Santa Monica Pier

Having spent a few years of my days living the good life in California, I couldn’t help but call out this nice little ditty on the Santa Monica Pier. The pier, lets face it, is a cheesy, cheesy place. A tourist destination that has gone to seed, but it’s still got some appeal. It’s as fine a place as any to take a sunset stroll and check out the surfers and the various goofy folk who come over from Venice Beach.

The pier was built in 1912, and is pretty much the last of the many amusement parks that once lined this waterfront. There’s skeeball and arcade games and also an historic carousel that is nice if you’ve just made a purchase up in Humboldt County (you know who you are). There’s also a “kid-friendly” roller coaster, and a couple of nice little restaurants still around. I’m not saying to spend all your time here, but it’s a good place to check out if you’re making a trip to la-la land.