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The Best Self-Guided Craft Beer Bar Crawl (on Bikes!) 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.

Hey, 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.

Planning a trip to Los Angeles? Here are some of our favorite spots just a few hours north of LA along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.

Without further ado, we present to you our Los Angeles Craft Beer & Bikes Self-Guided 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! If you’d like to spend more time in Los Angeles, here’s a quick guide to Fun Things to Do in Los Angeles on Back Street Nomads, or the most Instagrammable places in LA, the home of Instagrammable things (and people!) on My Suitcase Journeys. Oh, and if you’re still hungry, check out some of the best tacos in LA on Bacon is Magic.

Planning a trip to Los Angeles? Here are some of our favorite spots just a few hours north of LA along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway.

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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13 Comments

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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  • Beauty & pain often coexist. They're frequently roomies, sharing space together within people or in art. Sometimes we even find them living together in the places we visit. One of the best examples of beauty coexisting with pain is in the South.⁣ .⁣ The South is home to one of the USA's richest histories and several of its most stunning cities. It also has the best food - sorry but that's not up for debate, cuz we all know it's true. ⁣But the South is also home base for one of the darkest and most horrific chapters of US history.⁣ .⁣ Savannah, Georgia was Jeremy's first time visiting a Southern city, and it was one of the most beautiful places either of us have ever seen. The historic downtown is lined with ancient oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. Fragrant azalea blooms - a Savannah springtime signature - perfume the streets. And then there's the architecture: stunning, historic, and flawlessly restored. The whole city looks like a postcard, or a movie set (which is why so many movies are filmed here).⁣ .⁣ This is the kind of place that you fall in love with, the kind of place that makes you want to write books and movies set here, featuring the city in as a central character. We were hooked.⁣ .⁣ But Savannah's beauty, like much of the historic South, came at a steep cost. As we wandered through Savannah's shaded squares (all 22 of them) admiring its beauty, we were also grieving. Much of this gorgeous city was built by enslaved people. Its wealth was gleaned from plantations, from selling enslaved humans and enforcing human bondage. And so Savannah is home to both incredible beauty and unspeakable pain.⁣ .⁣ But in spite of this complexity - or maybe because of its balance - we fell in love with Savannah HARD. You guys, this place is incredible. Amazing. Fascinating. And insanely unique.⁣ .⁣ Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing photos and stories about our trip to Savannah. We can't wait to tell you all about why we're so obsessed with it!⁣ .⁣ Have you visited a place that's home to both beauty and pain? Tell us about it in the comments! . Disclaimer: our trip was #sponsored by @visitsavannah
  • Instagram vs. Reality 🌴Swipe right to witness me falling on my a** despite literally holding onto a bannister🤣⁣ .⁣ I spent a few days last week hanging out in Florida with my mom. We relaxed by the pool. We went to the gym (my mom's cardio class kicked my butt, y'all). We went on long walks together through nature preserves. My mom identified 2876762 species of exotic Floridian birds through her binoculars while I made up ridiculous bird names in my head and giggled to myself (check out my faves in my new Instagram Story highlight). . And you know the best part? We didn't even fight or argue ONCE. I know I'm 29 years old and a fully grown woman, but that is unheard of. My teenaged self would be SHOOKETH. Teenaged Lia did not have calm, peaceful parental relationships. Teenaged Lia was no walk in the park. She was dealing with trauma via lashing out and rebelling, and she was not an easy kid to parent.⁣ .⁣ But for once, teenaged Lia didn't come up. Instead, we sipped wine and nibbled on cheese and crackers together like grown-up adults. We shared memories about my late grandmother. We went shopping at my mom's favorite thrift store. We got our nails done. And we spent several hours together taking photos of me getting in and out of the pool, arching my back ~just so~ to achieve maximum booty-pop, and falling on my a** like a gorgeous yet graceless sack of potatoes. . We didn't talk about how teenaged Lia used to wear shirts over her bathing suit out of shame, or the many ways in which she rebelled and lashed out, or the trauma she suffered. Teenaged Lia wasn't around this trip. Just grown-up Lia, who feels confident and beautiful in a bikini and has been working on embracing her natural hair texture (curly girl method, y'all). . We just hung out together. And it was really, really nice.⁣ .⁣ Any other grown-a** adults finally getting to the stage where they can spend time with their parents without argueing (or still struggling to get there)? I can relate HARD, so drop me a comment below!⁣
