Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach
Trip Start
Oct 28, 2008
1
21
24
Trip End
Nov 17, 2008
Where I stayed
Travelodge Los Angeles Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Thursday, November 13, 2008
We started looking at the map for shortcuts, because both of us have pretty much had our fill of the road. So we decided to follow the 1 to the 101, then take the 154 which shaved a few miles off the journey. It's a pretty road that goes up over some mountains and past an incredible lake. The 154 eventually joined back up to the 101, and then back to the 1 around Oxnard. We then followed the 1 down through Malibu, and into Santa Monica.
We're staying at the Travelodge here. Got the "Honeymoon Suite." Basically the same budget room as all the rest, but it looks right out on the Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific Ocean. Incredible!
We hauled our stuff into the room and got changed into something a little less conspicuous than full black leather bike gear. We walked across the street to the pier and then down the beach to Venice Beach. A reasonable 1 and a 1/2 miles each way! That will get the road dust out.
There were a lot of the bohemian types on Venice Beach. Musicians, artist, craftsmen.....all VERY loose terms of course.
We turned back and started walking back to Santa Monica. Just before we got back to the pier we sat on the sand and watched the beautiful sunset. As the sun slipped beneath the horizon, a pod of dolphins came to say hi, startling a surfer who only saw the dorsel fin at first.
Finally it was off to Bubba Gumps for a delicious dinner of shrimp (even though I got carded when I ordered the drinks- and my id was in the room, Steve told the waiter that I'm his wife and 27 years old- I'm 26- so the waiter took pity on us and gave me my drink), a quick walk along the pier to make the food settle, and back to the motel to settle in for the night.
Tomorrow we'll be heading up to the Getty in the morning and then it's back to San Diego and reality by early evening before it gets dark.
Comments
Photos
Steve those photos are amazing. Such spectacular sunsets and you have captured them beautifully.
Love your photos!!! Was there with my teenage kids. met up with there Dad after 12yrs..... nothing will come near to the amazing feelng of santa monica & family can bring!!!!!! Beautiful!! from Scotland.