Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier is officially the most westerly point of the legendary Route 66 that, in the words of the famous song, runs from Chicago to LA. The highway, one of the earliest trans-American routes, was extended to Santa Monica to allow travel-weary visitors to cool off by the ocean, and people have been flocking here ever since to get their kicks on one of the last remaining piers in Southern California.Many attractions remain from the pier’s early days, including the world’s first solar-powered Ferris wheel, which rises to almost 40 metres. The gaily painted roller coaster is another firm favourite. Arcades, restaurants, stalls and street performers all lend atmosphere to this historic playground. People come here to fish, learn acrobatics at the trapeze school or hire a bike to explore the area and stretch the limbs.One of Santa Monica’s most enduring attractions is the picturesque wooden carousel with its bevy of beautiful hand-carved horses. The vintage ride was made famous in the Robert Redford and Paul Newman film The Sting, and is housed in its own purpose-built premises, the Looff Hippodrome, the centrepiece of the adjoining Newcomb Pier. Dating from 1916, the carousel was restored in the late 1970s and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.Below the piers at beach level is an aquarium which is popular with families. Youngsters can interact with sea creatures in the touch tanks and learn more about life under the waves at marine biology classes. For peaceful views and a tranquil escape from the frenetic activities, head up to the second level of the hippodrome, which is often overlooked by visitors, and find a quiet spot to contemplate the ocean that lies at the end of America’s most iconic highway.Santa Monica is around 29 kilometres west of central Los Angeles, to the north of Venice Beach.