Santa Monica is one of the more diverse and interesting of the so-called "beach cities" that rim the western terminus of Los Angeles County. For great surfing conditions, you'd look north to some of the Malibu coves or south toward Hermosa Beach. But if you want an immaculate strand of beach, dramatic palisades, oceanfront parks, a variety of dining options, a world-class farmers' market, shopping, celebrity spottings, and living conditions with high-approval ratings from locals and tourists alike, this 8.3-square-mile city to the west of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills is it. Thrown in as a bonus is the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on Main Street, home to book fairs, rock concerts, antique shows, theater, and a variety of jazz and classical music events.

Two blocks south of Santa Monica Boulevard, at the corner of Ocean and Colorado, is the famed Santa Monica Pier, with amusements and restaurants. Yes, the fabled South Coast Shopping Center is farther south, but Santa Monica is not exactly a poor relative. Take, for instance, the Montana Avenue shopping area, starting at 13th Street. More than 150 small stores and boutiques line this well-manicured east-west traffic artery with ample parking. Montana has enough coffee and nosh bars to make browsing more than comfortable. The Main Street shopping area, running from Pico Boulevard south toward Marine, provides a funkier, more eclectic approach to shopping. And don't forget the Big Daddy, perhaps the most famous of the Santa Monica shopping areas, the Third Street Promenade. Known as the "3-Prom" by locals, this cornucopia is a nearly 24/7 experience of theaters, boutiques, restaurants, curbside vendors, and street performers. The exciting venue runs adjacent to Third Street from Wilshire south to Broadway. The Third Street Promenade is often the first place locals bring out-of-towners.

To introduce yourself to the pulse and variety of Santa Monica, approach it for the first time on Wilshire Boulevard. Head west until you appear to dead-end at Ocean Avenue and then move down the California Incline, which puts you on the Pacific Coast Highway (the PCH, to locals). Make a 180-degree turn when you get tired of looking at the beach and head south toward the pier. Return to town through the McClure Tunnel, which will send you careening onto the Santa Monica (I-10) freeway.