black is Beautiful and uniting to protect Latinos from being drafted into the Vietnam War. When the hippies returned home to work for the man, Oakland kept fighting: a handful of Black Panthers can still be seen running drills in Oakland today, their work – protecting people of color from racial injustice and police brutality – not yet finished.. San Francisco sometimes feels like the future of American capitalism, but Oakland feels like the future of American populism. . In our new post (link in bio!) you’ll find all of our favorite things to do in Oakland, plus plenty of history - both because we’re big history nerds, and because we think that understanding Oakland’s complex history will make you appreciate your visit even more! . Have you ever gotten major culture shock? Tell me about the places that left you feeling overwhelmed, and how you adapted!
  • I've lived in Oakland, California since I graduated from college over 6 years ago. But when I first moved to the Bay Area, I told everyone back home in Indiana and Kentucky that I lived in San Francisco. I wasn't trying to lie, exactly ... it was just that nobody back home had HEARD of Oakland. And if they had, their assumptions about it weren't exactly... erm, positive. It seemed a lot easier to just say "I live in San Francisco," rather than saying "I live in Oakland and commute to San Francisco for work, which actually takes me less time than if I lived in San Francisco and commuted to work within San Francisco, because time follows weird rules here." . After a few years, I tried a new approach: "I actually live in Oakland, not San Francisco. Oakland is sort of like San Francisco's Brooklyn. You know?" Comparing Oakland to Brooklyn and SF to NYC made sense to people back home, but now, I cringe typing it, because it's not really true. At all. . The thing is that Oakland isn't a neighborhood of San Francisco. It's not "like San Francisco, but cheaper." In fact, almost all it shares with San Francisco is the fact they're next-door neighbors, located about 5 miles apart over a thin span of salt water also populated by an old prison, some cool bridges, Treasure Island, a handful of harbor seals, and occasionally, great white sharks. And yet, despite growing up next to one another, so close you could swim from shore to shore (but don't, because ... you know, sharks) Oakland and San Francisco are two totally, completely, ENTIRELY different cities. They have different histories, different identities, different personalities, different cultures, different vibes - nearly everything about Oakland is different than San Francisco. . I did a disservice to Oakland for years when I told my friends back home that I was living in San Francisco. And now, it's time to give Oakland the credit it's always deserved. We've got a HUGE new blog post up all about Oakland (link in bio!) and we'll be sharing our favorite Oakland facts and stories all week long! . Of course, I have to ask: have you heard of Oakland? What do you know about Oakland? Drop us a comment below!
  • I travelled almost non-stop from April through July. Or at least, that's how it felt. I went from Utah to Los Angeles to Portland to Boulder to Cayucos to Denver (yes, twice in 2 weeks) to LA (yes, again) to Indianapolis to Louisville to Nashville to Bali. PHEW. That's a lot! . I guess this whole frequent travel thing is kinda part of the whole full-time travel blogger deal, but man - it's EXHAUSTING, even when I'm not hopping from country to country. PS, side note, can I just give a huge shout-out to @SouthwestAir for being the best, comfiest, friendliest budget airline ever? We got a companion pass last year from signing up for their credit card, and MAN has that thing come in handy. Not sponsored, just a huge fangirl. Annnnyway. . The past few weeks since I've been back at home, I've been blissfully re-acquainting myself with some very un-exciting things. Like grocery shopping. And going to the gym. And not living out of a suitcase. You know, fun, exciting things. It's amazing how much you start to miss the banality of regular life when you start traveling all the time. Or maybe I'm just an incredibly boring person 😂 . Some of y'all may have noticed that I haven't been posting much on Instagram stories lately. In fact, I never even shared our stories from the last week of Bali. I swear I'll share them when I publish my Bali content, which will be VERY SOON! I'm also slowly getting back in the habit of posting my daily Travel Blogger Task Lists, so if you've been missing those (anyone? anyone? Bueller?) they'll be back soon too. . But mostly, since I've been back I've been actually trying to work ... less. And not just because I got heart surgery last week (don't worry, I'm already almost fully healed). I've been working 70 hours a week since January, and it's starting to take a toll. I'm like, HAGGARD, you guys. I'm attempting to claw my way back to some work-life balance ... before I take off again in September for 3 weeks of travel again, at least! . What are your favorite tips for maintaining a work/life balance? And what do you like, DO when you're not working? I seem to have forgotten how to have non-travel-related hobbies. Drop me a comment below!
