A quick layover in LA earlier this month turned into the best 14 hours of our lives in the past year.

If you find yourself in the area, don’t spend it cooped up in the airport.  Rent a car or hop a cab, grab your sunscreen and get yourself out of LAX, steer clear of downtown and head over to the beach.  We’re partial to Manhattan Beach, but you really can’t go wrong so long as you’ve got a drink in your hand, sand under your toes and the whole of the Pacific stretching out in front of you.