By Kent Cullom Santa Monica
I love the way Michael Klein rationalizes how he is correct on Route 66 (“The pier is still the end of the line,” March 8, page 4). I have lived in Santa Monica for over 50 years and I am a geographer and life member of the National Route 66 Federation. I don’t care about the subject of driving on the pier that started the debate, but I do care about how he has twisted the facts to meet his needs. “Technically, the Santa Monica Pier is not the real end of Route 66” means it is not the end. The correct end is Santa Monica Boulevard at Ocean Avenue, and it was probably the Santa Monica Visitors Bureau that chose to make the pier the end, for photo purposes.
I take offense to Mr. Klein’s statement that “many, if not most, folks join the CA Route 66 Preservation Foundation in thinking that Route 66 ends at the pier.” That comment is incorrect. People join the foundation either because they have an historic interest in Route 66 or, for people like Mr. Klein, who seems to be geographically illiterate, they join to learn the correct information about Route 66.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 22, 2007. Read the original PDF.