66 to Cali
California
An Interview With Dan Rice By Brad Emerson Good morning: Dan Thanks for your time this morning. Can you please tell as how the Santa Monica Pier 66 became known as the Western Terminus? “Jessica & I worked to revive the old movie sign “End of trails” and with the cooperation of the Santa Monica Pier Association we were able to place our new “End of trails” Sign in a proud location on the pier”. On November 11, 2009, the 83rd birthday of Route 66, the Mother Road leapt into the future when a newly designated Western Terminus was named in California at the Santa Monica Pier. Thanks to the dedication of Dan & Jessica Rice. Following the announcement was the unveiling of a historic “End of the Trail” sign replica, now standing on the pier as “welcome” to what’s been the road’s “spiritual end” for decades. Jim Conkle, The president & C.E.O. the Route 66 Pulse Newspaper which represents Route 66 businesses from Chicago to L.A., was one of the event’s many partners/sponsors. It was during the summer of 2009 that the Mother Road’s reach was effectively extended over to the Pacific when Dan Rice’s company “66-toCali, Inc.” opened on the Santa Monica Pier. Dan, can you tell us how the sign came about? Rice states, “What happened next couldn’t have been expected”. We were designing an “End of the Road” shirt for people who travel the whole road and mark the end of their journeys here. We looked for a sign to put on it that had both Continued Next Page
SAN BERNARDINO
Produced & Printed In The USA • Keeping You On The Mother Road • 2012-2013
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