Ever scrolled through santamonica.com or visitmdr.com? The dreamy photography, the "seaside playground" copy, the curated adventures. They make our own town look like a place you'd save up a year to visit. And here's the thing: people DO. They fly across the world to vacation where we run errands.

So why do we treat our coast like a place to just commute through?

Here are our favorite ways to hack the system.

The Marina del Rey WaterBus is back for the season and it's basically a $1 boat ride your kids will lose their minds over. It runs June 19 through Labor Day (Sept 7), Fridays & Saturdays 11am–11pm and Sundays 11am–9pm, with 8 stops around the harbor. Cash only, $1 per person each way. Strollers + bikes welcome aboard.

The hack: park once, then hop the boat to lunch. Ride to Fisherman's Village for a bite, or head to Burton Chace Park — grassy, breezy, great for a picnic and watching boats roll in. Pro tip: Saturday nights in July/Aug there are FREE summer concerts at Chace Park, and the WaterBus drops you right there.

This one's a gem most locals don't even know about. The LA County Beach Shuttle is totally free and loops Playa Vista → Marina del Rey → Venice Beach, stopping at Fisherman's Village, Mother's Beach, Venice Beach and all the restaurants and shops in between.

It runs weekends & holidays, May 23 through Sept 27 — Saturdays 10am–10pm, Sundays & holidays 10am–8pm (running Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day too). Park once at home or in Playa Vista, hop on, and let the kids ride to the sand while you skip the parking nightmare entirely. Free shuttle + $1 WaterBus = a whole day of "transportation as the activity" for basically nothing.

Nothing says tourist like getting pedaled around the boardwalk. Green Goddess Pedicabs operates along the Santa Monica beach bike path, and there are licensed operators working the Santa Monica Pier area all summer. Flag one down for a ride to a park or a restaurant — the kids get a kick out of it, and you skip the walk. Rates are negotiated per ride, so agree on a price before you hop on.

Grown up tourist move: chip in with a couple other families and let someone else lug the chairs. A few options that serve Venice + Santa Monica:

Divide it among 3-4 families for a no-stress beach day. By the way, if we’re missing your company, email us. Especially the ones skateboarding to the beach with a wagon full of cabana gear behind you :)

Ever drive past the Fairmont or Shutters and wonder what it's like in there? Turns out you don't need to book a room. Two ways in:

Day passes. ResortPass lets non guests buy a day pass to the pool, cabanas and lounges at top hotels — passes around town start as low as $25. The Fairmont Miramar offers a Family Day Pass, and the rooftop pool at Santa Monica Proper is a stunner.

Heads up: the truly fancy beachfront ones run higher, so check before you book.

Just go eat or drink. You don't need a pass to walk into the restaurants, they're open to the public. Grab brunch at FIG at the Fairmont Miramar (Sat/Sun 11:30am–3pm), or do happy hour 3–6pm Sun–Thurs at the Lobby Lounge at Casa del Mar and soak in those ocean views for the price of a snack.

Lean all the way in. Start at the Cayton Children's Museum at Santa Monica Place —$16 online / $18 walk-in, free for under 1.

Then walk down to the Santa Monica Pier. Pacific Park has 12 rides including the solar-powered Pacific Wheel — pay per ride or grab a wristband.

Cap it with a gloriously touristy group dinner - Ivy at The Shore, The Lobster, etc etc.

You don't need a plane ticket to feel like you got away. The vacation's already here :)