Santa Monica, California

While Santa Monica is known for its year-round sunshine, iconic beaches, and famed, historical Santa Monica Pier, Sunset readers will be surprised to learn that the seaside city is also a leader in sustainability. Santa Monica’s Pacific Park is home to the world’s first and only solar-powered Ferris wheel, and the city itself is the first to receive Platinum level LEED certification for Cities Version 4.1. Equally unique, Santa Monica is an art-lover’s paradise with more than 170 murals decorating the streets, including a new mural by artist Shepard Fairey standing 70 feet on Ocean Avenue. To view them, readers can take self-guided walking tours. The complete guide can be found here. Speaking of walkability, with most neighborhoods being accessible by foot, historically 80% of overnight visitors do not require the use of cars while exploring Santa Monica. In addition to walking, traveling the city by bike is a great option, as there are over 119 miles of bike lanes across Santa Monica. The 22-mile Marvin Braude Bike Trail, also known as the Strand, is a fan favorite that runs alongside 3.5 miles of Santa Monica Beach’s beautiful coastline and serves as another way to connect to our neighboring cities.