Santa Monica With Kids: An Afternoon on the Pier
During our stay in Santa Monica, we were guests of the Loews Santa Monica. I received no other compensation beyond the room and dessert, and the hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view.
We ended our family trip to Orange County last week with a night in Santa Monica. I haven't visited Santa Monica since I was in College, so it was fun to rediscover the beach and the pier with the kids.
Our hotel, the Loews Santa Monica was right across the street from the beach, making it a great starting point for our adventures. We really packed a lot in to just a few short hours!
Muscle beach, which has both a playground and workout equipment was our first stop. The kids loved watching all the activity, including a dance class and jugglers, and then playing in the sandy playground.
Next we headed up to the old Santa Monica Pier. The pier has been around for 100 years, and if you've been there before, you might enjoy this slideshow showing the way the pier used to look.
Though some venture to the end of the pier to watch the gulls or fish, most people head to the carnival plopped right in the middle. It's sort of like "Coney Island West." Frankly, this isn't my favorite sort of attraction. I hate crowds, and I don't love carnival noise, but the location on the water and the small size makes this more bearable for me than most carnivals, and my kids haven't yet been to a fair.
Our first stop was a stop at the Carousel, originally built in the 1920's. Outside the Carousel was a bubble blower, and the kids ran around gleefully trying to catch and pop as many bubbles as they could.
Next stop, the beautiful old Carousel - this one is surprisingly reasonably priced and the kids rode for free!
The carnival games were what really won the kids hearts - with not many people around we were able to make sure that each kid won a prize. E carried his everywhere for days, and even took it to school for "Show and Share" the following week.
Whew, we finally made it to the end of the pier and sat for a few quiet moments looking at the gulls, the waves, and the people fishing off the end of the pier
After a final run on the playground, the kids were exhausted, and we skipped our planned dinner, opting instead for takeout from Cha Cha Chicken
The tree-filled outdoor patio at this roadside stand would have been a perfect place to dine with the kids. Instead I brought coconut crusted chicken fingers, cornbread, steamed sweet potatoes, and of course an order of "Cha Cha Chicken" back to the hotel room.
We ended the day with one last walk and homemade ice cream around the indoor fire pit at the Loews Hotel's Ocean and Vine restaurant.
And here is the money shot - both kids crashed out together in the same bed at the end of a long day. I almost nodded off myself listening to the lullaby CD that the hotel sent up in the early evening (all families get one, and the room is equipped with a CD player).
Santa Monica With Kids
Orange County, CA With Kids
Los Angeles With Kids
7 comments |
Posted on October 27, 2009 |
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Mara Gorman on October 27, 2009 at 6:27 a.m.
This is a nice post Debbie - made me very nostalgic for the beach there. We used to love to ride our bike on the path from Venice to the SM Pier. I do like the carousel there - and those pictures of the carnival games are adorable!
Sarah V. on October 27, 2009 at 1:44 p.m.
I love carousels, especially the older ones. Looks like you had a very fun and tiring trip!
Debbie on October 27, 2009 at 10:25 p.m.
Thanks :) It was nice to return to someplace I hadn't been in years - and that amusement park took on an entirely new life with the kids in tow.
Becky C. on October 29, 2009 at 8:58 a.m.
Great post, love the last picture. LA can be intimidating even without kids in tow, and you've done a great job of showing off the kid-friendly spots. I think Loews also runs the Hotel Del Coronado, I'd love to find out if they have the lullaby CD there too!
Debbie on October 29, 2009 at 11:12 a.m.
They should. The CD was made by Fisher Price and it is a chain-wide partnership.
Glennia/The Silent I on November 4, 2009 at 9:57 a.m.
I love the picture of the kids sleeping. They look so sweet and peaceful. Wonderful post--thanks for sharing a fun time with us!
Debbie on November 4, 2009 at 10:16 a.m.
@Glennia Thanks! It's been such a long road to get them to the point where they go to sleep peacefully in the same bed that I'm a little bit addicted to taking photos of it!