What to do in Torrance, CA ?

cashflyer · 09-17-2012, 08:19 AM

I'll be at Zamperini for some training classes from Jan 13 to 19.

I have not been to the area since the mid 90s and want to be sure and have a worthwhile trip with more to remember than just hookers and blow this time.

Good eats on a budget?
A trip to Pelican Parts to drive Wayne's 959?
Binge drinking with local Pelicans?
Bikini watching on Torrance Beach? (is January still beach weather?)

Suggestions?

speeder · speeder's Garage

Rent a car and get out of Torrance.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

What Denis said, go to the beach or something

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Torrance has a beach?

Jan could be beach weather. We normally get a winter Santa Ana during Jan where it warms up nicely. Water will be cold though. You could visit Zeke in the LBC. I likely will have a gig somewhere over that stretch.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Just jump in a car and drive up to Santa Monica and Malibu. Maybe go to the Getty Museum for half a day, have lunch there. Check out the UCLA campus and Bel Air. Just basically go north.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Or south. Things get better going south as well.

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

Edelbrock museum.

Vic Edelbrock, Jr.'s Museum Personal Collection - HOT ROD Magazine

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

No beach in Torrance Todd, but if you get out of there, you can find ocean. Get a wet suit, a board and you are all set.

JR Indy · 09-17-2012, 11:37 AM

Drive south.

R K T · 09-17-2012, 11:50 AM

Are you SURE there's not a Torrance Beach?

It's just south of Redondo Beach, before you get to Palos Verdes......I grew up on Torrance Beach.

scottmandue · 09-17-2012, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R K T

Are you SURE there's not a Torrance Beach?

It's just south of Redondo Beach, before you get to Palos Verdes......I grew up on Torrance Beach.

It is called RATS... right at Torrance... DON'T get on the 405! Redondo/Hermosa has all you need and not a hellatious drive. Old town Torrance has breweries, sushi, etc., as does Gardena.

Add in Long Beach and San Pedro... no need to go for a long drive.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

Rent a car and get out of Torrance.

or just visit the warehouses...

at night

cashflyer · 01:22 PM

Breweries and sushi? Those are some of my favorite things!

The web said that Torrance Beach is a quiet, non-touristy area. From what you guys say, it's not worth the gas to get there?

Warehouses at night. Sounds like the start of a good crime scene report.
Do I get to be the vic or the perp?

Keep in mind that Mon to Fri, I will be in classes during the day. My excursions have to be scheduled for evening hours. Dinner adventures, or after dinner adventures.

I can schedule the whole day of Saturday the 19th free for me and fly home on the 20th, if I have an itinerary that is worth the extra hotel day.

Speaking of hotels and crime scenes.... this is the list that the company gave me. Are any of these "avoid at all costs" type places?

BEST WESTERN-REDONDO BEACH INN
1850 S. Pacific Coast Highway
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

BEST WESTERN – SUNRISE HOTE
400 North Harbor Drive
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

COURTYARD by MARRIOTT
2633 Sepulveda Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505

CROWNE PLAZA REDONDO BEACH & MARINA HOTEL
300 N. Harbor Drive
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

HOMESTEAD STUDIO SUITES
3995 Carson Street
Torrance, CA 90503

RAMADA TORRANCE
2888 Pacific Coast Highway
Torrance, CA 90505

RESIDENCE INN by MARRIOTT
3701 Torrance Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90503

TORRANCE MARRIOTT
3635 Fashion Way
Torrance, CA 90503

Zeke · 09-17-2012, 01:38 PM

Sounds like you are arriving on a Sun and leaving on a Sat. Likely those days are shot depending on your flight times. And if you're tied up all day Mon-Fri, then you've got 5 nights to kill. So some of these suggestions are ill thought out to ridiculous unless you want to try surfing in the dark.

Torrance has a lot of good places to eat and a few places to skulk around and/or shop. Although traffic is hideous in that area at 5pm, the beach communities are 20-30 minutes in that traffic. Go back to the hotel, clean up and hit the streets a couple hours later and it's not bad. But, it will be dark. Not a good time to catch a sunset off the coast unless you can get over there at 5.

There's usually some music in the beach towns, but the gigs will be late. If you wanted to catch someone in particular, Fri would be good. I hope you get some air time because there is a lot to see. When Grady was here, we went up to Burbank on a Fri night and hit Bob's Big Boy for the cars that cruise in. Saw SloDave, TRECup and a few more. We hit a couple of watering holes and saw some more Pelicans prearranged. And we had a Pelican dinner in El Segundo near the old Pelican headquarters. Wayne brought the 959. Hugh was at that one along with techweenie and about a dozen more. We did that on a weeknight.

Don't bother with Long Beach, there's nothing here. Come back in April for the Grand Prix.

Start a thread a couple weeks before you fly in and some folks might meet up. Schumi is right there and knows the beach towns by now I would suppose.

look 171 · 09-17-2012, 01:38 PM

After class one evening, get in your car and point it Westward and drive. I really like Manhattan Beach. Take your pick. Burger and beer and people watch, sit inside a nice restaurant and have a nice meal. People will be out, maybe not in their skimpy swimwear, but the skinny hard bodies will be out. Go west on Torrance Blvd, and turn left on Herdondo and go two blocks then you have to turn right (you are right at the ocean) on Hermosa and follow the road until you get to Manhattan Blvd. Find a place to park. you are goo to go. Plenty to do there for more then a few hours with lots of great places to eat and drink. Hermosa is a little bit quieter but I like that a lot because I Hung out there lots in High School.

Santa Monica is fun also, with lots more to do (restaurant, bars, even shopping if you are into that sort of stuff) but parking is somewhat a PITA. Worth a visit if you ask me. Heck, hang out at the pier in the evening. Even that's nice. We use to drive out during week nights just to catch some fresh air.

porwolf · 02:28 PM

So close, so beautiful: Palos Verdes peninsula:

look 171 · 09-17-2012, 03:22 PM

Don't do it unless you have control with the right pedal. They will get ya'. Beautiful drive. Another place it to drive down to Belmont Shore, south of Long Beach and hang out. that's Milt's backyard.

scottmandue · 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Breweries and sushi? Those are some of my favorite things!

CROWNE PLAZA REDONDO BEACH & MARINA HOTEL
300 N. Harbor Drive
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

I would stay here, easy walking to sushi, seafood, live music, and you don't have to get on a freeway.

Don't know if the boys are joking or being jerks but you don't have to go to Santa Monica or Belmont to have a good time... You can't swing a dead cat in Redondo/Hermosa without hitting a great bar or resturant.

kanadary · 09-17-2012, 04:12 PM

head towards the pacific ocean, go to el burrito jr's its on pch between avenue A and B. 919 S Pacific Coast Hwy
they have an outlet in torrance but this one i believe is the best.
otherwise there's in n out.

look 171 · 09-17-2012, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I would stay here, easy walking to sushi, seafood, live music, and you don't have to get on a freeway.

Don't know if the boys are joking or being jerks but you don't have to go to Santa Monica or Belmont to have a good time... You can't swing a dead cat in Redondo/Hermosa without hitting a great bar or resturant.

No, no joke but my suggestion was Manhattan and Hermosa first. Much better then Samta Monica or Belmont Shore IMO. One can get tire of those two places after a few days, so why not have an option and go a little way north to SM of Belmont Shore? They are all the same damn thing really.