May 5 - Santa Monica!

Had a later start today and then found our way to 'Uncle Bill's Pancake House' in Manhattan Beach, for brekky.  They are an 'institution' in MB, known as the best pancake house in the district!

Today is also 'Cinco de Mayo' day and all Mexicans are celebrating!

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated in the US and in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla).

It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of thanks to Mexico in fending off would-be French support for the Confederate States of America in the Civil War. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is generally mistaken to be Mexico's Independence Day —the most important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16.

We found ourselves driving through LA to Santa Monica to have a look around.  Parking was easily found and relatively inexpensive.  We walked down to the pier to see what was going on.

The Santa Monica pier is a large double-jointed pier located at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California, and is a prominent, 100-year-old landmark.  The pier contains Pacific Park, a family amusement park with a large Ferris wheel.  It also has a carousel from the 1920s, the Santa Monica pier Aquarium, shops, entertainers, a video arcade, a trapeze school, a pub and restaurants. The end of the pier is a popular location for anglers and has a great Mexican restaurant.

We enjoyed our walk around the pier, noting also the sign which states that the pier is the end of the famous 'Route 66' which runs from Chicago to LA (Santa Monica).  Also known as 'the Mother Road' because it encouraged trade and migration to the west.

I wanted to enjoy the view from the end of the pier and the Mexican restaurant had taquitos on its menu so in we went for beer and margaritas!  We were also given a string of black beads from Jose Cuervo for our efforts!

Party cakes in the local bakery!

Finished up with a walk around the downtown area before deciding that we should make our way back to our hotel and try to avoid the afternoon rush on the I-405.  5 lanes in either direction blocked and moving at a snail's pace - can you imagine it?  Not fun!