4 Top Things To Do In Santa Monica!

Oftentimes one of the first – and last- cities that tourists see when visiting California and the Greater LA Area is the City of Santa Monica. Here you’ll find more tourists than anywhere else in the state, oftentimes transported by our LA limo or party bus services. This is also where we find several of the most iconic California landmarks and the greatest shopping opportunities. Lying between two of California’s wealthiest areas, Pacific Palisades (and Malibu) and Venice, Santa Monica is known as an affluent hometown and thriving resort city. We have many tourists using an LAX airport sedan from the LAX airport in order to get to their hotel in Santa Monica. It is home to one of the oldest piers in the country, the Santa Monica Pier which was built in 1909, and also home to the busiest beach in SoCal, Santa Monica Beach. Stretching from the pier at the beach is one of the busiest shopping areas in the region, the Third Street Promenade, while many heads to Santa Monica Place, an outdoor shopping mall with enough shopping opportunities to spend a full day. Renting a Los Angeles limousine for some premier shopping is always a choice.

With its gorgeous Mediterranean coast and lively town, Santa Monica has truly become the tourist mecca of the Greater LA Area. Because of all the clients that we transport here on a daily basis, we’ve decided to dedicate an article to the most visited Santa Monica tourist destinations, attractions, landmarks, eateries, and more. Founded in 1875, Santa Monica was and remains a gorgeous beachside community of the Greater LA region. With its many pubs and bars, nightclubs, and late-night diners, Santa Monica has also always been a popular destination for clients booking a party bus to go partying and spend a night on the town experiencing the great nightlife. Let us present to you Santa Monica – one of the most popular LA limo destinations in Southern California!

Great Beaching

Famously depicted in TV shows such as Baywatch and Pacific Blue, Santa Monica may be the most famous as well as the most visited beach in the State of California. This 3.5 miles of sandy beach has emerged as a favorite beachside escape for locals ever since the 1890s. In other words, way before the time of our 20-year-old Los Angeles limousine service. Here you can enjoy all the average beach activities like ocean swimming, surfing, sunbathing, biking, volleyball, softball, and various other exciting activities. From the rides at the Pacific Park, and observing sea life at the Pier Aquarium to the short walking distance from exciting places such as the Third Street Promenade and Venice Boardwalk. A common choice for several LA limo riders has been to rent a bike at Santa Monica Beach, before biking down to the Venice Boardwalk for lunch or a cold beer along the oceanside. The beach is famous for all the movie- and TV productions that found a place here, having for instance been featured in movies such as Forrest Gump, Rocky III, Titanic, A Night at the Roxbury, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Not Another Teen Movie, and various others. The beach has been featured in numerous TV productions, including in TV shows such as 24, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Castle, Chuck, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, and for the TV shows Baywatch and Pacific Blue. In fact, the producers of the TV hit Keeping Up with the Kardashians booked a Los Angeles limousine from us for several of their shoots at the beach here. We have also had party bus rentals used in filming here.

The 3.5-mile beach is known for two LA landmarks, Muscle Beach and the Santa Monica Pier, as well as various resorts, surfboard, and bike rentals, and also its many designated picnic areas and nearby eateries and cafes for lunch and cool refreshments during a warm day at the beach. It is also home to the world’s longest bike beach bath, the 25-mile South Bay Bicycle Trail leading from Santa Monica Beach either north towards Pacific Palisades and Malibu, or south towards adjacent Venice Beach. Many of our clients love sipping great wines by the Pacific Ocean a little way up north, on our Malibu wine tours, you can experience everything from tastings overlooking the ocean to tastings surrounded by gorgeous wine country and canyons. Just a few miles from LA. If you decide to bike southwards, the Venice Boardwalk and the Venice Canals are definitely two places worth checking out in Venice. Whether for Venice or Santa Monica, accompanying your adventure with an LA limo ride will make your day luxurious and unique.

A Shopper’s Mecca

Third Street Promenade, stretching inland from the pier, is one of the most popular shopping areas in town. This is also one of LA’s most popular destinations for those ordering a Los Angeles limousine. Furthermore, the promenade is adjacent to the Santa Monica Mall outdoor shopping mall, one of the most popular shopping malls in the Greater LA Area. Third Street Promenade offers some of the greatest shopping opportunities in SoCal, and even better, just a quarter of a mile from the world-famous beach. With longer layovers at the airports, it’s not rarely we get calls from clients wanting an LAX airport sedan in order to quickly visit the city, and do some shopping, before heading back in a timely matter to make the next flight at LAX. And if you’re in the SoCal area for shopping, making a trip to the 3rd Street Promenade and its beautiful outdoor mall is a great way of easily experiencing the city’s shopping possibilities. While you are probably better off looking for souvenirs at the pier or boardwalk, the pedestrian-only promenade is packed with all kinds of shops and boutiques. Here you can find pretty much any or all major retail stores, as well as numerous bars, theaters, and eateries. A favorite for many clients includes cruising down to the promenade with friends in a party bus, before exploring the walking-friendly shopping street and mall by foot. We’ve even had international tourists flying into LAX airport and calling us for an LAX airport sedan straight to Santa Monica Place from LAX.

