Not all vacations have to be far away, some of the best vacations are staycations! I’ve been wanting to explore my current home city of Los Angeles more and so have started going on a series of SoCal Staycations! My first is to San Pedro, located on the south end of Los Angeles. It was a (rare) rainy weekend in California so most of my pictures are a bit overcast, but I caught a few moments of sunshine in the morning to get this shot above at the Yacht Club outside my hotel window!
The southern-most point in Los Angeles is located at Point Fermin Park. This beautiful park overlooks the bay and includes a Light House. Lighthouse tours are available for a price, but I wasn’t there at the right time to take a tour.
Cost: FREE (park)
Just up the hill from Point Fermin Park sits the Korean Bell of Friendship. In 1976, the Republic of Korea donated it to Los Angeles, in celebration of the US Bicentennial and in honor of the Veterans of the Korean War. Here’s an interesting tidbit I learned from www.sanpedro.com: “The bell is rung only four times each year: the Fourth of July, August 15 (Korean Independence Day) and New Year’s Eve, and every September to coincide with bell ringings around the country to celebrate Constitution Week.”
Cost: FREE
One of my favorite things to do in a new city is simply walking around to find the various street art and murals! San Pedro didn’t disappoint with some gorgeous murals and a smartly decorated dinosaur in their public garden.
Cost: FREE
San Pedro has a history steeped in the fishing and naval industries. There are many public monuments to both industries throughout the city, including the American Maritime Marine Memorial pictured on the top right. It is also the home of the USS Iowa. Although there is a cost to visit the museum housed in the battleship, you can walk right up to it and see it from the outside for free.
Cost: FREE
At one point to get out of the rain, I ducked into the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. The aquarium houses one of the largest collections of Southern California marine life in the world. I loved all the colors I found in the sea urchins, nudibranchs, and jellyfish.
Cost: $5 (suggested donation)
I did splurge a little on my hotel and booked a room overlooking the San Pedro Yacht Club. Although I can’t sail to save my soul, I do adore sailboats and could look at them for hours.
Cost: $160
Here’s a list of the things I did, plus some other places you can visit in San Pedro, CA:
I did splurge a bit on my but having the balcony overlooking the Yacht Club was so beautiful, I’d definitely do it again one day!
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