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The Great American Retro Road Trip: A Celebration of Roadside Americana
The Great American Retro Road Trip is a coast-to-coast journey chronicling retro roadside America. Discover classic giant roadside attractions, from The Coffee Pot and The Big Duck to the World’s Largest Paint Can and the Haines Shoe House. Iconic signage, like the dazzling Yoken’s neon sign, or the classic Moon Motel sign. Still-standing vintage locations of America’s favorite chain restaurants, from Pizza Hut to McDonald’s to Taco Bell. Through author Rolando Pujol’s anecdotes and friendly and clever narrative, readers will come away with a sweeping sense of roadside charm that still exist as well as a desire to see it all for themselves. These lingering traces of America’s past are an archive of disappearing roadside signage and architecture, and they tell a story of American ingenuity, creativity, and community. Whether you pick up the book for the nostalgia-inducing photos, the heartwarming stories, or as a reference for planning your own trip, you’ll be encouraged to as Pujol says, “slow down, take the exit, explore that town and let your curiosity guide you.”
320 pages, Hardcover
Published June 24, 2025
13 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 2, 2025
A book like Rolando Pujol's The Great American Retro Road Trip needs to be evaluated in two phases. Phase 1: The content. Phase 2: How good does it look on a coffee table? Good news, it rates highly in both!
Pujol writes about the disappearing parts of the good old U.S. of A. Whether it's a roadside diner or one of those weird attractions (I dunno, biggest q-tip or whatever), Pujol wants to preserve the nostalgia attached to these things before they are gone. I should mention that while Pujol's love of these things shines through, some of the entries are very short and not always the easiest to navigate. He organizes by parts of the country so some chapters are bouncing around multiple states. The content of the book is less an easy checklist and more of something you pick up occasionally to learn something cool.
The physical book is gorgeous. This needs to be enjoyed in full color in your hands to truly engage with the material. It is tabbed for sections of the country, and the pictures are superb. The audiobook version would probably be a nightmare. This is one you should spend the couple extra bucks for to truly engage with it.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Hachette Books.)
Pujol writes about the disappearing parts of the good old U.S. of A. Whether it's a roadside diner or one of those weird attractions (I dunno, biggest q-tip or whatever), Pujol wants to preserve the nostalgia attached to these things before they are gone. I should mention that while Pujol's love of these things shines through, some of the entries are very short and not always the easiest to navigate. He organizes by parts of the country so some chapters are bouncing around multiple states. The content of the book is less an easy checklist and more of something you pick up occasionally to learn something cool.
The physical book is gorgeous. This needs to be enjoyed in full color in your hands to truly engage with the material. It is tabbed for sections of the country, and the pictures are superb. The audiobook version would probably be a nightmare. This is one you should spend the couple extra bucks for to truly engage with it.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Hachette Books.)
July 23, 2025
A cool idea but the way it's set makes it difficult if you're looking for ideas based on a state. The author breaks up the states into odd sections then labels them under for the different regions. Some of the states aren't in the regions they're usually lumped under and California doesn't get a region. I don't know why California is the only state to get its own chapter.
When you pick a chapter for a certain region it's not divided up by states but thrown together. The text is somewhat small at least for me and it's crammed together in different sections. There are some photos and they're numbered but then you have to search the text for a text in bold print then read the number next to it. It's a lot of text to go through though especially when the state name isn't in bold print. So you have to go through each paragraph to find the state unless you know the object in the picture already. If you do this you will notice that not all states are created equal with some states getting a bunch of places and others states only a few places.
If the author had divided this by state and I didn't feel like I needed a magnifying glass I would love it. The only decent part were the few photos that were included that did make me want to learn more.
When you pick a chapter for a certain region it's not divided up by states but thrown together. The text is somewhat small at least for me and it's crammed together in different sections. There are some photos and they're numbered but then you have to search the text for a text in bold print then read the number next to it. It's a lot of text to go through though especially when the state name isn't in bold print. So you have to go through each paragraph to find the state unless you know the object in the picture already. If you do this you will notice that not all states are created equal with some states getting a bunch of places and others states only a few places.
If the author had divided this by state and I didn't feel like I needed a magnifying glass I would love it. The only decent part were the few photos that were included that did make me want to learn more.
September 8, 2025
I randomly picked this up at the library and was thrilled to see both the Longaberger big Basket Building in Newark, Ohio (the author used a much nicer photo of it than how it looks in its current state) and Tom's Ice Cream Bowl in Zanesville, Ohio (I can't recommend eating at this place enough and you definitely have to save room for ice cream) featured!
