![Quintessential California](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3530/3978705459_48ed490019.jpg)
I hadn’t planned on visiting Santa Monica, but I’m very glad I did. It was so beautiful.
![palm trees](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2460/3978710973_4120a07ecb.jpg)
From Hollywood, I got on the 101 going north with the intention of taking Barham Boulevard to get a closer peek at the Hollywood sign or maybe visit Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
![palm trees along the pacific](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/3978713615_c703a17faa.jpg)
I blew past that exit pretty quick—oops. So I got on the next exit with the intention of turning around onto southbound 101 and finding Barham Boulevard that way.
![looking north](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/3979480084_5d055bfe50.jpg)
No luck: I got lost driving around Universal Studios.
![pacific ocean](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/3979483490_9f185345ab.jpg)
I’m not sure what happened after that… I think I somehow got into the neighborhood north of 134, then ended up taking that to 101 again, which I thought would take me southbound.
![more palm trees](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2610/3979485328_7447416180.jpg)
Boy, was I wrong.
![chopped down palm tree](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2640/3978724945_e044147cf7.jpg)
Somehow 134 had magically turned into westbound 101. This freeway business is insane in Los Angeles.
![curved palm trees](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3979489088_cfc03ec62c.jpg)
So there’s me: driving on these crazy interstates with crazy Californians in my car from Massachusetts and my maps from Hertz. I managed to navigate myself onto southbound 405 without incident. I decided then, since I had come all the way over here, I might as well go see the ocean.
![birds of paradise](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2647/3979490482_1d67233e4d.jpg)
I hopped onto highway 2 and cruised towards the Pacific.
![bridge to the beach](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/3978729735_1fef50c9b7.jpg)
Getting back to downtown Los Angeles was pretty straightforward, but took a while since everyone else was going there, too. Oh, well. The beach was well worth the trouble!
![this bridge is old - 1935](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/3979494144_91df28aaa4.jpg)
I found a meter to park at but only had enough quarters for an hour, so I started walking with a purpose towards the pier. I didn’t think I would make it all that way, but I had a half hour to try to get there (and a half hour to get back before getting a parking ticket).
![over the pacific coast highway](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2611/3978734101_72816a85bc.jpg)
During my walk, I found this bridge that went down the hill, over the Pacific Coast Highway, and led me right to the beach. Of course I had to go down (I was well aware that I would have to go back up, too).
![on the other side](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2462/3978739455_4e581ea884.jpg)
![on santa monica's beach](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/3978741859_00799ac80b.jpg)
Dang, it was just so perfect. These photos make me happy.
![seagull tracks in the sand](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/3978745065_e557b59d7f.jpg)
I thought the seagulls’ tracks in the sand were pretty funny.
![pacific ocean](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2423/3979515398_57a9f1e48e.jpg)
![tides of the pacific ocean](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/3978754749_b3acd3313e.jpg)
I stood in the tide for a few minutes, before I had the same feeling when I stood in the Atlantic: where’s the bathroom? Bad planning—I had to walk all the way back across the beach (which basically meant I would be leaving).
![people on the beach in santa monica](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3487/3978757613_4327ec64e2.jpg)
But I knew I’d be visiting another beach the next day, so I was sort of okay about leaving so quickly. I guess I had to get back to my car before the meter police showed up, too.
![my shadow on the beach in santa monica](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/3978758863_1058e7c068.jpg)
But it was hard to go since it was pretty perfect out there.
![beach in santa monica](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3427/3978760109_6c8ebcd2b7.jpg)
![Santa Monica](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/3979522666_be64728b6e.jpg)
I had missed a couple photos above the hill, though. This is Santa Monica.
![Santa Monica](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3978762851_1f9789d5c7.jpg)
![pelicans](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2501/3978761761_8c3ab46c7a.jpg)
These are pelicans, but they looked like pterodactyls.
![waiting for sunset](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2481/3979523592_97f62a5cf9.jpg)
![sunset on the pacific coast highway](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/3979526414_24db882eaf.jpg)
I noticed that the sun was quickly sinking into the ocean, so I found a spot along the rail to watch.
![sun is sinking](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2513/3979527604_65781fbf49.jpg)
It took less than 5 minutes for the sun to completely set.
![sun is setting](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3978766717_660274d026.jpg)
I wish I had been listening better. I was distracted by the fact that everyone else had also stopped to watch the sunset.
![sun is gone](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2548/3978767721_57dc0fd339.jpg)
It was a very lovely afternoon.
![twilight on the pacific ocean](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2538/3978769025_51d46f3478.jpg)
Next up: driving along the Pacific Coast Highway and exploring Laguna Beach.
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