Santa Monica Close-up

The lights from the Pacific Wheel reflect off the Pacific shore-line on Sunday, June 8, 2008. The Pacific Wheel has 160,000 LED lights.  LED lights use light-emitting diodes as a source of illumination rather than electrical filaments or gas and have high light output with lower power consumption and have much longer lifetimes, such that they do not require replacement.

Street performer Winston Chavez, 31, AKA Captain Sparrow , entertains around the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, June 15, 2008.

Arthur Nakane, a One-Man-Band, plays at the Santa Monica Pier on Wednesday, May 14, 2008. Nakane can perform up to seven instruments at one time; an electric guitar, he has a drum machine for drum beat affects, plays keyboards with the tip of his guitar, plays the harmonica and the electric kazoo, shakes the tambourine and maracas, strikes symbols and sings duets by himself with on the spot recording.  Nakane has been performing as a One-Man-Band since 1976. Prior to that, he was a high school teacher were he only earned $700.00 per month. He says that the custodians would make $900.00 per month. In order to supplement his income to support his family, he would perform music on the weekends. He currently works as a translator during the day.

Retired High School Biology teacher Dennis Stewart, 60 and his wife Geri, 51, commence their bicycle tour of Route 66 on Sunday, May 11, 2008, from the Santa Monica Pier. They are hoping to complete the tour ending in Chicago within two months by the Fourth of July. U.S. Route 66 (also known as Route 66, U.S. Highway 66, The Main Street of America, The Mother Road and the Will Rogers Highway) was a highway in the U.S. Highway system. One of the original federal routes, US 66 was established on November 11, 1926, though signs did not go up until the following year. It originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, before ending at Los Angeles for a total of 2,448 mile. US 66 was officially decommissioned (that is, officially removed from the United States Highway System) on June 27, 1985 after it was decided the route was no longer relevant and had been replaced by the Interstate Highway System.

DAY ONE: (TOP)  Pile drivers from John S Meek Company Inc. 'Shore' (make a road) a crane into Pacific Park on Monday, May 5, 2008. (ABOVE) Dan Light, customer service representative form Chance Rides Manufacturing, Inc., Jim Quaintance, Maintenance Manager of Pacific Park and Jeff Sicat, Pacific Park Maintenance Supervisor, unload the new Ferris Wheel from a semi-truck on Monday, May 5, 2008.