I'll be in Manhattan Beach for work next week and thankfully I've found great info on the boards about the MB area, so I'm looking forward to spending time there. However, I'm coming in a day early to possibly see some old friends, but if that falls through, I'm interested in a day trip/excursion within an hour or two of Manhattan Beach. Also need a place to stay, preferably a reasonably priced ($100 or less) B&B. Initially Cambria sounded good, but then I mapped it and it's a bit farther out than I want to venture. Any other suggestions?

PS-GoTravel, better this time

....waiting to see what this latest weather system will do before recommending something, half the state is falling into the ocean.

yes, it's raining, AGAIN!

There are so many places close to Manhattan Beach where you don't even have to drive an hour or two. Although, during rush hour it could almost take you that long to get to Santa Monica. LOL. If the weather is bad or even if it isn't, the Getty Museum is definitely worth a visit. You could also spend some time in Santa Monica. If you really want to drive further and the weather holds up, you might enjoy Laguna Beach. Beautiful scenery, shops and art galleries, have a drink at Las Brisas restaurant or even lunch.

Besides rainy, the weather has been cool (50's & low 60's) here along the coast. Would you be interested in a trip to the desert? Palm Springs/Desert area is about a 2-hr drive from MB. Since you'll be staying along the coast during the week, the desert may be a nice (and warmer) change of scenery.

Sorry, I don't know of any B&B's, though.

Paula1470: I'd actually considered Laguna Beach, found a couple of great looking B&B/boutique hotel options. Not under a $100, but not too bad.

lvk: Palm Springs is an option...I'm all for warmer weather...

Thanks everyone. I'll keep my eye on the weather...

Chicago Girl, we're going to Palm Desert in a couple weeks for Easter, the weather is improving daily. I hear next week it will be up to 80 degrees. So nice to be around the pool then. You can find reasonable rates by doing a search on Expedia, etc. Don't know of any B&Bs there, but many motel/hotels offer breakfast.
Enjoy your time in Manhattan Beach, too!

FYI, I will be in Palm Springs this upcoming week, and I can tell you there is a convention in town (I know...I will be exhibiting there!) That just drives the hotel prices around the convention center way up (which is also conveniently located next to lots of shopping and restaurants). Many of the hotels are already booked, and getting into restaurants is a lot tougher than usual.

But if you can find a decent hotel for a good price, and you're there on Thursday, Palm Springs has their farmer's marketing on Thurs, which is fun, and you can easily pick up something cheap to eat.

Enjoy MB! It's my favorite SoCal town, but I am biased since I grew up there.