Where: Point Dume Beach

Location: Westward Beach Road, off Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu

Far from being the sappy experience of the 1988 film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey (I could almost drop a tear right now just thinking about that movie), you can’t write a blog about all that glitters in Los Angeles without dedicating some much deserved web time to what makes LA, LA. The beach!

This weekend, “the wind beneath my wing”  (remember THAT song?) and I hit Point Dume to enjoy the Malibu sunshine, cool down after the hottest week of the summer so far, and R.E.L.A.X. I was beyond excited to spend some time playing in the sand, using the new beach umbrella I got recently, and taking my new straw hat I bought at the flea market last weekend out for a spin.

It was the epitome of how to spend 5 hours on a lazy Saturday and I don’t need to brag about what a beautiful day it was. The proof is in the spiffy collage I made above. I will say that the dolphin (yes, dolphin) sighting pretty close to shore and the sound of the crashing waves while laying out on a blanket staring at the water were the highlights.

The not so highlights?

Halfway through Glamour and nearly done with my iced latte, a woman plopped right in front of me with her newborn, blocking my perfect view of the ocean. Also a child’s birthday party set-up around us and we were slowly being swarmed by 5 year olds as more and more families showed up. This necessitated a change of venue by moving down a few feet from where we originally set-up camp. Problem solved, perfect view intact, and relaxation continued.

Other than a slight wardrobe malfunction, that thankfully wasn’t a disaster, but means that I’ll have to buy a new bikini (and you know how a majority of women just LOVE bathing suit shopping – NOT!) I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day!

Get out of the house and live it up at the beach (or a park if one isn’t nearby) at least a few times this summer. There’s something so special and soothing about a change of scenery that resets your clock after sitting in an office all week.

My essentials: magazines, Aveeno sunscreen, Raybans, and an iced latte! Happy beach day!