But there's one place where the daily ritual seems more appreciated than any other, and that's on the terraced levels at the end of the Santa Monica Pier. On any clear afternoon, the wooden platforms begin filling up while the sun still has several degrees to go in its diurnal arc. Tourists relax after a long day of shopping at the Promenade and taking the rides on the pier. Locals pause in their daily constitutionals. Couples hold hands.
Parents fret about their children staring too directly.
And fishermen cast their lines, oblivious to the show. Others merely lock their eyes on the last glowing ember to see how long they can perceive it. Real darkness is still some way off, but as soon as the last of the sun has been extinguished, the mood suddenly shifts. Tourists begin streaming for their cars, a breeze picks up, and the fishermen breathe a collective sigh of relief, knowing that soon they'll be left alone.