Dan Rice, proprietor of the Cali-to-66 souvenir shack that sits on near the end of the Santa Monica Pier, said in an e-mail over the weekend that he would move into a permanent kiosk on the pier this spring.
[…T]he City is giving us our permanent spot to further establish us. They understand that this will help us fend off some of the scavengers and finally have some solid footing with our demographic in a permanent and easily found location. The best part is our location. Literally, when you drive onto the pier and come to the very end of the road …when you can drive absolutely no more…when you have to turn left to pull into the parking area, our shop is right there … at the literal end of the road and the very first shop you’ll see. Route 66. So fitting: the final shop when you can drive no more. And it’s right across from Bubba Gump’s … not exactly a low profile spot for us since Bubba Gump’s is the number one tourist/gift shop in Santa Monica.
Rice’s little stand has existed just three years, but it’s made an impact. For decades, no Santa Monica Pier business had taken advantage of the fact the pier was the traditional western endpoint of Route 66. Rice filled that niche, increased awareness of the Mother Road, and gave the pier a nice boost with the “End of the Trail” sign he spearheaded.
Rice also is planning a book tour for his “End of the Trail” biography. More details of the tour will be forthcoming.
great news for Dan & Jessica.
No one deserves this more then Dan & Jessica, and the road.
We all owe them much for what they have done for the road.
Congrats gang!
Congratulations to Dan and Jessica! Their vision and perseverance are paying off!
Thanks everybody for your kind words and support!