Hello, beachcombers and Barbie girls everywhere, and welcome to the beautiful, (usually) sunny confines of Malibu, California! Today the beans drop in on the town made famous by celebrities -- real, plastic, and sometimes a combination of both. Malibu is located directly on the Pacific Ocean, and has a local population of about 13,000. But Malibu isn't for the feign of heart; this is a place where money matters. The average annual income of Malibu-ians is over $102K, and the median home price is a cool mill. So unless you're rolling in it, you may want to stay on the PCH and keep looking.

Since the beans always have a few coins tucked away beneath their label, they felt right at home in Malibu. Still, you can't help but feel out of place when every other vegetable has a titanium can. I guess they'll need to work on that...

But this -- this is what the people who live out here are after. Behold, the oceanfront Malibu view from the Pacific Coast Highway. Aaaah. Wouldn't you like to wake up every morning and have this view outside your window? The beans sure would. (Heck, any view would be better than staring at the insides of a can...)You've gotta admit it -- money sometimes can buy happiness.

As we mentioned above, Malibu is celebrity-land. According to the Web, stars such as Mel Gibson, Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Gere, and Tom Hanks all have homes in the 'hood. Then there's Babs Streisand (whom we understand doesn't like to have unannounced visitors - even if they are just harmless traveling legumes), and Johnny Carson, whom we're sure appreciates a good joke as much as the next guy, but is probably tired of having vegetables knocking on his door at 6:00 AM to tell him one. So to be polite (and not get arrested for trespassing...), the frijoles decided to leave the sleeping stars alone. Maybe someday they'll repay the bean's courtesy with a walk-on role. What do you think?

But here we found a couple of local "celebs" who were willing to pose with the beans. Although this being Malibu, where things such as bovine smells or cow patties are generally frowned upon, these herefords are actually made of plywood, not steak. Hey, they may be low in protein, but they're definitely high in fiber.

So in the end, the beans had a great time in Malibu, and hope that the next time you're in the area you can drop by one of their beautiful public beaches for an afternoon of fun. Bring a good friend, a nice bottle of wine, and your favorite can of black beans, and enjoy the beautiful sunset. You may not be rich and famous, but remember -- the best things in life are free...or 89 cents a can at your nearby supermarket.