Close to Home: 10 Great Father's Day Gifts Found Around Town

10 Distinctive Father’s Day Gifts Found in Your Own Backyard

A quick guide to great Father’s Day ideas found in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach & surrounding South Bay areas brought to you by Jennifer & Dave Caskey of Caskey & Caskey at Shorewood Realtors.

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 15^th.  With Amazon Prime 2 day shipping, you might get your gift order in just under the wire. Or not. Let’s face it, on the whole, Father’s Day doesn’t seem to garner the same attention and planning as Mother’s Day: Mom gets a new Coach bag and Dad gets a tie; Mom gets a day at the spa and Dad gets [another] BBQ set. Dads even share the June holiday limelight with Grads. Arguably, it can be very difficult to shop for the fathers in your life as, generally speaking, the majority of men ask for very little and tend to buy for themselves the things they really want. There is plenty of time to pull off a very thoughtful gift for The World’s Greatest Dad while also supporting local businesses right here in the heart of our community. As your local real estate resource, the team at Caskey & Caskey would like to share our quick guide to WOW-ing Dad while keeping your money right here at home . . .

CHAMPIONSHIP SPORTS APPAREL

   GO KINGS GO! -- 48 hours after that last buzzer confirms the winning goal of the Stanley Cup Finals, locally owned and operated Super Sports in Manhattan Beach will receive their first shipment of championship apparel commemerating one of the greatest years in hockey in decades. Deck Dad out with some great Kings duds that he can sport proudly around town all year. Mention Caskey & Caskey's blog post and the folks at Super Sports will give you 15% off your entire purchase! Buying local has it's perks. Super Sports is located at 2930 N Sepulveda Blvd in Manhattan Beach, across the parking lot from the Men's Store at Macys in the Manhattan Village Mall. (Call to confirm the shipment is in: 310-545-5272.)

STRAND WORTHY WHEELS

 The Firmstrong Rebel 26” Stretch Cruiser Bike offers an extended Length “chopper” style look. This eye-catching crusier comes standard with 68 spoke count rims and a heavy duty triple tree fork. The frame has the classic curve but added length and a lowered seat post make this stretch cruiser a very nice ride. In addition, the fat midsection and flame graphics add another creative design element. Firmstrong crusiers are designed and built by locals so they know how to deliver a product that’s “Strand Worthy” while also being affordable. Available at Hermosa Cyclery at 20 13^th St, Hermosa Beach. Retails at $359.95

TURN UP THE HEAT

    Everything you thought you knew about great backyard BBQs just went up in smoke. The Traeger Wood Pellet Grill is the hottest new toy on the outdoor kitchen scene. You can grill it or smoke it with your versatile wood pellet grill. Control the heat with the touch of a button. Infuse your food's natural flavors with natural wood rather than gas or chemical laden charcoal. Learn why people LOVE their Traeger and why this grill beats all for Father's Day. The Junior Traeger starts at $399. Get yours from your local fireplace specialists at Okells Fireplace in Hermosa Beach. 134 Pacific Coast Hwy Hermosa Beach, CA 90254  (310) 376-3448

DIVE INTO A NEW HOBBY

Take the love of the ocean a little deeper with Dive Lessons offered by local specialists at Dive N’ Surf -- a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) 5 Star Instructor Development Center, offering a variety of SCUBA courses from Open Water through Instructor ratings. Owned and operated by the long established and esteemed local Meistrell family, Dive N’ Surf is one of Southern California’s largest and most reputable dive training facilities. Beginning SCUBA courses start at $299 (with a mandatory pre-requisite e-learning course at $146) Don’t want to commit him to a schedule? You can purchase his start-up gear and tuck in a gift certificate for the course in his gift-bag and get him started in style. The in-store specialists at Dive N’ Surf will help you select the right gear. Visit them at their brand new facility located at 504 N. Broadway in Redondo Beach. 

MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES

    For your avid golfer there is nothing more beautiful than a break in the day out in the ocean breezes and open spaces offered at The Links at Terranea Resort. You can treat dad to one of many golf packages, like the one-day intensive program at the Golf Academy, or give him the gift that keeps on giving . . . a Links Card with all of its benefits. For $250, The Links Card offers 4 rounds of golf, a simulator practice session, a 30 minute PGA Lesson, Club Fitting or Fitness Session, multiple merchandise discounts, and discounted green fees that reduce fees from $45 to $27 on weekdays and $55 to $35 on weekends. Good for one year from date of purchase. Call the friendly pros at the Golf House to order your card today: 310-265-2751.

HOP ON BOARD

    Take an afternoon to explore the wonders of local craft beer right here in the South Bay. Book a tour with L.A. Beer Hop and visit breweries located throughout Redondo Beach, Torrance, El Segundo & more. $50 weekday tours and $65 weekend tours include pick up and drop off, visits to 3 locations, a beer guide, water & pretzels, and a flight of beer at each location. Breweries on the South Bay Tour include Strand Brewing Co, El Segundo Brewing, Smog City Brewing, Beachwood Brewing & BBQ, Timeless Pints or Monkish Brewing. Purchase your ticket right here.

PUMP UP THE VOLUME

   Secure tickets for what’s sure to be a great show at the Hollywood Bowl: Elvis Costello and Ben Folds each join the LA Philharmonic in early September with two shows offered—Friday 9/5/14 at 8 pm and Sat 9/6/14 at 8 pm. Park the car at Wilson Park in Torrance, grab your picnic basket with your favorite food and wine, and hop on board the Park & Ride for a hassle-free ride to the Bowl. Tickets for the park n’ ride are only $6 round trip. Save gas, traffic stress, and high parking fees with front-gate drop-off at The Bowl. Get your tickets to both the show and the park and ride right on the Hollywood Bowl website.

Another great gift for your music fanatic is a weekend pass to this summer’s FYF FEST in downtown LA -- August 23 & 24 at the LA Sports Arena & Exposition Park. The lineup includes headliners such as The Strokes, Phoenix, Haim, and Interpol with other great shows from Grimes, Little Dragon, Built to Spill, Caribou, DJ Harvey, Benjamin Booker, Twin Peaks & many more. Weekend passes are only $129 which is a deal for the amount of talent your die-hard music lover will have access to. 

 (the) Melvins by Oliver Walker at FYF

TAKE HIM OUT TO THE BALLPARK

 Send Dad and the kids for a memorable day together at Dodgers Stadium. Each month over the summer, Dodgers Stadium hosts a “Kids Run the Bases” night, where you can get your little baseball fans out on the field with Dad to run the field like a champ. Another great evening at Chavez Ravine is the once monthly Fireworks night. After the game, take to the field for a dynamic fireworks show. A stand out game with lots to do before the opening pitch is “ Viva Los Dogers” Day, Sunday, September 1, when the Dodgers take on the Padres.The event is free with a ticket for the day's game. Festivities include live music, giveaways, face painting for kids, batting cages, pitching inflatables and photo booths. Fans will also have the chance to meet, take photos with and get autographs from current and former Dodger players.Purchase your tickets here.

• $10 - $160+ depending on seats chosen.
• Entrance is free with a ticket to that day's game. 

DATE NIGHT DOWNTOWN

  Treat dad to the best of the best with a front row view of the ocean while enjoying a masterful meal and a classic cocktail at The Strand House in Downtown Manhattan Beach. Owner Michael Zislis and Master Chef Neal Fraser provide a menu of “traditional dishes expressed with fresh and exciting interpretations”. Farm to table meats and produce provide impressive flavors that your discerning foodie will appreciate. Get your gift card here or call 310-545-7470 to make your reservation.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS  

Great local options for the weekend warrior include gift certificates for Stand Up Paddleboard rental, Sportfishing, one of REI’s kayak tours around Palos Verdes, or a guided all-terrain Bike expedition. With prices ranging from $49 and up.

There are plenty of creative, inspiring gift ideas for Dad that are only a click or call away. Give a gift from the heart that shows you know how to treat Dad to something special while keeping your business close to home in your community.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all the hard working Dads in our lovely community of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach! -- From your friends at Caskey & Caskey.

(no compensation was received from companies highlighted in this post)