Hojas Tea House serves wonderful tea and coffee, as well as breakfast and lunch. It is on the way to the Banning Mansion. Other alternatives include, The Maya and Santa Luna – both on Historic Avalon Boulevard. The Marina Café is a bit out of the way, but if you allow 20 extra minutes and are adventurous to find the Wilmington Marina, you will enjoy the view of the boats while you eat. If you are looking for seafood for lunch, Shamrock Seafoods is a solid offering, just one block off Avalon Blvd and G Street.

The Saturday tours at the Banning Mansion begin at 12:30. Parking is immediately adjacent and free. The tour is one and half hours, but you could easily spend three hours there. Make sure to tell your docent at the start of the tour that you want to see the barn at the end of the tour. If you run long in the house, the barn main not be shown. Allow enough time in your schedule to circle back to the Improbably Gateway and museum shop, and to view the film in the visitor’s center.

After the Banning Mansion Tour, be sure to walk or drive slowly through the three blocks of homes immediately to the South – this is the Banning/Wrigley Historic District. The camphor trees lining Lakme Ave are a particularly beautiful accent to the eclectic architecture, built by the chewing gum magnate.

Before you head out, swing by Saints Peter’s and Paul Church. The architecture, olive trees, and statues are exquisite.

Then, to get the most out of the Banning Mansion tour, continue down to the very end of Avalon and you will arrive at Banning’s Landing and a statue of Phineas Banning. This is where the Port of Los Angeles began (the Improbable Gateway). Phineas started the first railroad in Southern California right in this place. He envisioned what has become one of the largest ports in the world, America’s Port®.