The last dozen miles of Route 66‘s 2,400-plus miles are in Santa Monica. That’s where we are wrapping up our road trip of notable Southern California restaurants along the Mother Road.
We started the trek with a burger in Victorville and will end it with a burger on the Santa Monica Pier.
Route 66 didn’t extend to Santa Monica when it was signed into existence in 1926. But the city wanted a piece of the action and got it in a 1936 realignment. Route 66 changed several times before being decommissioned, as early as 1964 in Santa Monica, when Caltrans began removing Route 66 signage, according to the city.
But in the 2000s, some pier boosters decided that the Mother Road ought to end at the Pacific Ocean and made it so.
Our road trip has two endings: the official 1936 terminus at Olympic and Lincoln boulevards in Santa Monica and the 2009 “End of the Trail” on the 117-year-old structure.
The drive: About 14 miles of Route 66 is on Santa Monica Boulevard. Our last stop was Barney’s Beanery in West Hollywood, a hangout for Jim Morrison and other famous rock stars.
As we leave that city, glance to the left, and you’ll see Tail O’ the Pup, a 1946 hot dog stand shaped like a hot dog. It’s on the sidewalk at 8512 Santa Monica Blvd., but it was moved there in 2022 after years in storage. Its original site was a few blocks away. A building at that address is said to be the place where Morrison and the Doors recorded “L.A. Woman.” tailothepup.com
As we head for the beach, we’ll pass through Beverly Hills and a narrow park that runs along Santa Monica Boulevard for nearly two miles.
Our destinations: If we stayed on Santa Monica Boulevard, we’d arrive at Palisades Park on a ridge overlooking the ocean and Pacific Coast Highway. There, a plaque dedicated in 1952 commemorates one of Route 66’s alternate names, the Will Rogers Highway. Rogers was a beloved humorist in the early 20th century. His nearby ranch house was lost in the devastation of the Pacific Palisades fire.
But first we’re going to Mel’s Drive-in at 1670 Lincoln Blvd., the 1936 terminus. Mel’s is a restaurant chain made famous in George Lucas’ 1973 cruising classic “American Graffiti.” The Santa Monica restaurant is not a drive-in, but self-driving Waymo cars occasionally cruise the parking lot.
It was originally Penguin Coffee Shop, which opened in 1959, and retains the Googie architecture popular for Southern California diners in the mid-20th century.
Mel’s takes advantage of its location with a large fish tank decorated with Route 66 landmarks.
The menu includes an R-66 Burger made with Angus beef, sharp cheddar cheese, shoestring fried onions and Thousand Island dressing for $22. Also, look for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s All-Star Menu, including a plant-based Proteinator Shake for $14.
Ironically, we can’t drive to our final Route 66 destination, the Santa Monica Pier. The aging wood and concrete structure is in the midst of a massive bridge rebuilding project, and its entrance at Ocean and Colorado avenues is closed to vehicles, although pedestrians can walk in. A famous blue-and-white neon sign over the bridge is also being dismantled for renovation.
Beach parking is available on Pacific Coast Highway, and the city has inexpensive parking structures about a half mile away.
You can buy Route 66 souvenirs including T-shirts, key chains and bottle openers all along the pier.
Among the eateries is the original stand for Hot Dog on a Stick, which dates from 1946, and Pier Burger, where what it calls the “last burger on land” costs $8.50. The place also specializes in frozen custard, serving a Route 66 concrete with chocolate chunks for $8.75. pierburger.com
The “End of the Trail” sign is outside of Pier Burger. It went up decades after Route 66 was decommissioned and features the number 66 inside a circle instead of the official shield used for U.S. highways.
This example of California dreaming doesn’t seem to bother tourists, who line up for photos hugging the sign and embracing the century-old myth of the Mother Road.