Finding our Cali Cool in Santa Monica Pier & Venice Beach

After a pleasant sleep we got up early and headed to Santa Monica Pier which is situated on the outskirts of LA. It has featured in many Hollywood movies such a BIG, Forest Gump and Titanic.

We got there very early in the morning so it was a bit chilly; the sun was still trying to fight through the clouds. We watched as the iconic 1920s carousel was brought to life, spinning around, waiting for the first customers to jump on board. Walking down the pier we watched as fishermen prepared their bait and seagulls fought amongst themselves. 

On the beach we saw morning joggers going at it in the sand while people gathered in a circle doing group cardio. Like any seaside destinations, there were game machines, arcades and scary fairground rides that I can never quite trust. The smell of greasy fried food lingered in the area as food stalls popped up selling hot dogs and candy floss. 

Leaving the pier we strolled along the beach, passing the outside gym area where people were working out. Cyclist whizzed passed, dodging the roller bladders and runners. After a 15 minute walk we reached Venice Beach. Venice Beach is nothing short of cool, there you will find your tourist tat shops, quirky strange boutiques and vintage shops selling unique retro clothing. 

Skaters, artist and the homeless all gather around the open spaces. We took our time and watched the impressive skateboarders showing off their moves at the skate park. Underneath the palm trees a wall had been installed allowing artist to get creative with graffiti. We even passed a guy on the floor with a type writer selling a dollar a poem. I wish we had more time here because it was a very interesting place and I would have liked to explore it further but time was against us.

Unwillingly, we left to carry on our journey. We found our nearest Walmart and stocked up on camping supplies. We decided this was the smartest way to sleep for cheap during our road trip. We purchased a 2 man tent for $20.00 and 2 big thick sleeping bags for $15 each. On top of that we bought food that would last like tinned fruit etc. 

After a quick drive around downtown LA, we the hit road. Our plan was head all the way up to San Francisco. On the way we stopped off at Santa Barbara and enjoyed a couple of hours on the beach. We then found a camping site just outside Santa Barbara called Lake Cachuma where we spent our first night camping. Read more about this on our next blog. For now here are some pictures: