Route 66 Still Kicks: Driving America's Main Street

by Rick Antonson

“You’ll never understand America until you’ve driven Route 66—that’s old Route 66—all the way,” a truck driver in California once said to author Rick Antonson. “It’s the most famous highway in the world.”

With some determination, grit, and a good sense of direction, one can still find and drive on 90 percent of the original Route 66 today. This travelogue follows Rick and his travel companion Peter along 2,400 miles through eight states from Chicago to Los Angeles as they discover the old Route 66. With surprising and obscure stories about Route 66 personalities like Woody Guthrie, John Steinbeck, Al Capone, Salvador Dali, Dorothea Lange, Cyrus Avery (the Father of Route 66), the Harvey Girls, Mickey Mantle, and Bobby Troup (songwriter of “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66”), Antonson’s fresh perspective reads like an easy drive down a forgotten winding, stopping now and then to mingle with the locals and reminisce about times gone by, and then getting stuck in the mud, sucked into its charms. Rick mixes hilarious anecdotes of happenstance travel with the route’s difficult history, its rise and fall in popularity, and above all, its place in legend.

The author has committed part of his book’s proceeds to the preservation work of the National Route 66 Federation.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Americana, American History, Adventure

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2008

About the author

Rick Antonson's latest book is Slumach's Gold: In Search of a Legend - and a Curse (Heritage House Publishers, 2024). Rick is author of 5 acclaimed travel books including Train Beyond the Mountains: Journeys on the Rocky Mountaineer (Greystone, 2023) and Route 66 Still Kicks: Driving America's Main Street which The New York Times called "One of the best books of the bunch" in their Christmas travel book roundup, and To Timbuktu for a Haircut: A Journey Through West Africa (2013) which the Chicago Tribune noted as a "travel classic." Full Moon Over Noah's Ark: An Odyssey to Mount Ararat, also, Walking With Ghosts in Papua New Guinea: Crossing the Kokoda Trail in the Last Wild Place on Earth (Skyhorse, NY). Rick is the former CEO of Tourism Vancouver, an Ambassador for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, chair of Destination Marketing Association International (based in Washington, DC), former deputy chair of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (based in Bangkok, Thailand), and president of Pacific Coast Public Television, Antonson now enjoys a career as a full time author,

Reviews

[Woman Reading (is off exploring)]

2.5 ☆

I am an avid traveler. What people derive from the travel experience varies greatly as travel can be deeply personal. In Route 66, author Rick Antonson and his friend Peter decided to drive the entirety of Route 66, which originally stretched for about 2,400 miles through eight states from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. Route 66 had been officially designated in 1926 and then decommissioned in 1985. Before its demise, it had been celebrated in song ("Get Your Kicks on Route 66") and in an eponymous television series during the 1960s. Some parts had been absorbed by the present-day interstate system but many sections had fallen into disrepair and faded into obscurity. It was these dead ends and lost spaces that these two baby boomers sought.

The two had been asked about their motivations to travel. Peter responded, "maybe you travel to learn who you are." Antonson wanted to write a book as he pondered -

Has a neglected road left the "real America" intact? ... of an America that was still one of a kind... would we find it? The odds seemed against us.

I'd also confirmed that the myth is as important to America's self-esteem as is fact... if there is a place to see America at its truest, it is Route 66 - the road first renowned for its attractions, then for its deterioration, and now for its attempts to reassert itself in the eyes of those who seek an authentic America. Americans love an underdog. Even more, they love stories about people who rolled high, lost it all, and fought to regain respect. In that way, Route 66 is America.

I've always favored depth over breadth when it comes to travel. So a 12-day road trip seemed rather ambitious for Antonson's existential questions. He also wanted to dodge the "conspiracy of kitsch" - of the big blue whale, the neon signs, the fake "wigwam" motels - that are often photographed as the symbols of Route 66. In the end,

America's Main Street became for me a series of stories, symbolized by a baseball player, a roadbuilder, a novelist, a photojournalist, a humorist, a political poet, a songwriter, a jazz musician, two actors, and a Corvette. Each of them recognized that Route 66 was America's podium.

