Hermosa Beach

It's hard to imagine Hermosa Beach without The Strand. This bike path straddling the beach was originally shot down when it was first proposed as a meandering route. "The city council said no to that because they thought it would disrupt the volleyball and other activities that go on the beach," explains George Schmeltzer, the former mayor featured in the above video. It was eventually built, although a straight line, and it later became the first designated part of the California Coastal Trail in Los Angeles County.