If you come to Los Angeles, you will probably end up at the Santa Monica Pier where you will find an old school carnival with games and rides right on the beach.
Of course, because it is such a tourist destination, it is also quite crowded!
Word to the wise - GO EARLY!!!! Take advantage of the fact that nobody around here gets up early to do anything, because by about 1-2pm you will find it hard to maneuver about.
Honestly, this advice works for everything in Los Angeles. Early is ALWAYS better!
Besides the usual carnival games, there are lots of rides for kids, a small roller coaster and the iconic Ferris wheel. Ticket prices were $10 each for the Ferris Wheel and the roller coaster, most everything else was $8 or you could get an unlimited ride pass for $35.
There is also a beautiful old carousel with an old fashioned ice cream parlor inside. If you haven’t’ tried an old fashioned soda, you really must! We opted for sundaes this time and we were not disappointed at all! Who knew potato chips were good on ice cream? (They really are!)
Beyond the pier, you will find blocks of shopping and some of the best restaurants in L.A. We didn’t wander up there this time, but next time I’m in the area I’ll try to do a shopping tour ;)
We originally went down to the pier to check out the Stranger Things 3 carnival being put on by Netflix. They turned the upper parking deck of the boardwalk into the Hawkins Fun Fair.
They had games, dunk tanks, glamour shots, the Hawkins police were there, you could sign up for extracurricular activities at Hawkins High, grab some ice cream from Ships Ahoy and listen to the 80’s bands play on the center stage. There was also a large walk through experience and a place where you could get a screen printed bag (we didn’t do those things, the lines were insane (2+ hours for the walk through), and I honestly didn’t need another canvas bag) Anyway - it was fun and we were glad to get to go see it.
That’s the end of the line for me - and Route 66 for that matter.
Have a fantastic week!
Sharon