I'd embarked on this trip convinced that America is more hung up on myths than on reality, more tied to perceptions than fact. The trip validated that, though it left me with a sense that this situation is okay... Will Roger's said of his America: "There is no other country with as much air, and not knowing where it's going, as this country."

Antonson's summation and conclusion from his October 2011 journey are, of course, valid for him. But the messenger really lessened this book's impact for me. Antonson described himself as a "curmudgeon," an euphemism as Peter often (justifiably) called him an "ass." These two were petty and bickered like a stereotypical old married couple. Antonson revealed his own penchant for perception over facts as I found errors in the beginning. His statement about franchising "brought to the world" in 1941 by Dairy Queen was incorrect. A&W got the boasting right in the 1910s. He wrote that there were "hundreds of English dialects" in the US. Three different websites stated that there are 20 to 27 dialects in the US. He erroneously stated that Abraham Lincoln had been born in Illinois; no, he had been born in Kentucky. Thereafter, I decided to save myself the aggravation and not to pause and check his stories for substance and just distill the spirit.

Travel's trials reveal more about travelers than do the happy experiences... Nor had we shed our disposition to ignore signs that were explicit in advising caution.

When I've had misadventures while traveling, I've always said that those make for the best, or certainly more popular, travel tales. And yes, I found their muddy road ensnarements amusing both the first and the second times. They were incredibly lucky that good Samaritans drove by in their road-appropriate vehicles and rescued them. At least, these average people who helped them are part of the "authentic" America as were the "Okies" and the other climate refugees who fled the Dust Bowl via Route 66 during the Dirty Thirties.

I've been to both end points of Route 66. My only knowledge of that at the moment, however, came from seeing the highway marker in downtown Chicago. I read this because vicarious travel is currently the only option for me. But yet, I don't feel particularly desirous of following in their rented Mustang's wake. If I do, I'll consult the National Historic Route 66 Federation - www.national66.org - and a different guidebook.

[Betsy]

This is a review of two books camouflaged as one. The. first one covers Route 66 from Chicago to L.A. with poignant memories of a time gone by, of people who still make their homes in small towns which once thrived. This is the book I wanted to read because my hometown is right on Route 66. True, it's a city, but growing up 'the Mother Road' was still important, still used for the purpose it was intended. That has now changed, but there are many who revere and like to read about Route 66.

The two travelers, Rick and Peter, were determined to drive the 2000+ miles in twelve days, seeing as much of the original road as possible. Rick especially acted as a historian with Peter adding asides. The stories added a great deal of pleasure to the first book along with some sightseeng tips about restaurants and Route 66 sites. When my sister and I did our trip in 2002, we didn't have the time that Rick and Peter did, but we stayed at several of the orginal motels/hotels, which were mentioned in the book. We had a great time, and I hoped to rekindle some of those memories in reading this book.

Unfortunately, this is where the second book comes in. Rick, and especially Peter, came across as selfish, obstinate, immature travelers with money to spend, even if Peter insisted on negotiating for each night's stay. They showed a notable lack of common sense in some decisions, depending on locals to 'rescue' them. In fact, the book became more an example of, 'Don't do this,' than about Route 66. I will admit that I had an inkling that I might have a problem with the book when Rick assured his readers that Abe Lincoln was born in Springfield, Illinois. He was born in Kentucky.

So, I cannot decide how to rate the book: 4 stars for the first part but only 1 star for the travelers themselves. Out of respect for Route 66, I guess I will go with 3 stars. 'The Mother Road' deserves better.

[Diane S ☔]

Thoughts soon.

[Richard]

The author ticked me off three times in the first four pages. First, the two travelers began this journey only because they couldn't do what they really wanted to do, which was to visit Asia. Route 66 was what they settled for. Second, when the author's notion of a nation is the summation of land + people + climate + commerce, I knew not to trust any of his other insights along the way. Maybe SOME countries can be represented by that equation. Not the US, to which you must add its founding vision, its constitution (tattered though it is today), and its struggle to realize its ideals. His starting view is that America is the "sum of its flaws." That's right, Mr. Antonson, keep insulting my country. It doesn't gain you any credibility with me. Later, I learned he is Canadian, so that explains some of it.

