SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Our Route 66 road trip began at the end, at the famed fishing pier jutting out into the Pacific Ocean. On a breezy Sunday afternoon, the first day of June, a steady stream ...

A Route 66 sign, perched on a pole at the famed Santa Monica pier, advertises the spot as the “end of the trail.” But for these road trippers, it's just the beginning.

Everyone knows Route 66—but few know where it really ends. We trace four conflicting “final” stops from downtown LA to the Santa Monica Pier and uncover why this iconic highway's ending is ...

As the 100th anniversary of Route 66 approaches in 2026, join us as we spotlight the stops and people who live along America’s highway.

Santa Monica Pier is ranked #2 out of 14 things to do in Santa Monica. ... Sign In. Santa Monica Pier. ... (the end of Route 66) to a spot above Santa Monica Bay, ...

They continue sporadically, with elements such as the Route 66 State Park Visitor Center just outside St Louis, Missouri, and the iconic signpost at the end of the trail at Santa Monica pier.

"I want to see America the way it used to be," said transportation reporter Jerry Carnes of his road trip along Route 66, from Chicago to Santa Monica, California.

Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Image Credit: Shutterstock. Another historic beach, this one sits below the iconic Santa Monica Pier at the end of the old Route 66.

Find out the best stops along Route 66 on a Chicago to Los Angeles (or Los Angeles to Chicago) driving trip across the USA.

Ferris wheel on Santa Monica Pier. Complete with lively golden beaches and an incredibly vibrant nightlife scene, Santa Monica is the perfect destination to cap off your road trip from Seattle to LA.

Santa monica celebrates local resilience and community spirit at the 2025 Most Loved awards, ... Strongman to Pull 34,680-Pound Electric Bus at Santa Monica Pier. June 24, 2025.