Route 66

Enthusiast Color

by Tim Steil

More than three decades after Route 66 went by the wayside, so to speak, it remains a nostalgic signifier of a 50-year period when cross-country travel was synonomous with meeting interesting characters, absorbing marvelous new sights, and stopping to check the oil along the way. In this colorful biopic of the "Mother Road," author Tim Steil retraces the wandering path of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, returning home with a scrapbook of new color photography and evocative period imagery profiling businesses and attractions that continue to operate alongside Route 66 despite the demise of the legendary two-lane. The result is a unique look at motels, service stations, restaurants, truck stops, and museums, and the colorful folks who continue to whittle out a livelihood along Route 66 despite the death of the road trip as spelled out by the vapor trails overhead.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2000

Reviews

[Nick Guzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun, engaging, and wonderfully illustrated account of one seasoned pro's journey on the legendary Route 66 is sure to inspire a reader's wanderlust.

In less than 100 concise but comprehensive pages, Tim Steil neatly weaves in his own experiences with people he met along the way to create a one-of-a-kind travelogue that reminds readers that their own potential Route 66 trip would be equally unique.

[Jana Eichhorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really satisfying armchair travel book. Some of the info is outdated (it's the nature of the beast, the book is almost 20 years old and these things change), but it will either bring back fond memories of the trip you took yourself, or inspire you to start planning one. Or in my case, both.

[Awjtf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book

[Kristena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't particularly like the style and tone of the writing, but I have to admit this one has wonderful photos.

[Robert Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book for me as filler between more serious reading. I like being on the road and I like books on Route 66 so this worked fine for a break from weightier stuff...

[Alianoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time for a road trip.