A day in Malibu, California

I can't believe it's been almost a year since my last blog post.  Wow how time truly does fly......but without further ado I'm back!  Since my <3 belongs to California I thought it would only be fitting for my 1st post back to be about the beautiful state and one of my favorite cities.  I frequently get inquires about "what to do," when visiting the area, so this is a day map for Malibu.

Breakfast The Malibu Farm Pier Cafe is my favorite spot to start the day.  It has a beautiful view of the ocean and the food is not only delicious, but also healthy.  All their fare is from local farms, so it is uber fresh and organic.

Beach El Matador beach is breathtaking.  Located at 32350 El Matador Beach Rd, Malibu CA 90265, this beach offers parking, but does require a little hike to get there.  It looks like a beach you would find on an island deep in the Pacific Ocean.  It's been the backdrop to countless photo shoots and many movies including scenes from the Notebook.

Lunch Taverna Tony's greek restaurant is a great destination for a light lunch.

Shopping The Malibu Country Mart & Lumberyard is home to all the quintessential Los Angeles boutiques.  For California fashions, check out Kitson, Madison, Planet Blue, and Ron Herman.

Wine Tasting Malibu Wines not only has delicious wines, but also the bomb dot com tasting room that is 100% outside.  I <3 sitting in the adirondack chairs and sipping on some chardonnay.  Cheers!

Dinner Nobu Malibu is beachfront and the best place to end the day.  The views are spectacular, but bring a jacket as it does it get chilly from the fresh ocean air.

Where to stay If you decide to pull a all-nighter Malibu Beach Inn is the answer.  It's backyard is the ocean, so the views and location can't be beat.

Noteworthy If you have more than a day in the "Bu," (as it's referred to by the locals) other cool spots are: Point Dume Beach, Reel Inn, Geoffrey's, Mr. Chow, and Mastros Ocean Club.

This is one of the flights of stairs you'll have to endure on the trek down to the beach.  

But once you hike down, the waves and rocks at El Matador are bar none.

At the Malibu Pier, you'll be able to watch sufers catch the waves.

The incredible view from Nobu Malibu.