August 20, 2025
With The Great American Retro Road Trip, the first question you need to ask yourself is “Why am I picking up this book?” If it is to stroll down memory lane and maybe identify some of the spots you have seen on your own road trips, you will probably enjoy this book. If, like me, you pick it up thinking “We do so many road trips. I would love to identify some things we may otherwise miss.” and/or “This looks like a fun book to keep in the car to flip through while we are driving and see what attractions we may pass” then this book is not the best choice.
Usually, if I skim-read or DNF a book, I do not give it a star-rating. I’m making an exception. I would rate it a one-star guidebook. If I had read the book cover-to-cover and was rating it as a nostalgia read, I imagine the rating would be higher.
The info in my review is information I would like to know before purchasing a guidebook and, when I’m searching for such a book, I read a rave and I read a lower-rating. Because I know that someone’s reason for loving a book may be a reason I do not like it—or vice-versa!
For me, my reasons for not liking the book started at the beginning: no table of contents other than a map of the United States with page numbers. I could look past that; maps can be helpful with travel guides. I flipped immediately to “Pacific Northwest” and started skimming…and very quickly got frustrated:
* The attractions are listed in bold but the location is not in bold so it blends in with the surrounding text.
* There is not a map at the beginning of each section noting locations of attractions that will be mentioned.
* Each section reads like an essay, taking the reader up, down, around, and through a variety of places with the geographic region. No specific route is followed and I am not certain there is any order the attractions are listed in: north to south? East to west? Who knows?
* If I wanted to find spots in Oregon? I would have to carefully read the entire “Pacific Northwest” chapter and, for myself, mark spots mentioned throughout the 18 pages discussing the highlights of the “Pacific Northwest” that would fall in the area where I would be traveling.
* Frustration growing, I flipped to the index while thinking “I’ll just look up Oregon and see on what pages the state is mentioned.” Nope. No states listed in the index. I did not see any cities listed either.
* Since “California” was the only state given its own chapter, and, having lived there for 50-ish years, I thought I’d see if I could decipher any organization there. Nope. The subsections tend to bounce all over the state. For example, in On with the Show, attractions in the following cities are mentioned (listed here in the order they appeared in the text): Cinerama Dome (which does not have a city listed but it does say “Southland”), Fresno, Taft, Bakersfield, San Francisco, and San Luis Obispo. Let me save you the Google mapping. That essay takes the reader from Southern California, north to Fresno, back south to Taft, east to Bakersfield, north to San Francisco and back south to San Luis Obispo. I got dizzy just typing that route!
Thus, I would say this is not a guidebook but a nostalgia read. To make the move from fun-read to guidebook, there should be a breakdown of attractions by state and/or narrower region, a bullet summary of locations mentioned within the sub-section, and indexing of cities and states. Also, more detailed regional maps would be helpful as one could then at least visualize that “Oh, I’m traveling through XX region and there are 5, 10, 15 spots listed in this section I may want to see.”
Again, ask yourself why you are picking up the book? Is it a fun walk down memory lane? Yes—especially if you’ve done a lot of traveling in the United States and would be familiar with many of the sights. Are you planning a road trip? Move along to another guide or use this when you are well-rested and well before you leave the driveway.
Usually, if I skim-read or DNF a book, I do not give it a star-rating. I’m making an exception. I would rate it a one-star guidebook. If I had read the book cover-to-cover and was rating it as a nostalgia read, I imagine the rating would be higher.
The info in my review is information I would like to know before purchasing a guidebook and, when I’m searching for such a book, I read a rave and I read a lower-rating. Because I know that someone’s reason for loving a book may be a reason I do not like it—or vice-versa!
For me, my reasons for not liking the book started at the beginning: no table of contents other than a map of the United States with page numbers. I could look past that; maps can be helpful with travel guides. I flipped immediately to “Pacific Northwest” and started skimming…and very quickly got frustrated:
* The attractions are listed in bold but the location is not in bold so it blends in with the surrounding text.
* There is not a map at the beginning of each section noting locations of attractions that will be mentioned.
* Each section reads like an essay, taking the reader up, down, around, and through a variety of places with the geographic region. No specific route is followed and I am not certain there is any order the attractions are listed in: north to south? East to west? Who knows?
* If I wanted to find spots in Oregon? I would have to carefully read the entire “Pacific Northwest” chapter and, for myself, mark spots mentioned throughout the 18 pages discussing the highlights of the “Pacific Northwest” that would fall in the area where I would be traveling.
* Frustration growing, I flipped to the index while thinking “I’ll just look up Oregon and see on what pages the state is mentioned.” Nope. No states listed in the index. I did not see any cities listed either.
