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

Product Description

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.

About the Author

Eric Dregni is assistant professor of English and journalism at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of Scootermania!, The Scooter Bible (with Michael Dregni), Let’s Go Bowling!, and Zamboni: The Coolest Machines on Ice, 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.