We like to share the occasional cool and unusual spots you might otherwise miss. Here are a couple of our favorites!
Fans of outsider art shouldn't miss a trip to the Farnham's Tile House.
Mirrored, shiny surfaces glitter in the sunshine at Aziz and Louise Farnam's 1930s bungalow. Some of the highlights of the mosaic: a psychedelic Hollywood Sign with dinner plates for the O's, a portrait of Amiel's pet macaw and a life-size apple tree. The house has been featured in the national press, and won a TLC contest for interesting California houses.
Before You Go:
The Farnams encourage passersby to photograph and examine the mosaics.
California Ave and 26h St.
Santa Monica, California 90403
Since 2012, Dogtown Coffee has been a sort of shrine to Southern California skateboarding history. Skateboarding had taken a backseat to surfing locally until the Zephyr Team began winning competitions with a dynamic, surf-oriented style, taking the sport in a whole new direction.
When the former Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions Skateboard shop (1971) was about to be torn down to make way for condominiums, the city of Santa Monica gave the building landmark status, thus protecting it from demolition. The shop honors the sport's legacy with photos, murals and original Zephyr boards, which hang suspended from the ceiling.
Before You Go:
On the menu: Everything from familiar espresso drinks to creations like a cappuccino enhanced with chaga mushrooms and monk fruit. Locals rave over the breakfast burritos.
2003 Main Street
Santa Monica, California, 90405