A Dog Eat Dog Day at the Beach...

Nothing says California Sun quite like an afternoon at the Pier. It also provides the perfect opportunity to grab a bite, have a lovely bit of sun and people watch... all without breaking the bank. A wonderful shortcut into the Pier, without paying Pier prices to park, is to head north on Ocean Boulevard past Colorado Ave and make a right on Seaside Terrace. At the bottom of the street lies Hot Dog On a Stick and is surrounded by a metered parking lot, with a going rate of about a $1 an hour. With the Pier just to the right, a wonderfully romantic Merry-Go-Round and a bevy of Carnival games, the Pier can make even the most staunch adult, feel like a kid again.

Another easy on the wallet option is to stop by and grab a Corn Dog at Hot Dog on a Stick. The employee-owned corporation staffs its branches with perky workers who don the brand's iconic 1960s-inspired uniforms: whimsically colorful jockey caps and striped smocks. The short menu offers 100 percent turkey franks, which are served skewered and battered, as well as all-beef wieners in a bun. Extras include "Cheese on a Stick" (also coated and deep-fried in the secret-recipe batter) and shoestring fries.

Be Merry, be Cheeky and save a pound while doing it.

Hot Dog on a Stick - Santa Monica Pier

Written by: SpeedLA Dating