And Santa Monica Boulevard...

Who knew that the Santa Monica Pier was the end of Route 66?  Hanging my head that I learned this on my visit this past May, and didn't already know it.  I love the whole idea of Route 66 and would one day love to travel the whole highway.  It's just one more example of why it is so important to explore and learn all you can about the world.

It was fun seeing in person all the places made famous in song and lore. Venice Beach was close enough to walk to as well.  It was fascinating watching the guys swinging on the rings, turn after turn after turn.  There were some real naturals, and others whose legs were so long I'm still not sure how they managed to not scrape their shins on the sand each time.

But the pier...

Singers, dancers, Buddhist monks, rock bands, sellers of art and memorabilia were everywhere. This carried down to the beach area as well, where multiple statement displays were set up during the day, and broken down as fast as the sun set.  Self expression is in abundance here.

The exhibit that struck me the most was the crosses reflecting the number of military suicides in our lives right now.  My family's sphere has been touched by this issue within the last year, so it touched my heart.  As a photographer, this somber reminder with the beach goers lined up by the shore struck me as an interesting contrast.

Under the pier was blessedly cool during the warm day.  It was used by the vendors almost on a parade like frequency as they moved from one side of the pier to the other.  Kids raced each other.  Selfies happened in the surf.  Families cooled off during the heat of the day.  And the sand almost claimed my phone as I picked up to move to a different spot.  Glad it doesn't feel right to be on the move in an unfamiliar setting without the map in my hand the whole time.

The sounds are another charm in this area.  The seals (or sea lions?) have no shame when it comes to begging for a treat.  It was frustrating though realizing that the most vocal one had fishing line around its neck and there was little I could do to help.  It brought an awareness of another global issue in need of continuing attention and an increased awareness of the level of self responsibility needed for each of us.

When stopping for lunch, I enjoyed looking at the old photographs of the pier.  I set the challenge to try to replicate at least one.  The indoors carousel is where I decided to try.  It felt a bit stalkerish as I moved slowly around the barrier, looking for the right angle.  I shot wide, tall, tight, slow and fast.  The image that made me happy was tall and shot just slow enough to get a bit of blur, to give a sense of motion of the carousel.

I could have sat and watched the monks collecting emails and handing out prayer beads for hours.  Never quite got the angle I was looking for as I'm not brazen enough yet in my street photography to just get up in someone's face to get the shot.  Maybe one day.

Unfortunately, as fast as the sun went down, I had to start calling it a day.  My flight home to Phoenix was calling.  As it was a non-refundable fair, it was important I not miss it!  Traveling cheaply has its challenges.

For now, enjoy the few images I've managed to edit between my workday duties.  Keep an eye for more to be added to the gallery.  There are sunsets and seagulls yet to come.