51. Winter Craft Weekend at the Beach

Ok, that's not a real shark in the photo!
But there are live sharks inside the 3,500 gallon tank at the Roundhouse Aquarium at the end of Manhattan Beach Pier. The aquarium is open all year round, but why not go during Winter Craft Weekend!

Jaws spotted in Manhattan Beach
Originally uploaded by smhyla

This will be a family-friendly event with many activities for kids, but aren't you a kid at heart? Surround yourself here with holiday spirit (and sharks and eels). Don't worry, they won't touch you, but you can touch them... Nothing bites in the "touch tank", at least not as far as I know.

The event is Dec 19-20th at 10 AM til sunset. The City of Manhattan Beach shows their holiday spirit every year by making metered parking free for 3 hours. Get there in the afternoon for the event, then enjoy the sunset by taking a romantic stroll along shoreline or on The Strand (paved path for runners and bikers). Heck, bring your bikes while you're at it! It's an easy 2-mile bike ride south to the twin pier in Hermosa Beach. See Cheap Date Idea #6 for more info about this aquarium. For ideas on other things to do in the area, search this site by city or keyword, i.e. beach (use the search toolbar on the left or the new dropdown menu above). For more shark action, don't miss out on Cheap Date Idea #15.

Approximate cost of creative date idea = Free.
Actual value of the cheap date idea = Priceless.
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