Saturday Morning at the Santa Monica Pier

An old-school pier once thought to be connected to Route 66

Walking toward the pier in Santa Monica on a Saturday morning, I wondered what I would find. My experience with piers is usually deja vu. Piers typically have the same rides, food, and touristy feel — but one or two quirky things at each pier make them unique.

This is a typical food joint with an all-American flavor—ice cream, hot dogs, shakes, fries, and lemonade. Where’s the Philly cheese steaks? Where’s the vegan corner? Where are the jumbo shrimp boats? What does it mean to join the team? What kind of team? Softball, pickleball, the Shriners? Anyway, I’m sure their burgers are good. I stay away from pier food to avoid getting an upset stomach.

This place is called Japadog. What are Japadogs? They are pretty popular, and this food truck has more stuff than you realize.

They have Guacamole Dogs, Terimayo Dogs, Cilantro Dogs, Menchikatsu Dogs, Nakiniku and Yakisoba Dogs, Cheese Tonkatsu, and many others, including veggie dogs. This proprietor can whip up almost anything in that little truck. Too bad I don’t eat hotdogs anymore. When I did, I went for Hebrew National Knockwurst.

Looking back at the pier from a distance, it seems more exciting.

But when you’re up close, not so much. Here is the entrance to the rides and carnival games. I always associate Piers with going on awkward dates, holding a giant stuffed animal I won from throwing baseballs at a pyramid of metal milk bottles, which took about fifty dollars to accomplish. I wrote a poem about such a park called A Boys Amusement Park Dream.

I never understood the idea of eating a bunch of junk and then going on a stomach-churning ride. How many people have lost their lunch on a roller coaster? That’s not fun—it’s self-abusive. My advice: Eat after the rides.

Route 66 is the most famous road in the United States. Five facts:

1. Route 66 was built as an efficient way to get from Chicago to Los Angeles.
2. Route 66 once crossed eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, ending at Santa Monica, California, or most likely the Pacific Coast Highway. Today, however, it stops in Arizona.
3. “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” a popular rhythm and blues song, was composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup.
4. The 1960s television series Route 66 featured the adventures of two young men traversing the United States in a Chevrolet Corvette convertible.
5. The “Father of Route 66” was an Oklahoma businessman named Cyrus Avery who became president of an oil and gas company.

When I was a kid, Steel Pier in Atlantic City was the Daddy of all Piers. There was so much to do. In addition to the rides and food, there was fantastic entertainment, including the Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra. It was also the first home to the Miss America Pageant and my favorite, the Diving Horse.

© 2024 Mark Tulin

Here’s another Los Angeles landmark and photo essay by Mark —