The Impossible Road Trip: An Unforgettable Journey to Past and Present Roadside Attractions in All 50 States

Filled with color photography, entertaining site descriptions and histories, and five unique infographic map illustrations, The Impossible Road Trip is your ultimate look back at America's most famous--and quirkiest--roadside attractions, past and present.

The great American road trip is back. With its advantages for your health, budget, and the environment, now is the time to plan the road trip you have always dreamed of taking.

Following in the great tradition of the mid-century golden age of car travel, join the new wave of road warriors with a targeted itinerary chosen from the 150 roadside attractions explored in this colorful guide. From famous to quirky and covering all 50 states, author Eric Dregni gives you an unprecedented look at the breadth of roadside attractions in the US, illustrated in part by the photography of architectural critic and photographer John Margolies (1940-2016). Specially commissioned infographic map illustrations capture the spirit of mid-century automobile travel.

Each site depicted is accompanied by a lively and insightful history and color imagery. From autumnal New England to the gothic South, from the homey Midwest to the great expanses of the Desert Southwest, the dizzying heights of the Rocky Mountains, and the breathtaking Pacific Coast, The Impossible Road Trip encompasses it all:

• Neon-shrouded motels
• Mimetic architecture
• Tourist traps
• Roadside sculpture
• And much more

You'll see sites both famous and esoteric, including the Cardiff Giant in Cooperstown, New York; the five-story Haines Shoe House in York, Pennsylvania; Solomon's Castle in Florida; the world's largest fish in Hayward, Wisconsin; one of several Paul Bunyan statues; Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, California; and so many more.

With The Impossible Road Trip in hand, set out to discover the nation's oft-overlooked nooks and crannies.

Author: Eric Dregni
Publisher: Motorbooks International
Published: 12/21/2021
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.40lbs
Size: 10.40h x 9.40w x 0.80d
ISBN13: 9780760370292
ISBN10: 076037029X
BISAC Categories:
- Transportation | Automotive | Pictorial
- Photography | Subjects & Themes | Regional (see also Travel | Pictorials)
- Travel | Special Interest | Roadside Attractions

About the Author

Eric Dregni is assistant professor of English and journalism at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of Ads That Put America on Wheels, Scootermania!, The Scooter Bible, The Life Vespa, Let's Go Bowling!, all from Quarto, as well as In Cod We Trust: In Search of the Norwegian Dream and Vikings in the Attic: In Search of Nordic America, both from the University of Minnesota Press.