24 hrs in Manhattan Beach

HGLTsuperstar

First a confession, I HATE Los Angeles. Had a "bad experience" there a few years ago and vowed never to return.
BUT I won a place on intrepid's tour of the wild west which ends in LA so have 24 hours to lay some ghosts to rest.
Am arriving on the Saturday of Labor day weekend about 4pmish at hotel in Manhattan Beach called

Holiday Inn LAX Express & Suites Hawthorne, 11436 Hawthorne Blvd, CA 90250

Never heard of Manhattan Beach before but, already done the LA thing before, so have 24 hours to kill there. Bear in mind I'll have just spent 2 weeks camping and hiking so now is my time to shop and use up my flight home luggage allowance.

Here's my rough ideas, please help.
Firstly need to be at LAX about 6pm on Sunday, using hotel free shuttle, what time do I need to leave.

After arriving on Saturday and showering in a PROPER HOTEL ROOM for the first time in a fortnight, wanted to go for a walk and wander +/- have a bite out or takeaway to go back to the hotel and have a night of trashy TV in bed. Where's good nearby, like all types of food.

Also is there a supermarket nearby as I do love to stock up on American groceries to bring home (cereal, pop tarts and choccie a must). Also anywhere I can buy a second bag to fill with my goodies.

Sunday - up and packed etc and left luggage in hotel, want to spend out and have brunchy about 10.30-11 am to keep me going for the day and, excuse my quirks, it has to be French Toast with fruit and maple syrup and good coffee - preferably on the beach - where's good?

Also is there anyway along the prom on Manhattan Beach to hire blades and have a skate. Also what shops are around, need to go the Apple Store amongst others.

Planning to do it all on foot, as have a lot of sitting down ahead of me on the flight home.

TIA

Alan_Bowen

Firstly it is nowhere near the beach, despite the address. It is far too far to walk, which no one does anyway in LA. If you haven't paid and you want to be by the beach, look for somewhere else, start with google maps and you will see what I mean! If you stay there the journey to the airport should take no more than 20 minutes but you need to book the transfer in advance, some complain of waiting for over an hour for it to arrive and LAX has 7 terminals so it can take a while to get around

neilbond007

It's not in Manhattan Beach. It's in Hawthorne.

Transport - It's a matter of minutes to the airport. The shuttle will probably go at set times though. Personally I'd allow 30 mins as LAX is a zoo.
Food wise - There is a 'Ralphs' supermarket a short walk down the road.
Restaurant - There seems to be all the takeouts you could ever dream of. El Pollo Loco is always good.

Go to maps.yahoo.com. Put in your address and then search for 'restaurants' 'grocery stores' etc to find things close by

HGLTsuperstar

OK so how long would it take to get to Manhattan Beach for the day - thinknig do my grocery shop on Saturday evening (is it a safish area for a single skinny white girl) then go to Manhattan Beach (and roller-skate? and Apple store etc and of course the French Toast) on the Sunday before heading to the airport about 5pm ish?