King Harbor

I remember a time when King Harbor in Redondo Beach was a crumbling wooden structure until some storm effectively rendered the whole pier unusable.  When I lived in Hermosa Beach, El Segundo and Santa Monica, riding through the parking lot was always tricky having to deal with cars, tourists and locals.  That was years ago and these days, I am the tourist who visit a couple times a year.  Last Friday, after seeing my accountant in Gardena, the kids and I decided to have spend some time in the South Bay.

The kids wanted to play the arcades at the boardwalk -- which unfortunately didn't open until 2pm during the school week.  To see an empty marina on this cloudy March morning is not totally unusual until about summer, when the place is flocked by tourists.   Not sure whether or not the kids have outgrown the arcades but it's always fun to collect all those tickets to get a silly prize that is worth a mere fraction of how much one spends playing the games.  But hey, it's all in the name of good fun.  The arcade at King Harbor is all about being a young again.

And finally, in spite of having just eaten seafood the night before at King's Fish House in Rancho Cucamonga, the kids wanted to get some fresh fish at Captain Kidd's.  I've been going here for as long as I can remember being in Los Angeles.  Not much had changed and Captain Kidd's will probably outlive me and my children.  We ended up waiting a bit for the kitchen to open at 11am but worth the wait.  Clam chowder, popcorn shrimp and Alaskan white fish made for an early lunch that hit the spot.  Years from now, my kids will probably be driving out to Redondo to continue this tradition that my parents started with me.