Day 19 - Venice Beach, Santa Monica & Farewell from California

Our last full day in California began with a quick breakfast at the Airbnb. After that, we packed our sports and swim gear into the car and headed to the famous Venice Beach. Marc was highly motivated and jogged a short stretch right along the sea, while I leisurely walked along the promenade, soaking in the colorful mix of street performers, small shops, and athletes, simply enjoying the special atmosphere.

We agreed to meet at Muscle Beach, where we watched the athletes training for a while, fascinated. Next to us, we also watched the skaters in the skate park – the colorful hustle and bustle, the music, and the waves in the background created a unique vibe. After a cappuccino and some shopping (including one last round of souvenir shopping 😉), we grabbed our swim gear and settled down for a few hours at the beach. Sun, sand, and sea – just right for our final day. Suddenly, we spotted three dorsal fins in the surf, which suspiciously looked like shark fins. Now that we know how whales and dolphins look in the water, we were pretty sure that this time they were actually sharks. 🦈

In the afternoon, we drove back to the Airbnb, rested a little, and then calmly got ready for our last evening. Of course, I had to break in my newly bought cowboy boots once more! Our destination was Santa Monica: First, we enjoyed a delicious Asian dinner before walking to the famous pier. At sunset, with the sound of the ocean and the sparkle of lights, we ended our last evening there – a perfect conclusion to our trip.

The next morning, it was time to say goodbye. Departure went smoothly, thankfully, even though Marc briefly panicked because the counters at the airport, of course, weren’t yet marked or open 6.5 hours before the flight 🤣. After a quick lunch at Burger King, we waited at the gate and finally set off for our home flight full of wonderful memories, tired but extremely happy.

A dreamy vacation, an adventure filled with special moments – we are endlessly grateful that we were able to experience our honeymoon like this. 💛