I never shook the feeling that Antonson drove the length of the highway with a patronizing smirk on his face. Let's see what the yokels in this little burg look like, how faded their accommodations are, how unpolished they are. Funny that they needed some of these yokels to pull them out of the mud more than once when they drove their rental Mustang on roads a 4x4 would have trouble navigating. I didn't find it particularly interesting reading the travails of people who couldn't be bothered to prepare for their trip by driving a proper vehicle or stocking emergency supplies that they would later need. I also didn't appreciate the way they abused the rental car. I feel sorry for the later users/owners of that car.

They wanted to experience the authentic Route 66 as much as possible. Yet they bypassed the southern branch of 66 through St Louis where they would have encountered several still-operating cabin-style motor lodges. In fact, St Louis barely gets a mention beyond the Arch. Oklahoma City gets even less of a mention than St Louis does.

They managed to get themselves lost in Union MO which is actually rather difficult to do. They bypassed Meramec Caverns. Their conversations were wall-to-wall wisecracks and their amusements were more appropriate for 15-year olds than for the 50-ish year old men they appear to be. Things like one trying to trick the other to step into donkey dung. Not the kind of book I was expecting.

I did like the historical vignettes about such men and events as Bobby Troup (composer of the song Get Your Kicks on Route 66), Woodie Guthrie, and the early US highway system. This is the reason the book gets 2 stars instead of one.

Bottom line, if you think America is the sum of its flaws, or if you find the Jackass program amusing, then this book might be for you.

By the way, the edition of the book I read has a different front cover than the one shown here.

[Cynda Reads]

After WWII, Americans were encouraged to get out, to see their vast country. This song helped get us mobilized for travel.

Rick Antonson came to awareness of time passing and opportunities closing. He shared this awareness with his long-time friend Peter. (We know Rick's last name "Antonson" but not Peter's.) So they brainstorm--or at least Pete does: Route 66, trying all the dead ends. Rick agrees.

The drive starts out as a let's do-something-while-we-still-can decision. Quickly becomes an effort to step back into time. Glides into grappling with the meaning of the road, Route 66. Instead of communing with nature, our drivers, particularly Rick, better senses the nature if the road. Peter better understands things about the road. They make a great team for traveling as much of the original Route 66 as possible.

The traveling duo contemplate the nature of the road. This road was built upon existent trails and roads, ultimately a road built to combine parts of various local roads. To travel over the original route means to travel at various times on packed earth, an expanded sidewalk, a brick road, a plank road, along with paved road.

The spirit of the road emanates from the variety of road surfaces, and nonstandard, non homogenized road culture. The food and accommodations were filled with personality, spirit of the community providing services.

Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly local entities received funds to improve roads. As local entities saw fit, they moved the roadway, ever changing Main Street, USA.

Although Eisenhower signed off on the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (1956)--made other roads more efficient and safe--and although the federal government decommisioned Route 66 as a highway, the road lives on. a road highlight

After Rick and Peter drive various dead ends to find all of the original Route 66, they find that their friendship has deepened as they each brought skills and awareness to the trip the other needed help with. These long-time friends took the trip of a lifetime, one they know they cannot repeat. They bring us along with them. I could see a website, how ever short, for each place they mentioned on their way. They stopped at all the points named in the song and many more. I feel as though I have experienced some of Route 66.

Overall this book provides a kick in pants to Get Your Kicks on Route 66.

Read for Nonfiction Side Reads' Journey study.

[Jana Eichhorn]

The only reason this book got two stars from me instead of one is my love for the subject itself. I love Route 66 and all things related to it, which is more than I can say for the author. This man clearly doesn't "get it." To him, Route 66 is just a road to be driven on, in a country he feels secure looking down upon. The Canadian author's tone is condescending to the extreme, often pointing out how little he likes Americans - until they show up to drag his silly ass out of the mud he's gotten himself stuck in or to offer up much-needed kindness when he and his road trip companion have gotten themselves into a jam again. The book is well researched, but it lacks heart. They skipped over some major Route 66 sights, or stopped long enough to mock them, and then get to the end of the road wondering if they've "experienced" America. Guess what, buddy? All that stuff you were too good to stop for, is the stuff that makes Route 66, and my country, great. All you did was drive down a road.

