Park at one of the city’s municipal lots or at Santa Monica Place, and make your way west to the edge of Colorado Avenue, where a stroll down the bridge to the landmark Santa Monica Pier will afford fantastic views of Santa Monica Bay. At the foot of the pier, which first opened in 1909, is its historic carousel.

Near the center of the pier, Pacific Park, which is open every day, offers more than 30 rides, games and attractions, including a nine-story-tall solar-powered Ferris wheel and a five-story-tall roller coaster.

For kids, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, which is open afternoons and serves as an education center for Heal the Bay, offers interactive opportunities to learn about more than 100 species of marine animals and plants.

Just south of the Santa Monica Pier, begin your stroll down Ocean Front Walk or ride a bike via one of the rental establishments located near the coastal path. At the Venice border, the world famous Ocean Front Walk (aka "the boardwalk") greets you with an eclectic collection of outdoor vendors, shops, restaurants, locals and eccentrics such as the legendary roller-skating, turban-wearing guitarist Harry Perry.

About two scenic miles later you'll arrive at the Venice Beach Recreation Center and world-famous Muscle Beach, where fitness buffs continue to strut their stuff on the rings, bars and other exercise equipment. The popular Venice Skate Park is nearby. Also check out the basketball courts where “White Men Can’t Jump” was filmed.

At Windward Avenue, just east of the boardwalk, the historic Colonnade is an architectural reminder of the community’s early-20th Century Italian inspiration.

From Windward and Pacific, go south on Pacific about a quarter mile to the historic Venice Canals. Bordered roughly by Pacific Avenue to the west, Venice Boulevard to the north, Ocean Avenue to the east and 28th Avenue to the south, the man-made canals, which were dug up in 1905, can be explored via bike or on foot.

A few blocks from the northeast corner of the canals is Abbot Kinney Boulevard, recently dubbed the "Coolest Block in America" by GQ Magazine. Named for Venice founder Abbot Kinney, the mile-long stretch offers dozens of boutiques, cafes and other stores from Venice Boulevard on the south to Main Street on the north. Top restaurants along Abbot Kinney include longtime favorite Joe’s and the acclaimed Tasting Kitchen.

The north end of Abbot Kinney Boulevard connects with Main Street, which offers Santa Monica its own take on the urban-beach vibe. Main Street features shops, restaurants and a lively Sunday Farmers Market that even has pony rides for the kids.

Take Main Street north about half a mile, past Santa Monica City Hall, to its terminus at Santa Monica Place, which was redesigned from an indoor mall to a stunning outdoor retail-lifestyle center that reopened in 2010.