I was up and having the pancake breakfast after a restless night and also feeling a bit a of a cold coming on. After chatting to some other hostel guests I headed to Santa Barbara beach and along the coast.

The drive took me along some more scenic landscapes and ended up in Malibu. There weren't many places to stop so I appreciated the views from the car (and, to be honest, I didn't want to jump out that often). The opulence that has been evident throughout the drive is amazing and I imagine it's only going to get more so when in LA.

After passing through Malibu I decided to stop in Venice Beach for some lunch. After driving around a bit I found some parking (ouch, that was expensive) and took a walk along the promenade enjoying the sunshine and warmth. Even though it's not summer there were still plenty of runners, cyclists and people around.

I then made my way to long beach through some infamous LA traffic where I enjoyed the much more quiet beach. I decided to even have a little nap in the car before going to drop it off. I got the shuttle to the hostel where I checked in and had a few beers with fellow guests before getting some sleep.