The Santa Monica Pier

One of my favorite places to take visitors in Santa Monica is to the Pier. Located at the end of Colorado Boulevard, a historic blue sign that reads “Santa Monica Yacht Harbor” arches over its entrance. While there is no longer a yacht harbor at______________ Pier, there is plenty to do. __________________ the east side of the pier is another piece of history, a carousel, built _________________1922, where you can still ride on wooden horses while calliope music _________________________. There is __________________ amusement park at the west end. The rides _____________________ pretty slow, but the view is __________________________ from both the Ferris wheel and the roller coaster: you can ________________________see all the way ____________________ Catalina. Near the rides you’ll find bumper-cars ___________________ an arcade. There’s even a trapeze school, but you have _______________book ahead if ______________________want to take a class.  If you walk to the far end of the ________________________, you’ll see another spectacular view, and you might even ___________________________ a seal or a pod of dolphins swimming by. If you want to go fishing, you can rent a _______________________  pole at the Bait and Tackle Shop or you can _________________________your own. There______________ plenty of places to eat at the pier, and Rusty’s Surf Ranch has live music. You’ll often find street performers and musicians playing at the pier too. Under the pier, below the carousel, is the aquarium, with open tanks where you can _______________________ and touch the marine life that lives in Santa Monica Bay. A little south __________________ the pier, also at beach level, you can play a game of chess or volleyball, or swing on the swings or on the rings. If you want to feel the sand between your toes, you can always ___________________________ a walk down to the ocean. There___________________________ also bicycle, skate and surfboard rentals; the bike path runs under the Pier and goes from Pacific Palisades in the north ______________________________ Redondo Beach in the south. In the late spring and through the _______________________, there are free concerts at the Pier on Thursday nights.  The Pier itself is always open, ________________________the concession stands, restaurants and attractions are only open ___________________________ certain hours. You can find all the details ___________________________________ SantaMonicaPier.org.