Hello! From Erica the Californian (Malibu Edition)

....it's the best of both worlds....lalalalalalalalala - I remember back in middle school, my sister and I would switch on the television and watch "Hannah Montana" for hours. Things were simple back then. I often dreamed of owning a house in Malibu, living right on the sandy beaches of the California Coast. I used to wonder if the kids living by the beach would go surfing every or maybe just lie on the sand and waste their days away.

This weekend, my parents and I, along with two other families, took a two hour road trip down the California coast to Malibu. The car ride was absolutely horrendous as I felt sick every single time my dad made a turn or a stop. (I get motion-sickness easily.) Once we got to our destination, I didn't regret, not for a second, to have suffered through the awful car trip.

Destination(s):

1. Getty Villa, Malibu, California
2. Escondido Falls, Malibu, California
3. Malibu Seafood, Malibu, California

Getty Villa, Malibu

The Getty Center contains two locations in Los Angeles and in Malibu. Although I usually visit the Lost Angeles location with my friends and family, my mom and dad thought it would be a nice change in scenery to visit the Getty Villa in Malibu this time. The admittance into the villa is free, but you must register, or make a reservation, with the museum before hand. Be sure to order quickly or the tickets might get sold out. The parking is $15. Sometimes a kind soul would decide to pay for the tickets for everyone behind him or her (at least the few 5-10 cars behind him/her), and that is exactly what happened this weekend. Unfortunately the other car that came with us wasn't so lucky.

Leaving the parking structure, you must take an elevator up to the actual site of the museum. As soon as I got off of the elevator, I was surprised by a vivid and serene view of the sea.

View of the Pacific Ocean as soon as we exit the elevator. Beautiful, huh?

Just walking into the museum site is impressive. The walls are all stratified and lined with vines. Moreover, the entire museum area was designed to look like an archaeological digging site. The walls each have different types of sediments and gradients that add to this theme. The ceiling of the cafe is held by beams and random columns, giving off a hint of a crutch holding up the entire cave walls, preventing the site from collapsing.

The "stratified" walls

The crutches holding up the site ceilings. 

Eating lunch on the terrace of the cafe was definitely an experience. The specialized bread that I have only eaten at this villa and the rich salads and meaty lasagna were definitely pluses on coming to this trip. I was able to enjoy the wonderful replicas of various arts of the Roman and Grecian ages and explore what a real villa of the ancient Roman days would look like. This place is absolutely for artists, children, and even people looking for something to do on a nice sunny afternoon. 

Escondido Falls, Malibu

Just a couple of miles or so down the road from the Getty Villa, the Escondido Falls park area really doesn't catch the eyes of many. No. From the road, we can see a single-car winding road going up into the mountains, and right next to the beginning of this road is a small parking lot, filled with so many cars. Warning 1: Parking is difficult. It really does take a pro to squeeze in between the tiny spaces left for the visitors to park. 

After having the most difficult time finding a parking spot and actually parking into the spot, we begin are trek up the long winding road. Remember to "stay on the trail" or you might get run over by a car! Following the trail, you will be walking through the woods and hiking right by a small creek. This water flows directly from the water fall, Escondido Falls. Feel free to take you time taking pictures and simply taking in the amazing view provided by the great outdoors. The light shining through the flora and fauna of the woods submerge the woods with an ethereal light that makes one think he or she is in a fairy tale. Continue along this path and you will reach the first waterfall. Do not be surprised. This waterfall is small. The one you are looking for is a much more difficult trek. requiring the use of two feet and two hands. Warning 2: It is extremely muddy, slippery and dangerous. Be sure to wear clothes that you don't mind getting ripped or dirty. Make sure to keep yourself concentrated on the task ahead of you and DO NOT PANIC! The climb up the rocky hill will be rewarding and is definitely an experience you can show off to your friends. The view on top is definitely worth it.

The hike down is much more dangerous than the climb up. I slipped a few times and ended up tearing a large hole in my pants. OUCH! Now I have a few bruises covering my butt and legs, but the experience was definitely worth it.

Malibu Seafood

After a long and dangerous hike up and down a waterfall, what do you do? Well, eat a hearty dinner of course. Right in between Escondido Falls and Getty Villa, there is a small seafood shack called the Malibu Seafood. You have to go try it! They have a porch-styled seating, where you sit and eat wherever you find the space. There is a great ocean view wherever you sit. The dishes I particularly liked were the Giant Squid Steak and the Ahi Tuna Hamburger. The seafood was really fresh and cooked to the perfect tenderness and served in health proportions with different sides. The cole slaw was pretty average, but the potato salad was definitely special. Large chunks of creamy potatoes and celery flooded my taste buds as I scooped the salad into my mouth. The rice my mom ordered was perfectly tender and soft, with just enough moisture to offset any dryness in her dish. The French fries were humongous. Really. They were each larger than my fingers, and I had a great time eating the fries. 

Well, my trip was overall satisfying. It was a great way to end my spring break with a WHAM! Through this adventure, I will be expecting much more extreme hikes in the future, preferably with crazier mountains to climb. 

So long, 

Erica the Argonaut.