Along Route 66

It was the way out. Invented on the cusp of the depression, Route 66 was the road out of the mines, off the farm, away from troubled Main Street. It was the road to opportunity. Between 1926 and 1956, many people from the southern and plains states trekked west to California on Route 66, the Mother Road. Some never reached California. Instead, they settled along the road, building restaurants, tourist attractions, gas stations, and motels. The architecture of each structure reflected regional building traditions and the difficulties of the times. The designs of buildings and signs served as invitations for passing travelers to stop, fill their tanks, have a bite, and stay the night. Along Route 66 describes the architectural styles found along the highway from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, and pairs photos with stories of the buildings and of the people who built them, lived in them, and made a living from them. With striking black-and-white images and unforgettable oral histories of this rapidly disappearing architecture, Quinta Scott has docomented the culture of America’s most famous road.

This guide to road-tripping along Route 66 presents the highway's very best stops--and it's the only guidebook with a fully integrated app.

The Road Awaits! Criss-cross the country on America's classic two-lane highways with Road Trip USA! Inside you'll find: 11 of America's favorite road trips with a flexible network of route combinations, color-coded and extensively cross-referenced to allow for hundreds of possible itineraries Mile-by-mile highlights celebrating the best of Americana, including roadside curiosities, parks, diners, and more Local history that reveals the unique personalities of small towns and big cities across the country Vintage snapshots, full-color photos, and beautiful illustrations of America both then and now Over 125 detailed driving maps covering more than 35,000 miles of classic American blacktop Expert advice from road-warrior Jamie Jensen, who cruised nearly 400,000 miles of highway in search of the perfect stretches of pavement Road Trip USA celebrates the great American road trip, and gives you the tools, resources, and inspiration to make it your own. Hit the road!

Take the ultimate road trip along America’s longest attraction and discover the cities, restaurants, roadside attractions, and more—from Illinois to California. Long one of America’s most cherished byways, Route 66 remains a popular tourist attraction and travel route for thousands of travelers every year. While stretches of the once-glorious road have been paved over or bypassed by the interstates, the journey from Chicago to Santa Monica along the path of the “double six” remains chock-full of unique roadside attractions, spectacular natural landscapes, and fascinating historical landmarks. Communities throughout each of the eight states touched by the “Main Street of America” —Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California—have embraced this vital piece of American history and offer a vast array of opportunities to experience the grandeur as well as the lost innocence of the glory days of Route 66. In Travel Route 66, Route 66 expert and enthusiast Jim Hinckley provides detailed descriptions and itineraries that allow travelers of all ages and inclinations to explore the myriad wonders to be found along the highway’s 2,500 miles. In addition to specific recommendations for places to visit, eat, and spend the night, Hinckley presents history for the highway and its attractions and suggests detours and daytrips off the beaten path, all while providing a vivid picture of the road that has long captured the imaginations of travelers from throughout the world. Illustrated with a wealth of color photos and vintage memorabilia, Travel Route 66 is a practical and entertaining guide to the America’s Mother Road.

Take the scenic route with this colorful collection of vintage art, photos, history, and trivia celebrating the historic highway. John Steinbeck famously christened Route 66 America’s “Mother Road” in The Grapes of Wrath, and that chapter about Tom Joad’s exodus is just one of the classic pieces collected in this wide-ranging anthology. You’ll find history, roadside attractions, pop culture, ghost stories—even recipes from famous greasy spoons. And it’s all illustrated with the largest collection of vintage art, postcards, travel decals, collectibles, and other Route 66 memorabilia ever amassed. This is truly a worthy tribute to the Main Street of America.

Follow much-loved Scottish comedian Billy Connolly across Route 66 on this unforgettable journey, filled with music, modern history and hilarious stories. Billy Connolly first dreamed of taking a trip on the legendary Route 66 when he heard Chuck Berry belting out one of the greatest rock 'n' roll records of all time - and now he's finally had the chance to do it. Travelling every one of its 2,278 miles on his custom-make motorbike, Billy's journey takes him past many of the best-known icons in the US: the Gateway Arch in St Louis, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon, and the funky neon-lit gas stations and diners that once lined the route. Billy also has the chance to get to know the people who call it home, from Mervin the Amish carpenter, to fellow banjo enthusiast and obsessive instrument collector Rob, to Angel, one of the many people determined to keep the spirit of the Mother Road alive. Funny, touching and inspiring in equal measure, the tales he gathers on the way tell the story of modern America. With his unrivalled instinct for a good story, and the gregariousness that has made him a comedy legend, Billy Connolly is the ultimate guide to the ultimate road trip.

As a child growing up in Malaysia, Shing Yin Khor had two very different ideas of what “America” meant. The first looked a lot like Hollywood, full of beautiful people and sunlight and freeways. The second looked more like The Grapes of Wrath - a nightmare landscape filled with impoverished people, broken-down cars, barren landscapes, and broken dreams. Those contrasting ideas have stuck with Shing ever since, even now that she lives and works in LA. The American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 is Shing’s attempt to find what she can of both of these Americas on a solo journey (small adventure-dog included) across the entire expanse of that iconic road, beginning in Santa Monica and ending up Chicago. And what begins as a road trip ends up as something more like a pilgrimage in search of an American landscape that seems forever shifting, forever out of place.

"Until I found Gideon's journal in the tool shed - locked in the cedar box where I'd once hidden my old diary - I'd been led to believe my brother was dead. But the contents of his journal changed all that" --