Dawn and I took a short vacation trip over the New Year’s weekend to West Los Angeles. This may sound strange considering that we live in Orange County, only about an hour’s drive from our vacation destination. But this has become an enjoyable tradition for us during the last several years. Not having to drive a long distance has its advantages and it is difficult to beat the Southern California weather. Perhaps if we were avid skiers we would feel differently.
What do we do? Mainly we catch up on end-of-the-year movies that are expected to contend for an Academy Award, many of which haven’t yet made it to the hinterlands of OC. We read, relax, check out the post-Christmas shopping sales, and eat. Then we go home.
One of the attractions of Santa Monica Pier is the Ferris wheel. This shot brought out the spectacular colors of the wheel against the brilliant blue sky, framed by the roller coaster.
This year I decided I wanted to go on a photo shoot one morning. After considering several possible destinations, I decided on Santa Monica Pier. It was a perfect day to go to the ocean — warm and sunny, the sort of day that cause out-of-towners to consider moving to Southern California.