When you have little time to be in a city, organization is extremely important. For my time in Los Angeles, I only had one weekend, so on Saturday I dedicated it entirely to the city of Los Angeles and on Sunday I would go to the beach. An unmissable place in California is Santa Monica and of course, the Pier.
From Hollywood Boulevard to Santa Monica Pier, it can take around 45-60 minutes on public transportation. I took the bus on Hollywood Boulevard and then the Metro E Line (expo) to the Pier. From the train station to the pier, it's about a 5-minute walk. It's really close, so it's convenient.
This time I noticed a lot more people in the area than in previous years. I still think a lot of people are trying to make up for lost time due to COVID, but that's another conversation...
This pier is the perfect place to spend a day with family, friends or by yourself. There are so many options for things to do and eat, that you can spend all day and not do everything. I advise you to arrive early, with comfortable clothes and shoes so that you can enjoy as much as possible.
As soon as you arrive to the pier, it is essential that you take a photo right at the entrance with the pier sign and get ready for the adventure. Start walking on the pier and quickly you will see different restaurants and food and dessert stalls, including churros and ice cream, wagons with toys and souvenirs from the pier.
One of the first stops you can make is to go to the Heal the Bay Aquarium, a small aquarium in the heart of the pier. Compared to other aquariums, it is considerably small, but it is still one of the favorite stops for many visitors.
Another of the pier's attractions is the sign that marks the end of Route 66. Route 66, also known as The Main Street of America, was created in 1926 with the intention of uniting the east coast with the west coast of the country. Route 66 was the destination for many families and immigrants in the 1930s looking for a better future on the West Coast.
Although Route 66 has been dismounted since 1985 due to the new highways that were built, many states along it have signs marking the "historic" place. For that reason, this sign marking the "End of the Trail" is so significant.
Something that I did want to do on this visit was to go to Pacific Park and enjoy the rides. Pacific Park is an amusement park in the heart of the pier and facing the Pacific Ocean. The entrance to the park is free, and the prices for the different machines or attractions are fairly accessible and with family options.
Now, something that you have to take into consideration is that there are rides that do not allow you to go if you are alone... as was my case. On this occasion, I was traveling by myself, and I knew that at some point I was going to find me in a similar situation.
In Pacific Park there is the only Ferris Wheel that works with solar energy, and I was waiting for the moment to get on it. In Puerto Rico we call it "the star", in Spain and in other countries they call it the “noria” and it is one of my favorites. Standing in line to buy my ticket, I discovered that the wheel of fortune or the star is one of those attractions where you can't ride l alone...
Resigned, I was like ok…, no problem, and when I'm about to leave, an amazing girl from Ibiza arrives and offers to ride with me. YESSSS!!!! That's how there, in one of the star's carts talking about Spain, Puerto Rico and Bad Bunny, I had a sensational time. Thank you, Alba!!!! Because with your help I was able to fulfill one of my "to do's".
The view from the star is simply spectacular. From up there you can appreciate the Pacific, the coast, part of the city and, obviously, the Pier to its fullest. Whenever I'm in Santa Monica I like to take a closer look at the Pacific because once, many years ago, we saw a small pod of dolphins and I think that was the sensation of the day. So, I'm always on the lookout in case I see something like that again.
If you want to do more at the Pier, you can take a walk along the beach, eat at one of its restaurants or simply sit on one of the benches and enjoy the scenery and the moment.
At the end of the afternoon and after enjoying all the attractions of the Pier and the Park, I went to have lunch at a Caribbean restaurant. The afternoon in Santa Monica was almost perfect. A magical place, good people who help you, new experiences, and Caribbean food, what more could you ask for?
But if you have more days to enjoy this beautiful place, here I share with you other places that you should visit when you go to Santa Monica:
Downtown Santa Monica
Palisades Park
26 Mile Bike Path
3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica Place for Shopping
Santa Monica Mountains for hikes
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