Getting Our Kicks

Sometimes you just have to take time out to think about something you wouldn't ordinarily think about. So here's your tidbit for the day: The Santa Monica Pier has officially been named the western terminus of historic Route 66.

I have to admit, that fact mainly piqued my interest since I'm "fresh" from a long road trip from L.A. to Albuquerque. We took I-40, which roughly parallels and sometimes runs right over the famous old strip of striped asphalt. Because Jack is 5 and requires at least 37 stops an hour for every human function and necessity you can think of, we got to know every weed, truck stop and tourist trap that populates these often desolate stretches.

But rather than rolling my eyes and sighing loudly with each "I'm hungry!" we indulged in some of those touristy stops. Admittedly, we were mostly relegated to less attractive stretch of the "Mother Road," as John Steinbeck proclaimed it. Needles leaves a lot to be desired, but Barstow, with its signature railroad depot-themed McDonald's, was bustling with tourists. We paused at the Petrified Forest but since we actually started making some time, didn't get a chance to view the Meteor Crater (let's save something for next time). Jack got a coon-skin cap (or "raccoon hat," as he preferred to call it), and we all ate plenty of greasy food while admiring  Native American jewelry, moccasins and Route 66 collectibles.

Our ultimate destination was a friend's wedding in Albuquerque, and the stretch of 66 in Old Town there doesn't disappoint with its retro neon signs and old buildings and cafes that hark back to a time when seatbelts were just a gleam in the eyes of lawmakers.

The historic route rolls east all the way to Chicago, but there was no "official" western end ... it just sort of trailed off into a maze of streets in Santa Monica before disappearing at the Pacific Ocean. But today, a motorcade of vintage cars parked at a replica of the long-lost "End of the Trail" sign on the pier, finally bringing "closure" to those die-hard fans of Route 66 – which, thanks to Jack, we all got to know a little better.