  • Happy Birthday to this handsome fella!🎉🎂 My life partner turns 31 today, and frankly I think he's getting better every day. Like cheese. Or wine. Except unlike cheese or wine, there isn't like ... an expiration date ... also, nobody will be consuming my husband. This metaphor is getting away from me, actually 😖 . The point is that my husband is getting more handsome, wise, and clever every day. He's also getting a little creakier and starting to make some old man noises that we've never heard before 🤣 but I love those old man noises, just like I love the friendly crinkles around his eyes when he smiles. ⁣Part of marriage is witnessing the person you love change as they get older, which I think is fun and exciting and beautiful.⁣ .⁣ Over the past 5 years, Jeremy and I have grown together from two reckless 20-somethings into 2 grown-up adults who do things like purchase furniture and contemplate raising humans together. I've watched Jeremy mature from an unsure 25-year-old to a confident 31 year old who is at least mature enough to be in charge of a large group of teenagers every day. I've watched him put in the difficult work of analyzing lessons learned from his own life and communicating those lessons with clarity and empathy to his 17 year old students - a feat of emotional maturity and patience that I appreciate every day in our partnership. And I've watched him learn that questioning himself is not a weakness, but a strength - a necessary skill for growth and improvement. Witnessing Jeremy's growth inspires my own, and our partnership enriches both of us to become stronger, healthier, happier individuals.⁣ .⁣ ⁣ So happy birthday to my life partner, my life-long crush, and my personal obsession in human form (yep, it's gross, I know). I feel so privileged to wake up next to you every day and so lucky to get to share your life and witness your growth. I know I tell you mushy stuff every day, so I know you already know this, but just in case: you are my entire universe, and I love you like, a stupid huge amount.⁣
  • I'm gonna be real with y'all: this photo looked a lot better in my head than it does in real life - because the version in my head looks like what I found on Instagram. You see, on Instagram, most versions of this shot show the mountain centered in between the temple gates, via what I can only assume is mountain-moving magic. Many photos also show this beautiful reflected water instead of a patch of sand and spotty grass (how?!). And a few of them seem not to be featuring the traditional Balinese temple garb, those colorful scarves tied around our waists (gonna chalk that one up to disrespect, tbh).⁣ .⁣ Honestly, I'm not quite sure how everyone else achieved their photos, but I've long ago made my peace with the fact that our travels are rarely picture-perfect. They're much more likely to be off-centered and a little less than idyllic, and they've never been what I'd describe as "aspirational." . I mean, y'all... literally anyone can take this photo. You just take a taxi to Lempuyang Temple, rent a scarf, walk up a couple flights of stairs, and stand in a line. This isn't a photo of a a deep, soulful moment during our travels. It's just a cool photo. ⁣ .⁣ And while cool photos are great and all, and also like ... half of my job, they don't depict the best moments during our travels. Because the best moments are never picture-perfect. The best moments are sharing a conversation at a restaurant with a total stranger. They're taking the wrong bus and ending up somewhere unexpectedly rad. They're exploring dark alleys just to see where they might lead, trying weird food that we can't pronounce, and practicing the local language with our taxi driver. They're the time Jeremy crashed our motorbike in the middle of the night in the Ubud monkey forest, cutting his leg up and scaring us both half to death (OK, that one actually sucked at the time, but now it's one of our favorite stories about visiting Ubud). . The point is: travel is rarely picture perfect. And that's totally, completely, and utterly OK.⁣ .⁣ Do you ever try to get that "Instagram perfect" photo and end up with something else entirely? Drop us a comment!
