Malibu's sand and surf a respite from urban L.A. - SFGate http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Malibu-s-sand-and-surf-a-respite-fr...

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Malibu's sand and surf a respite from urban L.A. Photo Galleries Displaying 1-3 of 40 Melanie Waldman, Special to The Chronicle Published 4:00 a.m., Sunday, February 5, 2012

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1. Fla. police: Man left baby in pit bull's care 2. San Francisco 2nd, San Jose 6th least affordable places to buy in the country Scenes from Malibu, Calif.: El Matador Beach; a pillow in the window of the ; the 3. Beacon spotlights Pearl Harbor ceremony Adamson House Photo: Melanie Waldman, Special To The Chronicle / SF 4. Hospital: Nurse involved in Kate hoax call dies 5. Sierra ordeal: Man dies, woman survives 6. Mom: I warned officials about incest fears 7. Esquire's 'Gifts Under $25 That Don't Suck'

Today's Deal The windswept ribbon of Malibu is about as close as $39 - Cross-Country Skiing in South Lake 0 0 0 you can get to the sprawl of Los Angeles and still Tahoe's Early Snow Tweet Like Share feel removed from the concrete Hell-A existence. SALE ENDS IN 2d:13h:16m Comments (0) Email This The 27 miles of inviting tan hills, coastal spray and PRICE Larger | Smaller Font blue haze is best known for celebrity beach houses $39 Printable Version and mansions for Hollywood execs - as well as Jim Rockford 's trailer - but it doesn't take much for Malibu to serve as a refuge for visitors seeking the Southern experience, but without the monster billboards, smog or body-builder-free beaches.

Make your own escape to the jagged cliffs and rolling, wheaty hills of the " 'Bu" to hike high above the sea, stroll the sand, explore a historic mansion or a mer-man's lair and

1 of 3 12/7/2012 10:47 AM Malibu's sand and surf a respite from urban L.A. - SFGate http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Malibu-s-sand-and-surf-a-respite-fr...

glimpse celebrities, whales and lithe surfers in their natural habitat.

Why now? Winter is decidedly the off-season, as many locals take off for warmer climes. However, Malibu tends to be less blustery than more northern shores, and rooms are discounted as much as 40 percent off summer rates.

The back story: Once a Chumash Indian settlement and eventually the Malibu Rancho owned by the Rindge family, the community formed after the family was forced to break up the sprawling property to pay for the fight against a coastal road in the 1920s. (To keep the Southern Pacific out in 1905, the Rindges built their own 15-mile rail line.)

Visitors these days flock to the restored Getty Villa to immerse themselves in tax-sheltered antiquities or to Gladstone's for a pricey beachside burger, although out toward Malibu Canyon is where the big city starts to feel more like a town.

Checking in: Centrally located, on the beach and featuring Malibu's only hotel spa, the 47 rooms at the Malibu Beach Inn are the area's most luxurious. The back deck is perched above the sand and offers a glorious view of the Malibu Pier. The restaurant serves three meals daily, with a sexy house-made hot chocolate at breakfast.

Dining: Take a side trip to Greece at Taverna Tony , run by a longtime expat from Crete. Beside a whitewashed fireplace, enjoy complimentary caviar-garlic dip and pretend not to see the famous folks at the next table.

For a romantic sunset dinner, cozy into a window seat at the Sunset Restaurant and try to spot whales at play. FROM OUR HOMEPAGE

Spend your day: En route from Highway 101 along Las Virgenes Road, pause for a gentle ramble through woodsy Malibu State Park and a poke around the ornate Malibu Hindu Temple.

At the end of Las Virgenes Road, you'll find the emerald lawn and towering ivory cross of ; head inside to visit the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art , a changing collection of post-modern installations highlighting Malibu-area landscapes and themes. Luxury in great S.F. location This remodeled condo has designer kitchen, lots of light, is in a prime area. Asking $1.49M. Just a few driving blocks away, the Malibu Country Mart shopping complex is the local stomping ground of celebrities such as Cindy Crawford and Jim Carrey . You can spend $300 on sustainably milled cotton T-shirts, watch the moppets of the famous play in the sandbox or stock up on chaparral-scented candles.

Around the corner out on Pacific Coast Highway, tour the 1920s Adamson House , the former home of one of Malibu's founding families that houses a wealth of hand-painted tiles. Stroll the adjacent Malibu Pier and pop into the area's best surf memorabilia shop, or

wander down to Surfrider Beach to check out tide pools, surfers and stand-up paddlers. Cheap gifts that don't suck Esquire has some fantastic ideas for Christmas Heading north, Pepperdine marks the start of a mile-long stretch of astonishing coastline. that cost $25 or less, like a bike beer holder. Beside a sparkling cove, the parking lot at Malibu Seafood serves as starting point for the Sara Wan Trail at Corral Canyon, a 2 1/2-mile hike that leads steeply upward for a seemingly endless ocean view.

Almost 2 miles north, Paradise Cove is a combination beach cafe, dive bar and upscale mobile home park - a uniquely Malibu concept. Bring a jacket, grab a table on the sand and pretend you have your own beach house.

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