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| Santa Monica Pier, The End of U.S. Historical Route 66 |
We left Barstow this morning looking at gray skies and that incessant wind. We were on the last leg of our excellent adventure formally and fully entitled: The Great American, Coast to Coast via Route 66, Road Trip. The excitement was building but at the same time a feeling of emptiness was creeping in. We couldn't wait to arrive at our destination after driving about 4000 miles. But at the same, time we knew that the first part of our journey would end. We would reach our destination, the end of Route 66 at the Santa Monica Pier. Each day we looked forward to so much and now that daily anticipation would be over.
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| Sunday Traffic in Los Angeles |
After braving Sunday traffic (yes, Sunday traffic in LA is as bad as weekday rush hour in most other cities and I was really surprised by the volume of automobiles) We arrived at the pier at 10:37 a.m. Pacific Time. We parked on the pier, walked over to the "End of Route 66" sign, shook hands, congratulated ourselves and asked a gentleman to take our photographs. What a glorious way to end the first part of an extraordinary adventure.
We then walked around the pier and viewed the vendors, artists and others who were enjoying this 61 degree, windy, sporadically rainy day. I thought it was always sunny and warm in southern California. Afterward, we walked down to the edge of the Pacific Ocean and asked a young couple if they would make a photograph of us touching the Pacific Ocean, just like we touched the Atlantic Ocean 13 days before.
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| Venice Beach Looking South |
We wanted to do a little sightseeing, so we walked south along the sidewalk next to the beach for about 3 miles until we reached the middle of the Venice Beach boardwalk. We passed many so-called artists, trinket salesman, fortune tellers, shops, weight lifters, roller bladers, bicyclists as well as groups playing soccer, rugby, tennis and volleyball. All in all, it was a sight to behold. It was really nice to see so many people out enjoying themselves.
We ate a nice Cinco de Mayo lunch, then headed back to the pier. While at lunch, we had to decide what next? Should we stay in LA? We were fortunate enough to come into the city on a Sunday and we had been told that trying to leave any weekday was a recipe for frustration. We also had to decide which way we would head back east. Talking about this at lunch, we decided that we would leave LA today and avoid frustration. We also decided, due to the cold and unpredictable weather across a northern route, we would take a southern route back east. That way, we would avoid cold, possibly snow, Midwest thunderstorms and tornados. So, we got in the car and headed south to San Diego.
We braved traffic both on the I-5 as well as the Pacific Coast Highway. (In California, you have to put the word "the" in front of a route number. I don't know why but they do out here.) Both roadways were crowded with traffic, even though it was a cold, rainy day. We arrived in San Diego, checked into our hotel, then went walking in the Gaslamp District looking for a restaurant that had some Cinco de Mayo specials.
During out journey out here, we drove through 18 states and met some really wonderful people. We saw some famous places, ate some really good food and learned some lessons about American history and culture. The cheapest gas we bought was $3.22 and the most expensive was $3.85. We made a lot of images and even more memories. This trip, so far has exceeded my expectations and I'm sure the rest of it will also.
We saw many Australians making the same Route 66 journey. There was a large organized group in rental cars and another group on motorcycles. Whenever I had the chance, I introduced myself and asked them about their experiences on Route 66, here in America and what they thought about our wonderful country. The response was always in the positive. That made me even more proud to be an American as my fellow Americans had shown these visitors courtesy, had been helpful and left them with nothing but good thoughts about us Americans and this glorious land.
I need to say a few things about Vance Hogen. My traveling companion and I have been friends since were have any memories at all. We grew up on the same street and have shared a lifetime of experiences. We have kept in touch and not let that friendship wane. We laughed a lot, we shared stories, we wondered about some things we saw and we were amazed at other things. We share values and I consider him a member of my family. I have been lucky to have traveled with him and I hope any of you find a traveling partner like Vance to share your experiences. It makes the journey so much richer. Vance, thank you for being such a good driver, listener and friend.
Tomorrow we set out back east. Enjoy!
Thanks for Looking.
Dennis Mook
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