Welcome To the “End” Of America!
Welcome to Santa Monica, California: the edge of the US! As you can see, beyond the last beach houses sits the Santa Monica Pier, and beyond is nothing but bright blue Pacific Ocean!
The Santa Monica Pier in the distance sits over the Pacific Ocean, and if you didn’t know, the Pier is the actual end to “Route 66” – America’s most iconic highway!
The official Route 66 starting point is located at 122 S. Michigan Ave. near the intersection of South Michigan Avenue and East Adams Street and just across from the Art Institute of Chicago. I found this image online and it’s credits to “Road Trip America”, who deserves the credit for the terrific shot.
Now, about the end of the road:
It ends here – AT THE END OF THE PIER!
Let me show you how gorgeous this area is with a short video taken from the cliffs overlooking the ocean and pier:
It’s a gorgeous setting to be sure, and the entrance to the Pier is equally impressive:
I was of course inspired to do one of my “upside down” selfies: again, this is done on site there are no effects:
OK, a bit sad that I am obsessed with this “selfie” technique, so let’s get back to the pier to see where Route 66 ends!
You walk down a long entrance road – yess, still Route 66 and end up on the pier, which stretches out before you with a mix of restaurants, tourist shops, and a roller coaster and Ferris wheel! Need proof? How about my “selfie” with video!
Well, now that I’ve done that, let’s keep waking out to the end of the pier, and the end of Route 66:
At the end of the pier is a coast guard office, a Mexican restaurant and this: the official end of Route 66!
There is information about the route, and of course a place to buy souvenirs as well – just a quirky fun way to celebrate the road!
Robert Waldmire was an American artist and cartographer who is well known for his artwork of U.S. Route 66, including whimsical maps of the Mother Road and its human and natural ecology. Here’s an example:
At the end of the Pier sits the Pacific Ocean, with a lot of miles before you run into land again:
By the way, there are miles and miles of pristine beach and bike paths for walking and riding all along the coast…here’s how it looks from he Pier:
After exploring the end of Route 66, I was hungry, but guess what? Santa Monica Pier had me covered!
Yes, just behind that “most photographed” sign sits Pier Burger, which touts itself as the “last burger in America!”
Of course I had to drop in to try one, and you can see more video and my review of this “Pier Burger” by clicking on my food site here:
So that’s the “last burger” you can get in the US – located at the very end of iconic Route 66 – but there’s another terrific burger you can get on 66 as well:
This amazing “Pastrami Burger” is sold on Route 66 in West Hollywood – about 12 miles east of the Santa Monica Pier!
Click here for an inside look at review of their “Pastrami Burger!”
Now, I have talked about the Santa Monica Pier being the edge of the continental US, but about 450 miles up the coast there is this as well – check out Pt. Reyes National Park, perched on the edge of the world:
A stunning view – and perhaps the windiest place I’ve ever stood!
See more videos and pictures of the isolated lighthouse here as well! Click for the story here:
There is spectacular scenery close to my house as well, like this morning sunrise over downtown Los Angeles in the distance:
I also shot some video as well and you can see it here, along with a stunning Malibu sunset as well!
While the sun can rise dramatically over Los Angeles, it can fall equally as dramatically – from the Pacific Ocean seaside community of Malibu especially:
Stunning…I have been lucky enough to capture many of these moments and you can see them here – as well as a few shot through a “liquid lens!”
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Categories: Exotic Travel, Food, food blog, Los Angeles, Memoirs, nature, Pop Culture, Real Estate, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
That burger looks like one you’d need a bib with and a massive number of napkins! Santa Monica is beautiful but getting there can be a nightmare. Route 66 always reminds me of the movie Easy Rider!
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The thing about the burger is that it films big but is about 4 oz. of mea is all…as for Santa Monica….yes, the toughest traffic over there so we go early in the morning because the afternoon is a nightmare to be sure – thanks for the note!
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If Route 66 could talk, right?
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I always wondered where the end of the trail was!
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Very cool! (the post, the pictures, and the upside-down head shots!) I’ve been on parts of Route 66 mostly in Arizona. And I visited Santa Monica far too many years ago! But I don’t think I ever put the two together. Time for another visit!
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Santa Monica has been featured in many films, and it does look like a great place to visit or live.
Best wishes, Pete.
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