This week’s broadcast of Eye on Travel is from the Sandbourne Santa Monica, in California. I have all the travel updates, including a detailed situation report on Southern California in the wake of the tragic fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The perception might be that Los Angeles is closed, but thankfully, Santa Monica was spared and is fully open. Matthew Hallock, Santa Monica Fire Chief, talks about the Santa Monica Fire Department’s response to the fires that devastated their neighbors. Much like the tragic fires in Maui, the perception was then that the rest of Hawaii was closed and off limits. That wasn’t true, and the same applies to Santa Monica. Then, we’ll do a deeper dive into Santa Monica (in the interests of transparency, my mother used to sing on the Santa Monica Pier, and my uncle was a Santa Monica lifeguard). Jessica Rincon, General Manager of the new Sandbourne Santa Monica, and how they were one of the first to remove the resort fee and how this represents honest hospitality. And, legendary chef Susan Feniger describes her love for authentic Mexican cuisine and how she worked with chef Jose Andres to deliver meals to the victims of the wildfires. Raphael Lunetta, Chef at Marelle, and why he keeps it local: from surfing every day to sourcing all his food locally. And, you can’t forget the Santa Monica Pier. Nathan Smithson from Pacific Park, talks about the history and importance of the Pier — dating back to 1909. And yes, they still have the bumper cars! There’s all this and more on this week’s Eye on Travel.