* Since “California” was the only state given its own chapter, and, having lived there for 50-ish years, I thought I’d see if I could decipher any organization there. Nope. The subsections tend to bounce all over the state. For example, in On with the Show, attractions in the following cities are mentioned (listed here in the order they appeared in the text): Cinerama Dome (which does not have a city listed but it does say “Southland”), Fresno, Taft, Bakersfield, San Francisco, and San Luis Obispo. Let me save you the Google mapping. That essay takes the reader from Southern California, north to Fresno, back south to Taft, east to Bakersfield, north to San Francisco and back south to San Luis Obispo. I got dizzy just typing that route!
Thus, I would say this is not a guidebook but a nostalgia read. To make the move from fun-read to guidebook, there should be a breakdown of attractions by state and/or narrower region, a bullet summary of locations mentioned within the sub-section, and indexing of cities and states. Also, more detailed regional maps would be helpful as one could then at least visualize that “Oh, I’m traveling through XX region and there are 5, 10, 15 spots listed in this section I may want to see.”
Again, ask yourself why you are picking up the book? Is it a fun walk down memory lane? Yes—especially if you’ve done a lot of traveling in the United States and would be familiar with many of the sights. Are you planning a road trip? Move along to another guide or use this when you are well-rested and well before you leave the driveway.
May 13, 2025
The book celebrates the unique American car and road trip culture and inspires the reader to want to get into their car, turn up the radio, and leisurely travel the highways and actively witness and experience their journey rather than simply arrive to their destination as conveniently, quickly, and mundanely as possible.
As a person who loves to road trip, this is a very useful and user friendly guide to unique and off the beaten path roadside attractions. The book is organized by geographic region and then into categories for attractions, food, lodging, and other sites. This makes the book easy to navigate and accessible for readers to relocate attractions of interest while traveling. While concise, Pujol's research is evident and I appreciated the pictures he provided of almost every attraction. That helped me want to continue and read more about different attractions. The book made me excited to look up which roadside attractions are near me in my own geographic area and which attractions might inspire my next road trip in a different part of the country.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.
As a person who loves to road trip, this is a very useful and user friendly guide to unique and off the beaten path roadside attractions. The book is organized by geographic region and then into categories for attractions, food, lodging, and other sites. This makes the book easy to navigate and accessible for readers to relocate attractions of interest while traveling. While concise, Pujol's research is evident and I appreciated the pictures he provided of almost every attraction. That helped me want to continue and read more about different attractions. The book made me excited to look up which roadside attractions are near me in my own geographic area and which attractions might inspire my next road trip in a different part of the country.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.
June 8, 2025
After reading this book I came away feeling like it’s a book at war with itself. On one hand it’s a wonderful travel guide that takes you on a fun retro road trip to find the odd roadside attractions, signs local businesses and fun places to eat and sleep. On the other hand it’s a fun coffee table book sharing pictures of slices of America back when the different geographical regions meant something.
As a travel guide it doesn’t give enough clear information and easy access to that information with the layout. The Index is weak and an appendix or two would be wonderful to search and group.
As a coffee table book the pictures are two small and the writing too bland.
I think the subject matter would make either a great guide or coffee table book sharing pictures unfortunately this does neither.
I was given a free book by NetGalley.com from the publisher for a honest review.
As a travel guide it doesn’t give enough clear information and easy access to that information with the layout. The Index is weak and an appendix or two would be wonderful to search and group.
As a coffee table book the pictures are two small and the writing too bland.
I think the subject matter would make either a great guide or coffee table book sharing pictures unfortunately this does neither.
I was given a free book by NetGalley.com from the publisher for a honest review.
Read
April 11, 2025🚗✨ Get ready to hit the open road and embrace nostalgia like never before! 🌟
Join journalist Rolando Pujol on a coast-to-coast adventure in The Great American Retro Road Trip! This captivating book celebrates the quirky roadside attractions, vintage signs, and beloved diners that define America's unique charm. From the iconic Buck Atom to the whimsical Big Idaho Potato Hotel, Rolando takes you on a journey filled with heartwarming stories and stunning photos that will ignite your wanderlust and nostalgia.
Whether you're planning your own road trip or simply looking to reminisce about the good old days, this book is a must-read! 📖❤️
👉 Dive into the nostalgia and discover the hidden gems of America! Check it out now: [Link to the book]
Join journalist Rolando Pujol on a coast-to-coast adventure in The Great American Retro Road Trip! This captivating book celebrates the quirky roadside attractions, vintage signs, and beloved diners that define America's unique charm. From the iconic Buck Atom to the whimsical Big Idaho Potato Hotel, Rolando takes you on a journey filled with heartwarming stories and stunning photos that will ignite your wanderlust and nostalgia.
