One of the benefits of owning a Subaru – Santa Monica Pier and Palisades Park

February 4, 2016 by RMW 15 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I took my beloved Cinnamon Girl (otherwise known as a 2002 Subaru Outback) to the dealer for servicing. I always look forward to this as the dealer is located a mere twelve blocks from Ocean Avenue on Santa Monica Boulevard. Then it’s just a short walk south to the Santa Monica Pier.

At this point from Palisades Park (that stretches along Ocean Avenue) you can see the pier in the distance.

Here you can see the erosion over the years of the cliffs overlooking Pacific Coast Highway.

These two photos look on to the park and Ocean Avenue.

The bridge between the two palm trunks is the one I’ll be walking over to get to the beach and pier.

There a lot of steps going down before getting to the actual bridge. My ankles, knees and hips give me trouble walking down stairs… although I can run going up the stairs! Several of my friends can fly down the stairs but have trouble going up.

But considering the friends my age I lost last year I am grateful to be alive and kicking…. especially on such a gorgeous January day!

Looking back from whence I came…

It was pretty clear and I could see all the way out to Point Dume at the end of the Santa Monica Mountain range.

 

This mural is at the stairs going from the beach up to the pier. There is a small aquarium and sea life exhibit which is Heal the Bay’s public marine-education center. I need to pay a visit but it has odd hours and I never seem to be there at the right time. I must schedule a visit soon.

I was there about 9:45am, too early for the tourist crowd. Nice to see so few people around though.

I never get tired of this view. During the summer it isn’t always this clear. Winter is my favorite time in LA.

Route 66 starts in Chicago. I’m happy to live at this end!

Beach, beach, beach and more beach…

This bird is like the gull I photoed on my trip to Catalina Island last year. I wonder if this was the same guy?

I love shadows as much as reflections. Self portraits!

Looking back to downtown Santa Monica.

No swimming? No worries… doesn’t apply to seagulls!

The ocean, the sand, the mountains… it doesn’t get better than this in my book…

Recycling or trash? A difficult decision. Either way I don’t think it’s a good place to look for lunch, fellas!

No, that should read, Please DO feed the birds. Obviously a typographical error!

A great way to pass the day. Certainly better than sitting in an office. I wonder what he’ll have for dinner tonight?

A nautical theme of decoration on the restaurant at the end of the pier.

I am in love with piers. I grew up with piers in England. There is something thrilling about walking out on them and being far out in the ocean. I live within a half hour bus ride of this pier and could not imagine ever living further inland.

I am not a birder. But in all my many years of looking out into the Santa Monica bay I have never ever seen a bird like this in the water. Did it get washed in from some foreign shore in a storm? At least he seemed to be enjoying himself and not concerned at all about being on the shores of Los Angeles.

At this point I received a phone call from my service manager to tell me the bushings needed to be replaced and it would be three o’clock before I could pick up Cinnamon Girl.

Oh, what a tragedy! What could I possibly do for the next four hours on this beautiful day at the beach? Let me think…

All photos and content copyright roslyn m wilkins unless otherwise noted. No commercial usage without express permission. Please feel free to pass along this post via email or social media, but if you wish to use some of our images or text outside of the context of this blog, either give full credit to myself and link to One Good Life in Los Angeles, or contact us for proper usage. Thanks!