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Santa Monica

The name Santa Monica is synonymous with beautiful beaches and amazing weather. Located in the western area of Los Angeles County, Santa Monica city is found on Santa Monica Bay, and is entirely enclosed by the city of Los Angeles. To leave the city, you would have to head out into the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Palisades and Brentwood to the north, Venice to the south, or West Los Angeles and Mar Vista to the east. Because of its wonderful weather, the area has become quite of a resort town, attracting tourists from all over the world to its fantastic beaches and hotels.

The name, Santa Monica, comes from Saint Monica of Hippo, who was the mother of Saint Augustine, because the Spaniards first visited the area which was to become Santa Monica on her feast day. However, before the Spaniards came, the area had long been inhabited by the Tongva people, who are Native American people that once widely populated the Los Angeles area. Santa Monica really started to take on the appearance which it has today at the start of the 20th century, which was a time when amusement piers were incredibly popular. At one time there were five piers in Santa Monica alone, but now just one remains which is referred to as the Santa Monica pier.

For those planning on visiting Santa Monica, you’ll find plenty of activities to take part in. Firstly, of course, you can visit the fun pier, which contains Pacific Park. The park looks right out to the Pacific Ocean, so even if you don’t like amusement park rides, you’ll enjoy the view. If you DO like amusement park rides, you’ll have fun on the West Coaster, the Pacific Wheel (the world’s only solar powered Ferris wheel!), Inkie’s Scrambler, Sea Dragon (a pirate’s ship), Pacific Plunge, and Sig Alert (a bumper car hall). There is even a miniature golf course in the park.

Another thing which draws people to Santa Monica, and then invites them to stay, is the super selection of farmer’s markets. A total of four markets hosted on three different days means that anyone lucky enough to live in the area can purchase incredibly fresh goods, directly from the farmers themselves. For those just visiting the area, the markets will be a really fun way to get a taste of life of Santa Monica. Also, there are at least 120 museums, galleries and cultural attractions available in the city, so a splash of culture can be added to all the fun which you will have in this vibrant city.