The best parts of pet-friendly Santa Monica include the ocean views, the pier and the ability to stroll along the beach for long stretches. There's always a new place to explore and the stores and restaurants include familiar brand names and great hot spots by new entrepreneurs.

Two of the bigger draws to the area seem to be shopping and eating. There are hundreds of shops and restaurants to choose from, and the main shopping areas are Main Street, 3rd Street Promenade, Montana Avenue and Pico Boulevard. Because the hotels I have stayed in were nearest to 3rd Street, that's what I am most familiar with. The street performers include some pretty high-quality singers looking to make it big, joined by very creative entertainers. And there are lots of places to just sit and watch.

There is also more traditional entertainment. Cirque du Soleil debuted Kooza there last fall in an amazing display on the pier. It marked Santa Monica Pier's 100th anniversary and Cirque's 25th anniversary—they came to Santa Monica because it was the home of their first U.S. show, in 1987.

Broad Stage has theater, dance and music productions, there are numerous cinemas, and art galleries at Bergamot Station. The Farmer's Markets are also a big treat, on Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday.

Thanks to the help of Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau ( SMCVB ) , I was able to stay at the downtown Hotel Carmel, 201 Broadway, during one trip. It is centrally located near the beach and lots of places to shop and dine. The SMCVB also set up dining at Catch Restaurant & Sushi Bar, 1920 Ocean Way, a gorgeous facility with a spectacular ocean view ( though fog rolled in while I was there; at least no earthquakes! ) . I won't mention the low-rent hotel I stayed with previously, as it was seriously awful, and had a broken emergency alarm on almost constantly.

Is there "gay" area? I would say it's not a very gay town, but it appeared quite gay friendly. It seems more residentially gay but did not seem to have many businesses that cater to gays as a primary target. If you want exclusive gay entertainment or hot gay clubs, you'll be heading into West Hollywood or other areas nearby. But look for the LGBT rainbow flags and flag stickers on some Santa Monica businesses—some gay-owned, some just gay-friendly. My trips were not centered around gay events, so I did not have a chance to further explore this. Check out http://losangeles.gaycities.com for updated businesses in the area ( and you can check by type of club ) .

The town actually may be best for LGBT families or couples, or if clubs are what you are looking for, use Santa Monica as a resting point between going into West Hollywood and Los Angeles. But there is so much to do in Santa Monica, for folks of all ages, you certainly should never get bored. There are wide ranges of places to eat, shop and sleep, so check Santa Monica out next time you have to be in the L.A. area for work or play.

I wanted to also point a new addition to Santa Monica: Annenberg Community Beach House has an amazing legacy of elegance and redemption. I did not get a chance to visit but certainly will next time.

As they state: "The 5-acre oceanfront site … was originally developed during the Gold Coast era of the 1920s by William Randolph Hearst for actress Marion Davies. The Davies estate featured a mansion of 100-plus rooms and an ornate marble swimming pool. … The Beach House was a hot spot on Santa Monica's Gold Coast, with Hearst and Davies entertaining luminaries from the Hollywood set, such as Charlie Chaplin, Louis B. Mayer, Samuel Goldwyn, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable and other stars of the day. In 1947, Joseph Drown purchased the property from Davies and converted it into Oceanhouse [ plus the Sand & Sea Club; Oceanhouse was demolished in 1956 ] ."

The State of California purchased the property in 1959, continuing to operate the Sand & Sea Club … In the 1990s, the city of Santa Monica ran the facility, known as '415 PCH,' until the 1994 Northridge Earthquake … . [ The ] city embarked on an extensive public input process to re-envision the role of 415 PCH … Wallis Annenberg of the Annenberg Foundation held fond memories of visiting the Sand & Sea Club. When she learned of the city's struggle to identify funding to realize its vision for a year-round public beach facility, she enthusiastically offered to help. The Annenberg Foundation provided a $27.5 million grant … The project involved rehabilitation of the historic Marion Davies Guest House and pool, as well as construction of new recreation and event spaces."

Santa Monica is just eight miles north of Los Angeles Airport, so it provides a convenient place to stay when visiting Los Angeles. I would recommend a car, however. The public transportation is good, but L.A. and its surrounding areas are unfortunately more accessible by car if you plan to get out and explore more than the areas nearby.

And if you are a really adventurous driver and have a lot of time on your hands, Santa Monica Pier has been named the official "Western Point" for Route 66—so you could take the roughly 2,400-mile drive from Chicago all the way there. We're now connected by America's "Main Street." The Route 66 Alliance announced the decision last November.

Side note: There is a very high homeless population in Santa Monica, just as with a lot of towns in warmer climates, but the city seems to manage this better than most places I have visited. Several times while I was there I saw interactions between the homeless and officials from various city departments ( including police ) and private agencies. I was impressed with the respectful handling of these limited interactions, and one team on bikes was going around monitoring people, calling them by their names and checking on their health.

Just as with any destination, there are always new things opening, special tour offers, and new events to boast about. So visit www.santamonica.com for what's planned in Santa Monica for 2010.