Tag 35 Santa Monica Pier

Today we left early to pick up Marielle in Santa Monica. In Santa Barbara it was foggy this morning, like in Switzerland on a beautiful autumn day. But after a short drive, the fog gave way to the sun and the temperature rose accordingly. We enjoyed the drive on Highway 1 via Malibu to the south. Unfortunately, the traffic also got heavier and there was already a traffic jam in Malibu. 

Arriving in Santa Monica, we had to look for a parking space first. With these masses of people, not an easy task. The entrance to the parking lot next to the pier branches off from the highway in three lanes. Parking costs a flat rate of $15. 

At the entrance to the pier, we met Marielle and her host family. They had previously tried their hand at trapeze artists on the pier and didn't even make a bad fall.

While Marielle and the host family had to go back to the hotel, we took a closer look at the pier. Many restaurants, stalls and thousands of people make this place a noisy and never-ending hustle and bustle. You could watch the bustling activity for hours. The pier also marks the official end of Route 66. Accordingly, many souvenirs with this emblem are offered for sale.

After some time, Marielle returned. Now it was definitely time to say goodbye to the Prusinski host family. It was a very emotional moment. 

Now we made our way to the beach in Santa Monica. Since it was Sunday, there were also a lot of people here. We were always amazed at the patience of the Americans, waiting in line everywhere. Sometimes for hours...

There were quite big waves and many rocks on the beach. So the children couldn't swim properly. After letting themselves be rolled over by the water for an hour, they had seen enough of the Pacific for today.

We returned to our cottage and after all the salt and sand was removed, we enjoyed our last evening of vacation in Santa Barbara with a delicious Italian dinner. We rounded off the evening with a visit to a frozen yogurt shop. And to stimulate digestion a bit, we took a walk out on the nightly Sterns Wharf.