Out and About in Santa Monica

By Melanie

One of my favorite cities is Santa Monica and I'm lucky because my sister just happens to live there. It has the perfect blend of a So Cal beach town mixed with the hustle and bustle of a big city. Best of both worlds. A few weeks ago, I drove up to visit from the OC.

We spent the morning relaxing on my sister's patio, catching up and drinking delicious lattes from the restaurant La Grande Orange.

The restaurant offers sit down dining as well as a take out area. It's cute inside and I love the design of the coffee to go cups. Great simple design and eco-friendly.

After our coffee fix we headed out to practice yoga and visit the farmer's market.

Later that day we went to lunch on Main Street. I just love the murals. South of the pier is really artsy. The street is lined with independent restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques. It's a great street for a leisurely walk.

After lunch we hopped on our beach cruisers and went shopping at the new Santa Monica Place.

This is a great mall. It's outdoor with a lot of shopping options.

Of course being near the beach, we had to check out the sunset.

Just gorgeous.

At night we went to see the movie The Romantics. It didn't get that great of reviews but we liked it. This movie theater was pretty cool. It had couches instead of chairs!

What's one of your favorite cities?