Q. What is it supposed to be on the show? A. A public street (or streets). Q. Where is it supposed to be on the show? A. Somewhere in Miami. Q. When did we see it on the show? A. In Episode 3, of Season 5, "Practically Perfect". Dexter is stalking serial killer Boyd Fowler, who works for the county in dead animal pickup. In a previous scene at a diner, Dexter convinced Boyd to offer him a job picking up dead things. In this scene, he goes along for a ride on Boyd's route, posing as a guy named "Daryl". Before the scene begins, Dexter phones in a fake call, reporting a dead alligator on Boyd's route, near the abandoned visitor center, where Dexter plans to kill Boyd. Boyd shows up and picks up Dexter in his yellow truck. As they drive, they make casual banter about seat belts and trophy wives. Boyd already has his self-motivation CD's playing, the same ones Dexter heard him listening to in his house. Boyd is obviously addicted to them. He tells Dexter that they changed his life. He recommends them to Dexter. We see the cover of the CD.  It reads "Take it Now!" "read by author Jordan Chase".

Boyd tells Dexter that, of course, you need to know what it is you want to take.

The road scene ends here - but their ride together picks up again later in the scene where they pick up the dead skunk, moves on to the abandoned Tourist Welcome Center, and ultimately ends back at Boyd's house.

Q. What is it actually in real life?

A. A public street - just not in Miami.

Q. Where can I find it in real life?

A. The very beginning of the scene (where Dexter phones in the gator report, and is first picked up by Boyd) was filmed at the same location as the Hungry Dog Diner, where he got the job offer from Boyd.  They filmed near the back of the Crossroads center for that scene.

But once Dexter is in the truck, the rest of the scene was filmed on Marina Drive, in Long Beach, CA.

(That's the same street where they filmed Trinity evading a police road block in Season Four.)

Marina Drive is a winding, L-shaped road that, not surprisingly, runs along the edge of the Alamitos Bay marina.

Starting at Seaport Village (AKA the Alamitos Bay Landing) at its southwest end, it runs about a mile (between the marina and a river channel) before terminating at Second Street (and Marina Pacifica) at its northwest end.

Along the way, you'll pass a number of seafood restaurants, that call the marina home, as well as a few nautical/boating stores. Many of these landmarks can be seen out the truck windows as Dexter & Boyd drive, including Khoury's restaurant and the Crab Pot restaurant.

The scene includes most of Marina Drive, starting as they exit the parking lot at Seaport Village, then heading northeast, past the Crab Pot restaurant, around the big bend,

It's also close to several other Dexter locations, including Trinity's hotel, the Tampa coffee shop, the deserted spot where Jonah smashed his father's car, the home where Lila stole the windchimes, the bridge where Doakes shot a man, the motel where Paul (Rita's ex) stayed, and the scene where Dexter scattered his father's ashes near a bowling alley.




I shot the photos below in October 2010:



Compare my photo above (of Khoury's restaurant, at Seaport Village)
with the view behind Dexter in the top photo.









Compare my photo below (of the Crab Pot restaurant)
with the view behind Boyd in the third photo down.






Here is an aerial photo of the road. And here is a map link.

Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was?

A.  This is one location I simply recognized at first sight.

I have driven Marina Drive often, and have dined at Seaport Village on several occasions, so I recognized it the moment Koury's restaurant popped up at the start of the scene.