Santa Monica

Perhaps it’s appropriate that Route 66, America’s most romanticized byway, formerly ended at this gorgeous cliffside park perched dramatically on the edge of the continent. Stretching 1.5 miles north from the pier, this palm-dotted greenway sees a mix of resident homeless people, joggers and tourists taking in the ocean and pier views. Sunsets are priceless.

Once the very end of the legendary Route 66 and still the object of a tourist love affair, this much-photographed pier dates back to 1908 and is the city’s most compelling landmark. It's dominated by Pacific Park amusement park with arcades, carnival games, a Ferris wheel and roller coaster. Nearby is a vintage carousel and an aquarium. The pier is most photogenic when framed by California sunsets and when it comes alive with free concerts and outdoor movies in the summertime.

Stretching for three long blocks sprawled between Broadway and Wilshire Blvd, 'the Promenade' is a case study in how to morph a dilapidated, dying main street into a dynamic and happening strip. It offers carefree and car-free strolling accompanied by the sound of flamenco guitar or hip-hop acrobatics courtesy of street performers.

You haven’t really experienced Santa Monica until you’ve explored one of its outdoor farmers markets stocked with organic fruits, vegetables, flowers, baked goods and freshly shucked oysters. The mack daddy is the Wednesday market, around the intersection of 3rd and Arizona – it's the biggest and arguably the best for fresh produce, and is often patrolled by local chefs.

The South Bay Bicycle Trail parallels the sand for most of the 22 miles between Will Rogers State Beach on the north end of Santa Monica and Torrance County Beach in the south.

Ever since it opened in 2015, open, airy Cassia has made about every local and national 'best' list of LA restaurants. Chef Bryant Ng draws on his Chinese-Singaporean heritage in dishes such as kaya toast (with coconut jam, butter and a slow-cooked egg), 'sunbathing' prawns, and the encompassing Vietnamese pot-au-feu: short-rib stew, veggies, bone marrow and delectable accompaniments.

This beloved local institution brings Santa Monicans of all stripes to rock out by the thousands on the pier and on the sand below, gigging local to world-famous names. Recently: Mavis Staples, Save Ferris and the Psychedelic Furs.