[ShirleyS]

I have driven on sections of Route 66 in Oklahoma and New Mexico so the idea of driving from beginning to end sounded interesting to me. But common sense would tell me to choose a more durable vehicle than a Mustang if I was going to explore numerous unpaved rut filled sections of it.

[Claudia]

Seriously - a rental Mustang to drive over roads that had not seen maintenance in any form in decades! I've surprised they were lucky to just overheat the radiator a couple times after getting mired in thick mud and fortunate not to be swept away when the sensible thing to do was turn around when confronted with water of an unknown depth and the road in equally unknown condition underneath it. They were very lucky that locals - with pickup trucks equipped with various towlines and chains came upon them and towed them out of the predicament their stupid egos placed them in.

Okay, I feel better now. Travelling Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, attempting to find and drive over all the little pieces that made it a renowned highway is made all the more difficult as sections have been abandoned not only due to the consolidation of the route itself but due to realignment for major highways. The old Burma Shave signage that became a specific type of advertising recognized across America - about a year ago, some spouse put up a series of signs ala Burma Shave along the nearby interstate celebrating his affection for his wife on their anniversary. There was about a dozen signs and I was disappointed that I had to normally exit before I got to the last one. Did eventually travel further down the highway to read the final ones.

Anyway, today, many businesses along the old Mother Road depend on the tourists that made the journey, take on the quest like the author and his companion did. Have to admit, a trip such as they experienced could make or break a friendship and there were times - especially in the beginning as they worked out various "rules" - the reader had to wonder if this friendship would survive. Peter's original intention to find every abandoned piece of the old route and travel on it may have been a goal but as the miles went by, accessibility by lack of connections to regular roads or completely blocked access via fencing and streams along with deteriorated conditions from plant growth breaking up whatever paving there may have been to weather and water damage stalled that hope. Despite several guide books, it is likely they missed several more sections.

Oh, and Peter's determination to barter down the cost per hotel room to lower than the one they paid the night before seemed . . .well, childish. Most times he had to deal with a clerk who could not make that decision but he would insist on badgering him until he got some type of deal. In turn, Rick just tossed his credit card on the desk and said he settle up in the morning.

Today, organizations throughout the states that the original Route 66 passed - one of the first in the U.S. highway system established in 1926 - work to preserve the buildings and atmosphere of the communities that lined the old road, providing gasoline, service of vehicles, hotels and regional food. Today the world zips by, bypassing not only the history but the spirit of America. Maybe we need to slow down a bit more. Stop at Delgadillo's Snow Cap in Seligman, Arizona for a meal and dessert.

This is lavishly illustrated with photos not only from the trip itself but a couple maps and historic photos. It would have been nice to find out who the artist was that painted? drew? the portraits that are scattered through the book from Cyrus Avery to Will Rogers, from John Steinbeck to Woody Guthrie.

2020-224

[Karen]

In January, I was making family vacation plans for this coming August. The plans included visiting friends, seeing a few baseball games and exploring Route 66 with an emphasis on St. Louis and Joplin, MO. As a result of unexpected events, we are not traveling anywhere this summer. So my research book became my arm chair vacation.

About ten years ago, Rick Antonson, and his friend Peter Armstrong, both native Canadians, decided to drive the full length of Route 66 in a rented Ford Mustang. They decided they would explore as many back roads and dead ends as possible, staying overnight in non-chain hotels and eating at local restaurants as much as possible. Nine states in ten days, over 2,400 miles. It's quite an ambitious itinerary. And they stayed true to their plans, exploring and motoring through the back roads of the heart of the this country.

I'm not sure how I would feel if I were from any of the places where they stayed or drove through because their observations were pretty straightforward. In some places, the conditions were pretty bleak - stores and businesses were closed and only abandoned buildings remained. What are the conditions now, I wonder. But, in some places, Rick and Peter enjoyed a nice breakfast and interacted with locals who were willing to share their opinions about Route 66 and life in general.