After a long day of shopping in LA County, many go on Malibu wine tours to get away from the hassle and noise of town after spending a day or two shopping. Not only is Malibu as well a great resort- and shopping destination but is also one of few places in Southern California where you can enjoy a break sipping wine between all the shopping. The world-famous Santa Monica Place shopping mall reopened bigger and better than ever before in 2010 and is located at the southern end of the Third Street Promenade. This three-story outdoor mall includes all kinds of shops in addition to a great rooftop café overlooking the ocean. The mall is just a quarter mile from Santa Monica State Beach and is home to an array of various retail stores. Some of the shops found here include Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Burberry, Disney, Emporio Armani, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Pandora, Swarovski, and many, many more. Food-wise, some of the eateries at Santa Monica Place include Hot Dog on a Stick, Charlie Burgers, Johnny Rockets, the Cheesecake Factory, and others. Why not jump in an LA limo and go for some world-class shopping?

Historic Pier & Amusement Park

Already becoming a resort city in the 1880s, Santa Monica has been a favored tourist destination for centuries. By 1885, the construction of the city’s first hotel had begun: Arcadia Hotel directly on the sand and facing the Pacific. Later on, the Long Wharf was erected in 1893, and to more than 5,000 spectators, the Santa Monica Pier was officially opened in September 1909. In other words, already way before our LAX and LA limo services. With its already lively carnival atmosphere, great Mediterranean climate, and beautiful beaches, it didn’t take long for Santa Monica to become a beloved tourist destination for many on the East Coast, Canadians as well as Europeans. Having entertained kids and Los Angeles limousine riders for over a hundred years, today’s Santa Monica Pier isn’t only home to the famous full-service amusement park with arcades, a rollercoaster, carousels, and Ferris wheel, but the pier also houses its own aquarium, various restaurants, and eaters, as well as much more. Also preserved as a U.S. historic landmark, Santa Monica’s Pier is a must for anyone visiting the Southern California region. The Pacific Park pier amusement park opened in 1996 and has had more than 24 million visits since its opening. It includes twelve rides including rides for kids, teens, as well as adults. The pier, which also is the oldest pier on the American West Coast, also houses the popular Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. Situated immediately underneath the pier, the aquarium has over 70,000 annual visitors. Here you can experience underwater exhibits featuring all types of sea life endemic to Santa Monica Bay. Another favorite by a lot of LA limo customers is the Bubba Gump Restaurant, owned by the producers of the film Forrest Gump and featured in the movie. Many tourists book their limousines or party bus for a visit to this famous restaurant where they can relive their favorite parts of this classic movie.

Incredible Arts

Santa Monica is an art-lovers paradise. From the various musical performances held here to some of the most beloved museums in the state, you’ll find it all here. Some of the most beloved museums by people booking an LA limo from us include the Museum of Flying, the Museum of Art, Angels Attic, and Bergamot Station. The Santa Monica Museum of Flying (MOF) is home to fifteen aircraft and is entirely dedicated to the history of Southern California aviation. Its exhibitions include numerous artifacts, aircraft art, 15 actual aircraft, and aircraft parts, as well as educational programs where you can learn about the history of flying and aviation. Some of the aircraft displayed include the North American T-6 Texan, an airplane first used in 1935, as well as the 1930’s Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing, 1920’s Stearman Aircraft, 1940s Cessna O-1 Bird Dog, 1940s Ryan PT-22 Recruit, and the historic 1903 Wright Flyer. Vintage aircraft, airplanes used in war, and the history of the Santa Monica Airport are all areas of focus at the Museum of Flying. Although we don’t nearly serve the Santa Monica Airport as much as LAX, you can still order an airport limo or airport sedan to come to check out the historic airport. Any destination becomes better when traveling by Los Angeles limousine services.

Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMOA) is located at the Bergamot Station, an area home to over twenty art galleries, and focuses mostly on modern art. The Museum of Art is located in a former trolley stop and is often served by locals visiting, as well as international and national artists booking an LAX airport sedan or limo to head here for special events and art openings. Santa Monica’s Angels Attic Museum is one of few museums entirely dedicated to dolls, dollhouses, and other toys. Furthermore, the Arts Commission and the Cultural Affairs Division of the city sponsor the yearly Santa Monica Festival, which includes cultural music, dance, arts, and much more. Last year we had a Los Angeles party bus with 20+ people heading to the festival.

Cinematic tours

Particularly popular in recent years have been cinematic limo tours of Santa Monica. On these tours, you can rent a Los Angeles limousine and travel to your favorite filming locations in town. Hundreds of picture motion productions have taken place in Santa Monica, and there are a lot of opportunities to see some really cool film locales. The film industry is particularly old in Santa Monica and had already begun by 1910. And from Star Wars, and Forrest Gump to Terminator — there are many film locations visited by LA limo services throughout Santa Monica. While Santa Monica Place appears in a Terminator vs Terminator sequence in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), ice-skating scenes in Rocky (1976) happened at Ice Capades Chalet. The Camden home in the hit television series 7th Heaven can be seen at 527 Alta Ave, while Palisades Park on Ocean Drive Ave appears in The Karate Kid Part III (1989). There’s a gas station on Ocean and Santa Monica Boulevards featured in National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983). The TV series Pacific Blue (1996-2000) is both set and filmed in the Santa Monica and Venice beach area. Ordering a party bus or Los Angeles limousine to visit film locales from Pacific Blue is a popular activity. While smaller groups easily can be accommodated in a limo, larger groups can always reserve a party bus or a larger Hummer limousine.

Santa Monica State Beach is featured in Lethal Weapon (1987) and an array of other movies and television series. You can also see Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) run here in the 1982 film Rocky III. A vehicle is found parked on the beach in the 1994 comedy Beverly Hills Cop III, starring Eddie Murphy. The carousels featured in movies such as They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969) and The Sting (1973) were both filmed here. Some of the old classics filmed here include Red Hair (1928), A Lady’s Tailor (1919) and They Were on Their Honeymoon (1915). All these feature the beach and pier. While the pier functions as Chicago in The Sting (1973), it dubs for New York’s Coney Island in the 1968 comedy Funny Girl. It is dubbed for Dallas, Texas in Dead Before Dawn (1993). Annenberg Community Beach House is featured as the Beverly Hills Beach Club in the television series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000). Located at 415 PCH, Annenberg Beach House is a popular destination for LA limo services for a variety of reasons. Although it’s not close to as popular as LAX for airport sedan rides, a number of movies have been filmed at Santa Monica Airport, including The Big Lebowski (1998) and Red Rock West (1993) starring Nicolas Cage. Despite LAX airport sedan services being more common, we still have airport limo rides from Santa Monica Airport. Whether for a limo ride to this airport, LAX, or any other Southern California destination, contact us for a Los Angeles limousine experience to remember.

Santa Monica’s Huntley Hotel is operated by a criminal organization in Point Blank (1967), while Reinhold drives off the pier in Ruthless People (1986). The Huntley Hotel is also a popular place for accommodation, and many tourists order their LAX airport sedan from LAX to this hotel for their hotel stay in LA. While Natalie Wood’s mom tells fortunes at the pier in Inside Daisy Clover (1964), you can see Barbra Streisand dance on the pier in Funny Girl (1968). Santa Monica with its pier and beach is also featured in the opening of Hot Moves (1984), and an attempt to kill Sandra Bullock happens here in the 1995 film The Net. Despite what many tourists riding with our Los Angeles limousine service believe, most scenes of Baywatch (1989–2001) were filmed at Will Rogers State Beach in Malibu, and not in Santa Monica. Nonetheless, you can easily book a Los Angeles limousine in order to visit the many Baywatch film locales throughout Malibu and LA County. Visiting sites from their favorite movies by LA limo services is more popular than ever. Why not head out on your own cinematic limo tour?

See also Best Oceanview Dining in Los Angeles!

Why venture out on Malibu wine tours when you can do the wine-tasting right here in town? Getting a Los Angeles limousine and visiting the wine-tasting rooms here can be a lot of fun, make sure to make a stop at Wine Expo and Bodega Wine Bar. You can also taste Malibu-produced wines at Malibu Grapes on Broadway, even though Malibu wine tours often include more scenic wine country views and atmosphere. For whatever destination in Los Angeles or Southern California, renting an LA limo or party bus will make your outing memorable!

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