| Page Views: 1,959 Last Visit to Santa Monica: May, 2004 | Ending 6 days of madness in Santa Monica by Carmanah - last update: Jan 15, 2008 |
| Standing on Santa Monica pier in the early evening |
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| The view of Santa Monica beach from the pier |
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Santa Monica, California, USA
Location: 34° 02' North, 118° 49' West
Population: 88,050 (2006 Census)
Incorporated: November 30, 1886
Madness? To me, it was. Let me explain...
Within the span of five days, I and five others had travelled from Vancouver in Canada, leaving at 10pm at night to drive south through Washington state all night, then through Oregon state until dawn, and then to California all afternoon to spend the night in San Jose in a friend's apartment. We attempted a visit to San Francisco but couldn't find parking and were delirious from lack of sleep, so we drove right back to San Jose.
The next day after a night in San Jose, we drove toward I-5 southbound. We dropped off a friend in LA, and then drove over to San Diego to supposedly sleep a night in a friend's house. Once we arrived there, we discovered it was an indie rocker party house holding an all-nighter party, so we slept in our minivan parked outside instead. |
| A Santa Monica sunset before heading home |
| | We woke up really early in San Diego to our fogged-up van. We left there early and drove through the interior of California to scout out a hotel - the closer to Indio the better. We found a cheap hotel in Moreno Valley and stayed there for 3 nights so that we could attend the 2 day Coachella music festival in the California desert. During Coachella, California experienced a heat wave with 44 degree Celsius (111 F) heat in May. We often got back to the hotel at 4am and woke up at 10am for another day of music.
The morning after Coachella, we drove from Moreno Valley, along the freeway, through Los Angeles rush hour to drop off friends at LAX airport. From there, a friend back in Vancouver had advised us to visit Santa Monica as our only sense of relaxation during the entire trip.
It was here in Santa Monica that I, the only driver of our 6 day roadtrip, found a place to unravel and take in the scenery before travelling exactly 1276.61 miles (or 2055.34 kilometers) back home to Vancouver. This page reflects my brief time in Santa Monica. Here are my experiences... |
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| Pros: | "Surprisingly pedestrian friendly, beautiful beaches, beautiful people, great shopping/restaurant options, gorgeous weather, feels like the city exists for leisure." | | Cons: | "Good luck getting here without a car! Hwy 1 and all its infrastructure can be a bit of an eyesore. Homeless living in Palisades Park." | | In A Nutshell: | "Beaches, palm trees, and shopping!" |
Carmanah's Santa Monica Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 5 - Photos: 5 | | | Restaurants
Tips: 2 - Photos: 1 | Hotels & Accommodations | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
 Carmanah's Santa Monica Travelogues | | | |
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 Comments for Carmanah about Santa Monica | | | | |
Kid-A Mon Feb 25, 2008 08:33 UTC
Hi Robyn, you were the featured VT'er as I logged in just now. Great pages! I used to live in L.A. (in Redondo), and I miss the South Bay lifestyle sometimes. BTW: the surfing is further south in Orange County :) | GenuinelyCurious Wed Nov 7, 2007 23:04 UTC
You captured 3rd street well - good job! Esp for one so exhausted by the long drive to get there... | eternel2002 Mon Jun 25, 2007 21:04 UTC
Special experience about Santa monica .. Lovely place .. I loved the pier and the promonade. Wish you more travel Robyn ;) | Jerelis Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:28 UTC
Gheee ... that time table sounds like crazy indded! But Santa Monica is a nice place to relax. Travel on! |
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