The highlights of the book for me were the analysis of the "Mother Road" on Woody Guthrie, Will Rogers and John Steinbeck (I really want to read The Grapes of Wrath again). The summary of Dorothea Lange's work with the Okies in the 1930s and the history of the song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" were interesting. I also enjoyed the banter that Rick and Peter shared as they drove on strange roads, often getting lost or stuck in mud.

I have several books on Route 66 that I plan to read this year, regardless of my vacation plans. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a road trip across the country.

[Kim Olson]

I'm pretty intrigued by the romance of Route 66 and I love Americana, so I was excited to read this book, but I simply couldn't get into it. Antonson chronicles a Route 66 road trip that he and his friend Peter took from the route's start in Chicago to LA.

He shares some interesting history and tidbits, and they have some (usually very brief) chats with locals along the way to garner insights. But overall, they seemed to be ambling from one place to the next, checking off boxes. I found the book lacking in heart and passion. They also bickered a bit, which could have been humorous but was just kind of unpleasant. I definitely learned some things about Route 66 and the towns it passes through, so that's worth something. But I expected the journey to be a bit more fun.

[Nina]

We've driven quite a bit of Route 66 on our road trips, but never the whole thing, and never all at once. Might yet do that someday. This book would not be my guide, as it was more of a buddy story between two middle aged guys on vacation than anything else. The author provided some history of sites along the way, but lost all credibility when he claimed that Abraham Lincoln was born in Springfield, Illinois. I also think he put words in the mouths of waitresses and clerks he met; they were far too poetic or philosophical about the romance of old 66 and its role in American history than is believable.

[Dan C.]

An entertaining read about two men who chose to drive from Chicago to Los Angeles on as much of the original Route 66 as they could. I enjoyed it by and large, especially the historical bits about Route 66. What I didn't like so much were the men in the story. Typical of 50-something men, they were rude to each other a lot, oddly did not share hotel rooms, and Peter (the one not telling the story) was particularly annoying when he tried to negotiate the room rate every night.

Still, it was a fun trip across country done in a way I'd love to do but likely never will.

[Dale]

It's all about Rick and Peter, with a few tidbits about Bobby Troup and Nathaniel Cole, and a little bit about Martin Milner and George Maharis.

I've read a fair number of road trip books, and usually find them pretty entertaining. This one, not so much. Mostly I was faintly annoyed at the poor judgment of the two road trippers, and feeling sorry for the various waitresses, hotel clerks, and bartenders that had to put up with them.

[Jason Pyrz]

This was painful. I made it about halfway through this book before I was finally able to convince myself it was ok to throw in the towel.

Want to know what happens? Two annoying boomers take a road trip and see and do absolutely nothing interesting. Oh, you got stuck in the mud again because you didn't learn your lesson the first time? Great. Oh, another dead end? Fun. You're going to throw in five pages of filler about the dust bowl or Al Capone or whatever else, because the trip itself is so boring? Please do.

I hate when I have to give up on a book... but I definitely had to with this one.

[Lily Archer]

(Kindle)

3 1/2 stars.

Yes, they drive the whole thing, or as much as they can find of route 66.
Yes, you'll learn about the history and obscure folk lore of the mother road, including the song, the TV show, murders along the highway, ghosts, crazy folks.

I like road trip stories, especially cross country trips. I didn't connect with this one, though. I felt removed from the adventure. There was something about the writing that kept me at an arm's length.

It was okay--but not a strong recommendation.

[Andie]

Travel writer Rick Antonson and his friend, Peter, rent a Mustang convertible and take off from Chicago to drive from Chicago to Los Angeles driving as many miles as possible of old Route 66. This is the dream of every Baby Boomer who watched the "Route 66" TV show in the 1960's,and it's nice to know that except for about 450 miles, they were able to make the whole trip on the old Mother Road, and along the way, just maybe found the best of America too.