  • Ubud, Bali is one of the most lush, green places we've ever been. I think we could have happily lived there for a while, befriending monkeys (JK they're adorable but they're f**king evil) and working at boujie coffee shops and visiting temples (everything in Bali looked like a temple) and eating plates of Nasi Goreng and going to traditional dance performances at the Royal Palace each night. 2 weeks in Bali was definitely not enough, even though we visited 3 different spots - Ubud, Amed, and the Nusa islands! (Psst: our full itinerary is on the blog if you're planning a trip of your own - link in bio).⁣ .⁣ This particular view is on the outskirts of town by the entrance to a beautiful temple (Pura Gunung Lebah Temple) and the start of Ubud's best short hike, the Campuhan Ridge Walk. The 2 hour hike takes you along the top of a stunning ridge through the jungle and looking out over rice fields, and halfway through you'll reach a cafe. Let me just say that I love hikes that have a cafe in the middle of them. That's the best thing ever!.Sadly we didn't complete the hike ourselves because we are lazy humans who are incapable of walking up early in the morning to do anything, especially on vacation, so by the time we made it to this stunning viewpoint and the start of the hike the sun was blazingly hot. So don't be us: wake up early, y'all!⁣ .⁣ We love visiting places that are lush & green - do you have suggestions for us? Where have you been that's gorgeously green?
  • #ad Where would you go if nothing was holding you back? What adventures would you seek? What dreams would you chase?⁣ .⁣ If the world is calling but you're not answering, I have a challenge for you: how can you redefine your idea of travel? Travel doesn't have to be a big, crazy international trip. It can be a weekend getaway to somewhere inexpensive you found on @Bookingcom just a few hours away. And to help get you there, you can snag $30 off your stay by using the link in my bio. (Last chance, y'all - grab it if you haven't⁣ yet!). . Travel can feel scary. It can be challenging. It can force you to re-examine things you took for granted. And that's why I LOVE it - and I want you to experience it, too! But anything that pulls you out of your comfort zone and pushes you to explore somewhere unfamiliar is travel. So #BeABooker and travel in any way that you can, whether it's close to home or far away. Your soul will thank you.⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ . . #nusalembongan #bali #balilife #balitravel #balivacation #beautifuldestinations #baliexplore #bestvacations #travelbali #lovebali #traveltagged #travelbali #thebalibible #passionpassport⁣ #thetravelwomen #femmetravel #globelletravels #gltlove #girlslovetravel #wearetravelgirls #sheisnotlost #dametraveler #girlswhotravel #TheGlobeWanderer #TravelDiary #sheexplores #WomenWhoExplore #radgirlslife
  • Hey, y'all! It's been a LONG time since I did an intro post (possibly ever?) so today, I'm doing one! Hi, I'm Lia 👋 I'm half of the disaster-prone couple behind Practical Wanderlust (and the one who runs the Instagram account). As you can see in this photo, I once drank watermelon juice while wearing a tie-dye romper in a cool swing in Bali. Here are some other useless facts about me in emoji bullet point form! . 🐎I grew up on a farm in Kentucky (hence all the y'alls). I have a lot of complicated feelings about my home state and its backwards a$$ politics, but I LOVE my hometown, Louisville. Louisville is the most underrated city in the country and y'all can quote me on that. Go visit!⁣ .⁣ 🚶‍♀️I'm incredibly clumsy and generally accident-prone. I often fall over when standing still (or walking). I've been known to get completely lost inside of a blanket (blankets, how do they work??). And if you put stuff in my hands, I shut down completely and lose all ability to function, like a malfunctioning robot. . 🏋️‍♀️ I powerlift! Powerlifting is my favorite workout because it makes me feel like a bada$$ BEAST who is strong and capable of anything. Focusing my goals on gaining muscle rather than losing weight makes me happier. I've also learned to embrace failure as an essential tool for growth. Oh, and yes: I make obnoxiously loud, grunty noises when I lift stuff (they actually help!).⁣ . 👗I studied fashion design in college. Then I spent 5 years working in the corporate fashion industry. Then quit and threw it all away to ~travel. These days I mostly use my fashion industry knowledge to rant about travel pants with pockets on the blog. . ⛑️ During our disastrous year-long honeymoon, I got rescued off of a waterfall in Colombia, crawled up a mountain on my hands and knees in Ecuador, and attempted and failed to hike the Inca Trail in Peru. But hey, at least I didn't run a BMW into a castle in France like my husband did. You can find all of those stories and more on our year-long honeymoon summary - link in bio! . What do you wish you knew about me? What stuff are you low-key curious about? Now's your chance to be nosy! Drop me a comment below.⁣

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