In the middle of the Santa Monica State Beach is the Santa Monica Pier. The pier is a landmark for the beach and the city, featuring an amusement park, Pacific Park, Heal the Bay Aquarium, shopping, restaurants, and more.
Park and Pier on the Beach
Tag Archives: Santa Monica
Santa Monica Beach Scene
On the south side of the pier, Santa Monica Beach is level with the city, with parking lots, parks, homes and hotels bordering the beach. The Original Muscle Beach (featuring gymnastics equipment) and Carousel Park are located just south of the Santa Monica Pier. The ever present palm trees complete the California beach scene.
Santa Monica State Beach
Located just west of Downtown Los Angeles, the 3.5 mile Santa Monica beach is an iconic example of the famed beautiful beaches of Southern California.
The beach sign below has cutouts for the umbrella and the birds so that the colors change depending upon the shade of the sky in the background.
Surfing Near the Pier
Santa Monica Beach is popular for beginners all year long. The waves are frequent and it’s easy to get to. Most of the surf comes from groundswells and waves at the beach break both left and right. Here is a lonely surfer captured from the Santa Monica Pier.
Santa Monica from the Pier
A view of Santa Monica (California) and its beach from the Santa Monica Pier
At the End of the Pier
The Harbor Office and a Mexican restaurant – Maria Sol – are at the very end of Santa Monica Pier, floating above the Pacific Ocean.
Pier Corner
Set in California at Santa Monica’s westernmost point, the Santa Monica Pier is a staple of this picturesque seaside community. Packed with family-friendly activities, vibrant street performers, restaurants and shops, the public pier also has stunning views and over a century’s worth of history. Here is a corner view of the famous pier.
Pacific Park on the Pier
Located on the world famous Santa Monica Pier, Pacific Park is the family place to play! It’s the West Coast’s only amusement park located on a pier. There are a total of twelve rides in Pacific Park, including the world’s first and only solar powered Ferris wheel that provides a view of the Pacific Ocean and a roller coaster that circles the majority of the park. Pacific Park is also home to 14 midway games and over-the-ocean food and retail outlets. It has appeared in over 500 movies and television shows.
Adding to the Colors
Man-made colors on the pier are enhanced by natural colors of the sky, clouds, ocean and even flowers on this home in Santa Monica, California
Not Empty for Long
The parking lot for Santa Monica Pier appears empty in early morning, but not for long. Santa Monica’s residential population is approximately 93,000, increasing to an estimated 250,000 during the day with tourists, shoppers, and employees. Tourism attracts over 8 million visitors annually.
Santa Monica Pier
Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, it symbolizes the heart of Santa Monica and is one of the most photographed locations in the world. Constructed in 1909, the storied Santa Monica Pier was the first concrete pier on the West Coast. It quickly gained a reputation among locals as the best fishing spot in Santa Monica. Santa Monica Pier fishing remains a popular activity to this day. It contains an amusement park, concession stands, and areas for views.
Vantage View
From the elevated height of Palisades Park, Santa Monica, California, well protected paths provide vantage views of the Pacific Ocean, beaches, and the Santa Monica Pier.
Enjoying the View
Thousands of visitors flock to Pacific Palisades Park in Santa Monica to run, bike, walk and enjoy the views of Pacific Ocean.
Pier in the Distance
Palisades Park is a 26.4-acre park in Santa Monica, California. The park is located along a 1.6-mile section of Ocean Avenue on top of an uplifted unconsolidated sedimentary coastal Quaternary terrace with exposed bluffs, offering views of both the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains.
Walking along the park on a hazy morning, one can see a pier in the distance. The Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California.
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a coastal city west of downtown Los Angeles, California. Santa Monica Beach is fringed by Palisades Park, with views over the Pacific Ocean. Will be posting images from our recent trip to Santa Monica.
This 18′ high art deco sculpture “Santa Monica” by Eugene Morahan is located on the bluff at the foot of Wilshire Blvd. It is a statue of Saint Monica, for whom the city of Santa Monica was named. Apparently, Spanish explorers were reminded of the tears Saint Monica shed for her errant son while they were drinking from a refreshing spring in West Los Angeles. Because that particular day was St. Monica’s day on the religious calendar, they named the area “Santa Monica.”
