Route 66, Final Stop

From "Light and Sky -- Images of L.A."

Sunday morning in Santa Monica was beautiful. The sun was bright, but the temperature was mild (in the low 70s) and the visibility good.

The historic pier was built in 1909. Nearly 65 years later, a move by the city to demolish it sparked a civic uproar -- Santa Monicans love their pier, which gained fame as the western terminus of Route 66. A concrete substructure was subsequently built to enable the pier to withstand the occasional violent Pacific storm. An estimated 3 million people now visit annually.

The visually dominant feature is Pacific Wheel, the world's only solar-powered ferris wheel.