  • "Cool Stuff, Weird Things." The sign beckoned us from the side of the road in Nashville, Tennessee like a beacon above an Elvis statue. I turned to Jeremy. "We have to go. I mean, we like BOTH of those things." We were on a schedule, but it didn't take much convincing. We needed to satisfy our curiosity. We flipped a U-turn, squealed tires, and parked around the corner. . Cool Stuff, Weird Things was exactly as advertised. There was cool stuff: signs spelling out Nashville and Music City that I wish we were cool enough to put in our apartment, old records, vintage lamps, a hip coffee shop next door. And there was also plenty of weird things, like plastic baby dolls missing various appendages and eyeballs. Cool Stuff, Weird Things lived up to its name. And for some reason, we found this DEEPLY satisfying. . In some ways, I feel like Practical Wanderlust could also be summed up with the tagline "Cool Stuff, Weird Things." Somehow, wherever we go, we always end up finding both. At this point I honestly find it difficult to tell the story of a place without SOMETHING weird and quirky that makes you go "wait, what?" And besides, Jeremy and I as human beings definitely walk the line between Cool and Weird. (Hey, did you catch my Johnny Cash reference there? Pretty good, eh?) . Have you ever spotted something that made you immediately drop everything to go explore? Does "Cool Stuff, Weird Things" speak deeply to the soul of your being like it does to us? Drop us a comment below! . . . #Nashvilletn #tennessee #nashvilletennessee #nashvegas #musiccity #musiccitynashville#nashvillethebeautiful #nashvillelife #nashvillegram #nashvillelove #nashvillephotographer#nashvillephotography #nashville_tn #nashvillegram #PassionPassport #LetsGoSomewhere #LovetoTravel #livelocallytn #exploretheworld #travelstagram #MyTinyAtlas #sidewalkerdaily #be_one_city #igersnashville #just_unitedstates#igersusa #traveldiaries #vintageshop #travelusa #visittheUSA
  • Nashville food is next level. Headed to Nashville? Bring your stretchy pants and forget about whatever promises you made to your nutritionist. Whatever gets eaten in Nash Vegas ... uh, stays ... OK no, that doesn't really work. Whatever. The point is that the food is bomb and you're going to want to eat all of it. . Take, for example, this S'more Love Food Truck in the 12South neighborhood. It sells heart-shaped artisanal S'mores. There's The Elvis, a S'more with peanut butter, sliced bananas and chocolate ganache. There's the Samoa, with coconut and caramel sauce. Or there's the S'moreo, which is actually one we invented on a camping trip a few years ago, except ours was way less fancy. . Only in Nashville will you face the difficult choice of navigating between artisanal s'mores and 100-layer donuts, which are served down the street at Five Daughters Bakery. One of my favorite things about this spot, other than the donuts (obvi) is that you can watch your beloved Lime Meringue Pie, Chocolate Sea Salt, and Blackberry Hibiscus donuts from the comfort of your own couch on a live streaming DonutCam. Yes, really. Bless you Nashville, your level of extra has truly outdone itself, and we are HERE for it. . What are your favorite foodie destinations? Do you travel for food like we do? Drop us a comment below! . . . #NashvilleEats #Nashvilletn #nashvilletennessee #tennessee_life #musiccity#nashvillethebeautiful #nashvillelife#nashvillegram #nashvillephotography #instagramtennessee #nashvilleexplorersclub #livelocallytn #girlsvsglobe #OpenMyWorld #LovetoTravel #MyTinyAtlas #DameTraveler #GirlsvsGlobe #GirlsWhoTravel #wearetravelgirls #girlsjustwannatravel #sheisnotlost #girlslovetravel #ladiesgoneglobal #myboldtravelmoment #femaletravelbloggers #GirlsWanderlust #darlingescapes #radgirlslife #thetravelwomen
  • Do you have to be into country music to appreciate Nashville, AKA Music City? Well, I’ll be totally honest with you: Jeremy and I are not exactly country music fans. Sure, I’ve got some country songs on my Spotify playlists – don’t we all, if we count early Taylor Swift? Heck, both Jeremy and I spent our childhoods in places where country was popular – him in Bakersfield, California, and me in Kentucky. But neither of us were ever like, INTO country. . Still, if my first foray into Tennessee’s historic music scene taught me anything, it’s that prior knowledge or enjoyment is not a pre-requisite for musical appreciation. I knew NOTHING about Soul or Blues when we visited Memphis last year, and now we listen to my Memphis playlist on repeat ALL the time. . So Jeremy and I opened our minds wide and decided to immerse ourselves in a musical genre we knew absolutely nothing about. After all, we wanted to explore Nashville's soul and learn its story. And, well, the heart of Music City is its music. And at the heart of its music? Well, that's the Grand Ole Opry! . What exactly IS the Grand Ole Opry, thought? Turns out, it’s actually a lot of things. It’s the longest running radio show in the USA. It’s a world-class music venue. It’s a community. It’s a cultural relic. It’s the home of country music in the city that created country music. It’s a quintessential Nashville experience! And after a foot-stompin', hootin' and hollerin' good time at the Grand Ole Opry (oh, and also backstage AND ONSTAGE), we finally Got It. Country music isn't just music: it's history, it's culture, it's comedy (which we TOTALLY didn't realize) and it's identity. And we're so glad we had a chance to discover it at the Grand Ole Opry! . Do you listen to country? What's your favorite country song or artist? Or if you're not (ahem, like us) would you be open to giving the Grand Ole Opry a try? I'm curious, so drop those comments below! . . . #ad @opry @visitmusiccity #MyOpryTrip

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