Help Her Out!

I visited Venice Beach, CA to see the famous Muscle Beach. I was more excited about this stop than any other on our road trip. :D Upon our arrival, my travel companion called her mother who said, "Venice Beach? Why would you go there? That's where the help lives!" Well, this is what I get for traveling with a self proclaimed Spoiled Child. (I am pretty sure that my travel buddy enjoyed the stop too, though.) We checked out the weight machines, the gymnastics equipment and the surrounding shops. Then, after we were through getting our kicks out of a few failed attempts at the gymnastics rings, we headed for the beach.

A couple of babes like up draw a lot of attention, but only one guy that day at the water's edge had the guts to make conversation with us. We told him of our adventures so far and the plans for the rest of our trip, at which point he asked if we'd be seeing the Playboy Mansion. While I would have loved that, I let him know that I had already done my research and found that because it is a private residence, the Mansion does not give tours. "Oh ya," he said, "I forgot that not just anybody can get in because I'm there all the time."

Whaaat???

He finally had my attention. "What do you doing at the Playboy Mansion all the time?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm part of the staff. I work at the Mansion."

Oh no! After a day of telling my friend to be open-minded, the one person that we encounter at Venice Beach fits the profile of those who she and her family generally avoid! I can just see her going home and telling her friends and family, "Mom was right- Venice Beach is just where the help is." What a shame. She, her family, and anyone else in that mind set will miss out on a beautiful city with blue skies, nice guys, soft sand, warm water, great surfing, and of course, muscle men.