[Charlie]

Have you read "A Walk in the Woods?" This author did, and he freaking loved that book and decided he was going to do the same thing.

Not everyone is Bill Bryson.

I've wanted to do Route 66 for years and this book got so dull in the middle that I almost changed my mind. How are you going to do Route 66 without leaning into the weird quirkiness? In a boring fashion, I guess. :(

[Robin]

3.5 stars

Fun road travel story with history of Route 66 interwoven in the narrative.

[Dustin]

In the spring of 2025 I drove all 2448 miles of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. Along the way I made dozens and dozens of stops. Diners, tourist attractions, ruined buildings, long standing motor hotels, a number of fantastic museums, and a more than a handful of old stores antique stores and book shops. In one of those stores I found a copy of this book for $10. During the trip I was trying to spend a little money at the places I stopped to support those folks who were keeping Route 66 alive so I picked it up.

I didn't like this one. A travelog of two guys who seem to dislike each other about as much as they dislike following directions (the author mentions he has a copy of Jerry McClanahan's EZ 66 Guide which is just about the most thorough guide to the original route you could possibly have and yet they mention getting lost multiple times.) They take petty jabs at each other and intentionally avoid stops the other wanted to visit.

There's not a lot here that I can recommend.

[Julie]

I picked this up because I've actually been on a part of Route 66. There was some interesting history, but I felt like most of what they found was old, dilapidated or depressing. He also talked about his companion and their differences.

If you've been on the road, you might enjoy. But didn't keep my attention.

[Lauri]

My enjoyment was 2-stars, but I attribute most of that to the Kindle automated assistive reader (stilted misponunciatuons abound!) The author and his friend seemed to argue and belittle each other quite a bit on their 10-day journey, but maybe it's a guy thing? For fans of 20th century American history, pop culture, road trips, and memoirs.

[Faun]

As someone who formally enjoyed road trips, i really enjoyed this book, it was well written and intriguing.

[Phillip Fitzsimmons]

This is a great book.

[Elise Noorda]

Enjoyed learning about the history, ethos, and cultural identity of Route 66.

[Jenna]

This book made me never want to drive Route 66. It’s ended. Over and dead. And please, don’t put me on the road (or on any trip for that matter) with these two grumpy and sarcastic old men.

[Jeffrey Williams]

I had a love-hate relationship with this book.

First the love - A Ford Mustang and Route 66. What's not to love?

Seriously, two friends setting out on a road trip should make for a fun and entertaining book. Antonson packs in some good historical tidbits about various aspects of Route 66 and some of the more well known people. That's a plus. The fact that they were driving the route from East to West allowed him to wind these facts into a seamless narrative about the Mainstreet of America. Plus, there were sections where it was entertaining and enjoyable from a road tripper's perspective.

Now the hate - These two characters were seriously annoying. Rick was condescending as hell, and Peter was a cheap bastard. They also missed some good stuff with their obnoxious 10-second rule.

Also - as some of the other reviews have shown, early on they got some vitally important historical facts wrong. If you get the easy stuff wrong, can we trust the more difficult stuff to be correct? That's a conundrum that every reader will have to go through.

There were too many restaurants and too many dead-ends. There is so much more to Route 66 than rutted roads and diners. They missed a good deal of it. In fact, on page 65, Peter held up a brochure "Then, declaring, 'We should go here tomorrow,' he held up one promoting the Meramec Caverns.'" Well, the ten-second rule evidently was applied because that is the only mention of Meramec Caverns in the entire book, while a short while later we had to endure these guys sitting on a picnic sets at Walmart after hours while drinking beer. I would have rather have read about their experience at Meramec Caverns.

Other than one Navajo Indian appearing in the story, there was a lack of ethnic diversity and there was no mention of the "Green Book." During the era of Jim Crow, black Americans were severely restricted on where they could stay, dine or recreate in their travels. The Green Book was published showing the locations that were friendly to black Americans, including on Route 66. This was especially important in Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Not even a single sentence.

Of course, we learned about what they ate. Granted that dining is definitely a part of the Route 66 experience, but they could have accentuated a few other things (see above), and de-emphasized this.