Whether you're planning your own road trip or simply looking to reminisce about the good old days, this book is a must-read! 📖❤️
👉 Dive into the nostalgia and discover the hidden gems of America! Check it out now: [Link to the book]
November 5, 2025
Things I liked - you could tell that this was a subject the author was not only knowledgeable about, but was passionate about and it shined through on every page. It was also filled with gorgeous pictures and I liked that this covered a wide variety of topics such as hotels and inns, restaurants, bars and shopping.
Things I didn't like - I thought the way the states got broken up into sections was a little wonky and didn't necessarily make much sense to me. I also felt sighted because some sections got so much more written about them than others. Especially in the Midwest where the focus seemed to be so much more on Chicago than anywhere else.
Overall, it was good and I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure that I would want to re-read it.
Things I didn't like - I thought the way the states got broken up into sections was a little wonky and didn't necessarily make much sense to me. I also felt sighted because some sections got so much more written about them than others. Especially in the Midwest where the focus seemed to be so much more on Chicago than anywhere else.
Overall, it was good and I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure that I would want to re-read it.
July 1, 2025
As a long time reader of Rolando’s Substack, I was so excited when he announced he was publishing a book and thrilled to get a copy early. I cannot imagine how hard it was for him to pare down the thousands of worthy restaurants, signs, sights and oddities observed on his travels.
This book will absolutely inspire you to jump in the car and wander, I’ve bookmarked so many locations, both familiar and far off to add to my must see list.
If you suffer from wanderlust or just love history and American culture at its finest, definitely check this out (and subscribe to Rolando’s newsletter)!
Thank you to NetGalley and Artisan for the opportunity to read and review.
This book will absolutely inspire you to jump in the car and wander, I’ve bookmarked so many locations, both familiar and far off to add to my must see list.
If you suffer from wanderlust or just love history and American culture at its finest, definitely check this out (and subscribe to Rolando’s newsletter)!
Thank you to NetGalley and Artisan for the opportunity to read and review.
May 10, 2025
As a family, I suppose as many growing up in the 70s, we took road trips every year. We had family across the country, so we did these long, focused drives. We have so many memories that make for a lot of nostalgic talk around the table. I really loved this book, and I wish this generation could experience the journey that was the Great American Retro Road Trip.
Thank you to Artisan Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
#NetGalley #RolandoPujol #TheGreatAmericanRoadTrip #ArtisanBooks
Thank you to Artisan Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
#NetGalley #RolandoPujol #TheGreatAmericanRoadTrip #ArtisanBooks
June 19, 2025
This one makes me want to jump in the car with a full tank of gas and head out to see some incredible sights!
An interesting view on some great road side attractions. I like that it was divided into chapters by state - making it easy to find where things are located. There is a lot of information and great photos. It can't cover everything, but I wish there was more per state included.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.
An interesting view on some great road side attractions. I like that it was divided into chapters by state - making it easy to find where things are located. There is a lot of information and great photos. It can't cover everything, but I wish there was more per state included.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.
May 26, 2025
I suspected this book would my jam and I was right. I will definitely purchase this book when it comes out to help serve as a "bible" for our retirement Route 66 and beyond road trip. There are pictures of almost every place he mentions and he gives enough information to be able to locate them on the road. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book. Loved it!
July 4, 2025
The ultimate book for road trippers. It has everything a person going on a road trip across the US of A would want. History junkies, foodies, theater people will all find something. Rather than ignoring the quirks like some travel books, this one embraces it fully. A must read for anyone on a road trip.
October 7, 2025
Quirky. Fun reference for your next road trip. I wish the book was organized by state, instead of US region, to make it easier to find recommendations based on where you are traveling. Fun road signs, diners, and other unusual findings.
June 23, 2025
A super fun read. No matter your age or where you're from you'll find something in here that brings back memories or gives you roadtrip ideas.
July 17, 2025
Great pictures but the locations are all over the place. Many of the locations are not even open anymore. Good for nostalgia but I was hoping for more of a road trip guide.
August 23, 2025
Wonderful and sentimental journey through America, brings back joy and nostalgia, with lots of wonderful pictures to document the sites.
September 16, 2025
Found some new places to explore
October 30, 2025
Great way to celebrate the American road trip. The way that the book is presented is a total mixup in my opinion but it most a very interesting visit to the past.
June 25, 2025
The Great American Retro Roadtrip by Rolando Pujol is an entertaining and whimsical journey across the USA via roadside attractions and locations both big and small. The photos are fantastic and the narrative is concise and light-hearted. I would LOVE to get my hands on a physical copy of this book! For travel enthusiasts and nostalgia lovers alike, this book is fun, fun, fun! Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this advanced reading copy.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews