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Located on a bluff overlooking the Malibu Lagoon, this Spanish Colonial-style mansion was built by Rhoda Rindge Adamson and her husband, Merritt, in 1928. The complex showcases hand-painted ceramic tiles manufactured by Malibu Potteries, owned by the Rindge family. The Rindges also built the Malibu Colony, a celebrity enclave now home to Tom Hanks and Barbra Streisand. The Malibu Lagoon Museum next to the Adamson House chronicles Malibu’s history, from its Chumash Indian origins to its position as movie star Shangri-la.

Intricate tile detail in Adamson House

For a variety of entertainment, visit Santa Monica Pier. Where else can you hop on to a historic carousel, visit an aquarium, or ride a roller coaster? California’s oldest amusement pier (built in 1908) also marks the western terminus of Route 66. Its oldest attraction is the 1916 Hippodrome, a merry-go-round that has made many movie appearances. Its newest is Pacific Park, a compact amusement park, anchored by a solar-powered Ferris wheel. Tucked beneath the pier, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is a small, family-oriented facility where you can observe and pet local marine life.

This former historic trolley station has been imaginatively recycled into an industrial-flavored complex of nearly three dozen galleries, shops, artists’ studios, and a café. A highlight is the Santa Monica Art Museum, exhibiting cutting-edge artists, many of whom work in non-traditional media including video installations. It also organizes lectures, workshops, and other events designed to involve the community in the creative process.

Downtown Santa Monica’s main artery, this three-block mall is one of the most pleasant walking areas in LA. The product of a hugely successful revitalization effort in the late 1980s, it is flanked by upscale shops, movie theaters, and eclectic restaurants, bars, and cafés. Street musicians from around the globe shower strollers with flamenco, jazz, and hip hop. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, the farmers market attracts large crowds.

It is perhaps fitting that Venice Beach, masterminded by an eccentric visionary named Abbot Kinney, is LA’s epicenter of counterculture. The circus-like scene reigning along the seaside boardwalk (officially known as “Ocean Front Walk”) must be seen to be believed (see Venice Boardwalk Attractions). Avoid after dark.

Abbot Kinney’s Venice of America was once laced with 16 miles (26 km) of canals. The area languished until the 1960s when beatniks such as Stuart Perkoff discovered its unique charm, dragging flower children – most famously Jim Morrison – in their wake. In 1994, the city restored 3 miles (5 km) of canals, which have since become a beautiful, upscale neighborhood. A narrow walkway that is known as the Venice Canal Walk threads through here.

With over 6,000 yachts and pleasure boats, Marina del Rey is the largest small-craft harbor in the world and the place to come for those seeking fun on the water. Active types could explore the harbor on kayaks. You can also catch a dinner cruise, book a whale-watching trip (January to March), or charter a sport fishing boat. Favorite landlubber activities include a sunset dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants.

Surfing, swimming, tanning, beach volleyball, and other outdoor pursuits govern the laid-back lifestyle of the string of three picture-perfect beach towns in the southern Santa Monica Bay. Of these, Manhattan Beach is the most sophisticated, Hermosa (see Hermosa Beach) the liveliest, and Redondo the most historical. A paved trail paralleling the beach and connecting all the three communities is perfect for bicycling and inline skating.

This posh enclave straddling a rocky precipice is one of the most exclusive in America. A drive along its coastline affords great ocean views with Catalina Island in the distance. Malaga Cove and Abalone Cove are popular for tidepool explorations and Point Vicente for whale-watching. Flower lovers should head inland to the sprawling South Coast Botanic Garden.

The most famous structure by Lloyd Wright is a striking 1951 glass and stone memorial to 18th-century theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. The chapel, overlooking the Pacific, is surrounded by landscaped grounds that include a reflecting pool and terraced amphitheater.