Great Day Santa Monica

Santa Monica is an amazing place to visit for a day or a weekend. From the pier, amusement park rides, 3rd Street Promenade, movie theaters, restaurants, street performers and of course the great sandy beach, there's something for everyone.

 

Everything is close to each other with parking structures throughout the area. We parked in Lot 6 on 2nd street: free first 90 minutes, then $1.00 for every hour thereafter. Not bad if you're headed out only for a few hours.

 

Restaurants run the gamut of cuisines and price. As my son and I were eager to get to the pier, we stopped for a quick bite at Stefano's Pizzeria. They primarily sold pizza by the slice, which I'm sure is one reason why there were a number of high schoolers here. Their outdoor tables are also great for people watching as it was right on the corner of Arizona and 3rd.

From here we walked south on the Promenade past the dinosaur statues, stores and a street magician then through the Santa Monica Place open air mall.
 

Then we joined the throngs of people and headed to the pier on this glorious sunny 75-degree January day. From the top of Ocean Boulevard you have to walk down a long ramp to the pier itself. At the top of the ramp were two sets of street performers. One set was a pair of guys wearing a Trump mask and the other a Kim Jong-un mask who were posing for pictures with tourists. The other was a music dance troupe.

 

On the pier is the historic merry go round, restaurants like Bubba Gump Shrimp, lots of vendors and musicians. I particularly enjoyed watching two young women sing while their father played a ukulele. There were also fishermen on the pier and people swimming in the water. From the pier, are great views of Santa Monica beach and Malibu to the north. Looking south is Venice Beach  and the hill of Palos Verdes.

 

After walking to the end of the pier and passing a sign that said "66 End of the Trail",  we headed back to the car. We stopped at an intranet coffee shop and picked up a good smoothie for the hour and a half long drive to go 15 miles back home. Traffic from Santa Monica to anywhere in L.A. after 4:00 is a tough.

 

A great day out in Santa Monica!

Los Angeles Coffee Adventures November

Here are four interesting eastside coffee shops I visited in November, plus a place to visit when walking with your coffee. If you have any coffee house suggestions to visit in December please leave a comment below.

Most beautiful building exterior

Urth Caffe

451 S. Hewitt St.

Los Angeles, CA 90013

While there were a couple of people working on laptops here, the majority of people at the tables were eating full meals, giving the Urth Caffe more of a cafe feel than coffee shop. That being said, they are known for their organic coffees and teas and there was a line of people waiting to pick up drinks. The food is great, the building is gorgeous and it is in the center of L.A.'s burgeoning art district.

Most interesting coffee food combo

Art + Science Café

101 S Madison Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91101

Sushi and coffee, who would've thought. It works. The place was full of college students. The sushi menu is limited but the owners take their sushi seriously. You can only eat the sushi at the small counter and my server said I had to eat my sushi roll within 10 seconds before the seaweed got stuck to the warm rice. I ate it in about 30 seconds, I can only eat a roll so fast. I did notice a change in texture from the first bite and last bite. The iced caramel latte was very good.

Most industrious

Swork Coffee

2160 Colorado Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90041

I walked in not knowing what to expect as I was headed to another establishment that I did not know had closed the week before. There was only one person sitting outside and one person sitting at a table by the window, so I was surprised when I walked in to see 15 people working on laptops and drinking coffee all along the far wall. It appears to be popular with students and professionals. I had a Mexican Mayan Mocha. Along with coffee drinks, they also have healthy gym-influenced blended drinks.

Brand New

San Marino Cafe and Marketplace

2507 Mission St.

San Marino, CA 91108

Quaint little cafe in San Marino that advertises the best coffee in town on a blackboard out front. Unfortunately, I was unable to try the coffee as I was still recovering, but I had a delicious smoothie. People are always coming and going here, some sitting and working, and the owner is very friendly.

Take a walk

Lacy Park

1485 Virginia Rd.

San Marino, CA 91108

My first excursion after surgery. Beautiful large open park seemingly out of place in Los Angeles. Great for picnics or taking a walk with your coffee.  Free to visit during the week, but there is a fee for nonresidents to visit on the weekend.