The Santa Monica Pier
June 1, 2008
Southern California's Santa Monica Pier is always a pleasure to check out, if only for its awesome location on one of the prettiest beaches in the world (seen here from the promenade up above the Pacific Coast Highway). It's hard to feel glum when you're gazing out at a view like this.
The classic arched sign over the entrance to the pier - so glad they haven't "modernized" it. It might be protected with some sort of landmark status. (BTW, that building behind it is home to The Lobster, one of the best seafood joints in town.)
Right at the base of the pier is the carousel, made famous in several motion pictures, most notably, "The Sting."
The pier isn't exactly "Six Flags Over The Pacific Ocean," but it does boast some theme park trappings, like this relatively new Bubba Gump shrimp emporium.
Plus, there's an arcade, something no self-respecting amusement pier should be without.
SoCal living at its finest.
The amusement center is called Pacific Park, and there's this great sculptural entrance with a neato octopus. I think its name is "Inky," cuz the Scrambler is called "Inky's Scrambler."
More Inky sweetness.
I don't know how long this Trapeze School is going to be there, but I would think it'll be available all summer. And that's the park's West Coaster, a Morgan-designed ride in the background.
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