Hannelore, I'm going to try to describe the Pacific coastline here. It goes on a meandering diagonal, from northwest to southeast. So if I go due west 50 miles, I hit Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Venice Beach is in all the movies where they show the crazy beach scene, the chainsaw juggler and everyone rollerblading with very little clothing.

North of Santa Monica is Malibu. Rich Hollywood types with beach houses. Due South of Santa Monica (or 40 miles due SW of me) is Palos Verdes. I don't know if you've heard of these or not. Then the coast goes east for a while -- Long Beach, then Huntington Beach which has international surfing contests in the summer. Newport Beach (20 miles due south of me) and then the coast goes a little east but more south. Are you confused yet?

35 miles SSE is Laguna Beach, a neat artsy town with tons of galleries and 3 different summer-long art festivals.

Laguna is my favorite shopping beach town, because of all the galleries. Venice is the best for people-watching and to take out-of-town visitors who want to see the freaky SoCali. San Clemente is my favorite beach to actually walk on the beach.

In the summer, beach towns are 10-20 degrees cooler than we are inland.

25 miles due north of me are the foothills and then the mountains. Mountains have snow right now! We never snow down here. Kathy (of Rick and June) lives in those mountains, but further up a bit.

This whole area is beautiful to me! Mountains and beaches, and 75 miles east is full desert, then Palm Springs at 90. Of course, we're known for our high housing prices -- especially beach towns! -- expensive shopping, and women who get plastic surgery every 6 months. (Yes, men get it too.)