After living and working in Miami, Buenos Aires, Barcelona and Manhattan, successful models Kelsie (who’s American) and Guillaume (who’s French) recently packed up their car and moved to L.A. to pursue a career in acting. Follow along in their adventures, as they explore new places, work to be discovered by Hollywood, and continue traveling the world. Their dog Yogi is pretty cool, too.
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One of the great glories of our new home - California! - versus Manhattan (which we recently left, for the west coast) is the freedom to roam. I'm not quite sure if it's the Floridian in me that is a bit addicted to the wheel and the idea of the open road but taking the subway on a whim is not nearly as glamorous as hopping in the car for a killer drive down the coast. 
In California, you can cruise in pretty much any direction and be somewhere new and terrific without much money or planning. On a recent Saturday morning, Guillaume, Yogi and I brushed our hair and hopped in the car in search of such mini-adventure. At the corner of Venice Blvd. and Pacific Highway we decided to turn right. We rolled down all the windows and pretended we were in a convertible. Yogi especially likes this game.
We got to Malibu but didn't make it far before stopping for fish-n-chips and clam chowder at a roadside spot called - what else - Malibu Seafood. it did not disappoint. The best part about escaping L.A., especially if you're on the coast, is the drive to go anywhere is gorgeous. With relatively little traffic, we cruised along the two-lane highway that hugs the California coast north.
For all the notoriety that surrounds Malibu, we were surprised by its quaintness. We found a lot of fancified beach shacks, but not a single mega parking lot or restaurant chain. There was this wonderful illusion that we were discovering something that wasn't adjacent to a city of millions and millions of people. 
Guillaume spotting Dolphins just off shore
And of course, the Pacific is like this immense, dense and wildly untamed underwater jungle. Right away, we spotted a pod of dolphins trolling just offshore, which thrilled us (we are both suckers for wild animals). Guillaume hails from the Mediterranean and gets excited just to see a fish jump. I grew up watching otters, manatees, and alligators from my backyard in Florida.
Given the glorious late-October weather, and some serious detective work on my part, we found a dog-friendly beach just north of Malibu called Leo Carillo State Beach (in case you ever go, dogs are only welcome north of life guard station three). I'm from a place called Sanibel Island where beaches are beautifully idyllic but flat and tranquil, with mild-mannered Gulf of Mexico waters. In Malibu, craggy rock cliffs break up the otherwise smooth surface of the beach and rather ginormous waves crescendo'd onto the rocks like a scene from Fantasia.
We found a private little cove of beach and laid out our towels. I was savvy enough to bring my swimsuit, but Guillaume had to swim in his underwear, which provided great entertainment for me as he wrapped himself up into a towel-burrito when anyone passed by.
The sun was gorgeous and a really light fog floated just off shore ushering small bouts of cool air onto our skin. We drank highly-caffeinated beverages and read a ridiculous French magazine called Voici (which Guillaume's mom sends him a stack of every couple months. Guillaume feigns like he reads the scandal-laden mag because it reminds him of “home,” but I suspect it's more about the gossip, and the topless photos of women that French culture so lovingly embraces.
Definition of a Happy Dog
Meanwhile, Yogi spent what I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon for a dog: trying to dig up sand-fleas to very little effect. There were some really stellar waves on the beach and cool surfers' dogs patiently gazed at the ocean like perfect little Buddhas, while others joined in on the surf session.
When the sun started to get low and the coolness of the sea air gave us goosebumps, we bid farewell to the Leo Carillo. Despite being a mere 45 minute drive from home, it was remarkably like being halfway to Hawaii. Woo-hoo to Malibu.
Dogs love to surf too