Time in Santa Monica

We are still enjoying exploring different places in our area. One place that we've talked about visiting for the past year is the Museum of Tolerance. Last Friday I was able to leave work a bit early, so we could avoid the worst of the freeway traffic, and we headed for downtown LA. We were not allowed to take any pictures inside the museum, so you will have to check it out for yourself at http://www.museumoftolerance.com/

It was a fascinating place to visit and we were actually able to see all three of the displays that were offered. The main event, of course, was about the Holocaust. But the display that we found most interesting was the one about the Chinese and Jews. We were not aware that China has several areas where large groups of Jewish refugees, from both Russia and Europe, have settled. The history was fascinating!

When the museum closed at 5PM, we still had alot of evening ahead of us. Since we were close to Santa Monica, we decided to head for the beach and see what we could find...

The view of the ocean as we approached was spectacular!
It was quite windy and there were several people that were surfing.
We walked along the beach and headed for the famous Pier.
We walked under the pier (it reminded us of all those movie scenes where some villain chase ends up, and they have to dodge the bullets as they hide behind the pillars...)
Up above, we watched as the kids enjoyed the entertainment rides.
The view along the coast was so beautiful.
Here we are--all wind-blown!
Just before we headed back to our car, a band started giving a mini-concert on the beach just below the pier. They were actually pretty good!
And of course, there was also a beautiful old carousel that we had to stop and admire!
On the walk back to the parking lot, we passed this strange-looking growth on this palm tree! It reminded us of some sort of alien wearing a wig!We arrived at our car just as the sun was setting. There we were treated not only to a beautiful sunset, but we also got to watch a couple of young guys on roller blades "wind surfing" with their kites. It was a lovely outing and we were blessed once again by all the beauty around us, and the freedoms that we enjoy in this great land that we live in.