Pacific Park, Santa Monica

The California sunshine warms your skin as the Pacific Wheel lifts you more than a hundred feet above the pier. You might even catch some ocean spray while riding the West Coaster. Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier is the West Coast's only amusement park located on an ocean pier, featuring rides, midway games, oceanfront stores, and food outlets.

Pacific Park opened in 1996, as Santa Monica Pier's first amusement park since the 1930s. In 1916, famous carousel manufacturer Charles I.D. Loof built Santa Monica's first amusement pier, equipped with thrill rides and a rollercoaster. It was torn down, however, in 1933 when the pier was converted into a yacht harbor. Violent winter storms destroyed part of the pier in 1983, and locals rallied to "save the pier". A decade later, Pacific Park opened, attracting families as a full-scale amusement park.

One of the most popular rides, the Pacific Wheel, is the world's only solar-powered Ferris wheel. As the wheel moves you into the air, you will see endless miles of the Pacific Ocean. At night, the Pacific Wheel is a spectacle in itself, adorned with more than 6,000 light bulbs that create a spinning circle of blues, greens, reds, and yellows.

For more of a thrill, try the West Coaster, the Pacific Coast's only oceanfront steel roller coaster on a pier. It moves at an exhilarating 35 miles per hour and elevates up to 55 feet, offering spectacular views of the ocean.

Pacific Park is a splash of fun for the entire family — and admission is free. You pay only for the rides and games that you choose. If you're looking to experience the Pacific Ocean in a unique way, Pacific Park is a one-stop center for thrill rides, midway games, shopping, and eating.

- Ray Lapena