I will commend Antonson for a fine effort. He did give us some humor (including his first experience at getting stuck in the mud), but there is so much here on what not to do, along with too much pretentiousness, that this was an okay read. It wasn't a great read, but it wasn't completely awful.

"Shadow" the Ford Mustang, was definitely the hero of this book. For as much abuse as she took - getting stuck in the mud twice, dehydrating while climbing Sitgreaves Pass, and overheating - should have left these two Canadian yokels along side the road. But she stayed with them to the very end as faithful as a Ford Mustang should be.

Lastly, I know that most of the material available on Route 66 is mainly travel guides or ghost story related. Finding good material on Route 66 outside of these two categories is tough. Also, writing a history of Route 66 is also tough because you are dealing with eight different states, 2,400 miles, and seven different decades. It does get hard to organize the material in such a way to be presentable without being redundant or confusing. This, surprisingly, is the strength of this book. An East-West chronology actually does work for organization, if only they would have spent more time telling the story about Route 66 instead of shooting sarcastic comments to each other or trying to get the cheapest motel rates at already affordable places. This definitely could have been better.

[Marge]

I saw this book at the library and had to borrow it because I've always wanted to drive the back roads that used to be part of Route 66. It turns out I'm one of many who have this dream, as the author and his friend discovered when they set out to drive ALL of the road, especially the dead-ends and deserted strips of cracked pavement that have been abandoned in favor of quick Interstate travel.

Along the guys' twelve-day journey they meet and chat with many typical, down-home American characters, as well as other tourists traveling The Mother Road. I found the story interesting, with enough background to keep you informed without going into excessive detail. There was humor, too, with the standard banter between two friends stuck together for a long journey, balancing on the knife edge of losing that friendship, but never quite going there. There was adventure as they guys tried to drive their rented silver Mustang places that only a four wheel drive should go. And at the end, I shared their feelings of sadness and accomplishment that the journey was completed.

One of the more amazing parts of the trip was highlighted near the end of the book. "We had been forced onto the interstate for only a few hundred miles of our journey....over 2,000 of the original 2,448 connected miles were still approachable, if not always driveable." I had no idea so much was still left of the old road, and this book renews my interest in trying to find a part of it for myself.

[Michael]

I have traveled some of Route 66, so I enjoyed reading about their driving in the same places I have.

I thought this did a good job of bringing in the history of the road, and some of the major people, events, and cultural references into the story. Much of which I didn't know. And reminded me of some of the events I had known but had forgotten.

After reading, I will probably explore some of those topics. For instance, I started watching Route 66, the tv series, on Hulu. I was immediately disappointed that it started off in Mississippi (not on route 66) and most of the episodes are not even on that highway. The book mentioned that so I knew it was coming, but I really wanted to see some of the highway back then, and the fact they weren't really on that highway saddened me.

That is a little off topic, but I guess it shows that the book rekindled my interest in the road enough to make me hunger for more.

[John McLacken]

Get your kicks reading Route 66 Still Kicks

This book certainly fueled my own desire to explore America's Main Street. Reading it was a worthwhile and fun trip. Like any long drive, the book has its slow sections, but it was mostly smooth sailing and, like the wind with the top down, an eye opener. The author's timing, humor and sense of place add depth to the pace and steady forward motion of this buddy roadtrip. The well-placed photographs also added to the enjoyment and feeling of actually sharing the journey with these two sarcastic friends. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the culture-lite history of America and one it's most famous roads, fans of the old 60s TV show, and all those who contemplate their own journey on Route 66 through the heartland of America.

[Brooke Evans]

There were so many interesting historical tidbits in this book. I enjoyed hearing about the experience of trying to drive the entire Route 66.

I was distracted by the way the author described some people (especially women) and places; there were some descriptions (especially of women, but not just women) that really felt disrespectful to me, like the author thought it was fine as long as he was trying to be funny or "accurately" descriptive or something. There weren't a lot of these instances in the book, but they really tarnished the experience for me and made me kind of wince in anticipation whenever it seemed like another one was coming up.

Overall, I do recommend the book. The research was good and the information was fascinating.