Santa Monica is a fairly wealthy community located along the Pacific Ocean
west of Los Angeles. The 10 freeway ends in Santa Monica and is the main
freeway leading to this city from Los Angeles. PCH or Highway 1 runs
along the western part of Santa Monica bordering the ocean.
The famous
Santa Monica Pier is located near the end of
the 10 freeway in Santa Monica (with good traffic this is about 20-30
minutes from downtown LA. You can park next to the pier in a large
parking lot or on the Pier Deck. Depending on the time of the year
parking ranges from $6-8 max. This is an "entertainment" pier - you can
walk onto the pier for free and visit the souvenir shops. Admission is
charged for any of the number of rides including the Carousel & Ferris
wheel. Summertime is a very busy time on the pier. The Santa Monica pier
has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows. Its fairly close
proximity to Hollywood helps in this regard. For more information visit:
www.santamonicapier.org or
www.pacpark.com
Note:
The Santa Monica Pier celebrated its 100th
Anniversary on September 9, 2009 with a huge birthday bash that was
certainly infused with celebrities!
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Third Street Promenade is also well worth visiting for its upscale
shopping and unique street entertainers. Third Street is closed to
traffic which makes this a great walking district. It is also located
mere minutes away from the beaches.
The Santa Monica Farmer's Market is held every Wednesday and Saturday on
Arizona Street between 2nd and 4th Streets. This market is open 8:30am
to 1pm and is one of the largest Farmer's Markets in California.
Photo to right: the Third Street Promenade |
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For an interesting and expensive dining experience regardless of whether
you are Vegetarian or not, visit Juliano's Raw Planet Restaurant located
at 609 Broadway in Santa Monica. You won't find dishes like these in
most restaurants - all food is completely served raw and the owner Juliano has not eaten cooked food since he was 19. His restaurant is
often visited by major Hollywood Stars looking for a different kind of
diet. Some good salads, very interesting drinks and unique appetizers.
Indoor and outdoor dining - service was very slow when we ate here.
Visit:
www.planetraw.com or Phone (310) 587-1552.
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Dave's Pick