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

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

  • Downloads:9302
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-11-15 10:19:09
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Eric Dregni
  • ISBN:076037029X
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

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

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Reviews

WorldconReader

I can not wait to go on my next road trip after reading Eric Dregni's "The Impossible Road Trip。" This beauty of a travel book brilliantly describes eclectic road side attractions in every state in the US。 Clear pictures bring to vivid life the entertaining descriptions and history of these monuments to fame and fortune。 Entries include a hotel only accessible with scuba gear, replicas of famous historic European buildings, all kinds of massive statues - including Paul Bunyan, the Big Boy, fish, I can not wait to go on my next road trip after reading Eric Dregni's "The Impossible Road Trip。" This beauty of a travel book brilliantly describes eclectic road side attractions in every state in the US。 Clear pictures bring to vivid life the entertaining descriptions and history of these monuments to fame and fortune。 Entries include a hotel only accessible with scuba gear, replicas of famous historic European buildings, all kinds of massive statues - including Paul Bunyan, the Big Boy, fish, dinosaurs, donuts, and pink elephants, whimsical architecture including castles and a massive two story picnic basket, space ships, a 6-7 story baseball bat, the world's biggest balls of twine, the worlds largest tire, carhenge, my favorite - the Wigwam Motel, and so much more including a little known place called Wall Drug。。。Drengi's selection is excellent。 I firmly agree with the four that I have actually visited。 I look forward to visiting others on this list! This book will be valued and enjoyed by those that appreciate the Altas Obscura。 I thank the publisher, author, and illustrator for kindly providing me with an electronic review copy。 Happy Trails! 。。。more

Charlie

If you don't want to browse the @atlasobscura website in the bathroom, The Impossible Road Trip by Eric Dregni might be more convenient。 A well-illustrated (comparative sizes of Paul Bunyan statues?) and fun collection of travel trivia。 If you don't want to browse the @atlasobscura website in the bathroom, The Impossible Road Trip by Eric Dregni might be more convenient。 A well-illustrated (comparative sizes of Paul Bunyan statues?) and fun collection of travel trivia。 。。。more

FMSWarrior

I wanted to read this book for the nostalgia an I was not disappointed。 Granted only a handful of the stops were ones I had visited, but the others were just as cool! Wishing we had driving far further for our vacations when I was a child…so many of these would have been cool to see as a child。 Some, I will put on list for future stops, but not all of them are still around。 Memories and kitsch go hand in hand。

Kaye

If you like roadside art or oddities this is a book for you。 With over 150 attractions from across the United States there is something for everyone。 There are Giant Paul Bunyan's, buildings in various shapes, unique tributes to fish and other critters。 I've traveled in 47 of the 50 states and was surprised to find I've only seen 17 of the attractions listed。 (I think it hurt a little that I live in the west。) The book give some details about why the attraction is there or who built it along wit If you like roadside art or oddities this is a book for you。 With over 150 attractions from across the United States there is something for everyone。 There are Giant Paul Bunyan's, buildings in various shapes, unique tributes to fish and other critters。 I've traveled in 47 of the 50 states and was surprised to find I've only seen 17 of the attractions listed。 (I think it hurt a little that I live in the west。) The book give some details about why the attraction is there or who built it along with a photo and the city or place to find it。 If I had one suggestion it would be geographical coordinates because some sites can be hard to find even if you get to the right town。 This isn't something I would probably buy for myself but I would eagerly check it out for a library and read。 Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for a temporary eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

MookNana

Such fun! This guide to America's kitschiest road-side attractions is ordered by region and features a wonderful variety of giant oddities and gleeful tourist traps。 Giving equal weight to a two-story outhouse and the Gateway Arch, readers will enjoy this irreverent exploration of the strange things one can find on the byways。Each attraction has colorful, detailed photographs as well as an interesting article about its history and significance。 This would be a great gift for travel buffs and fan Such fun! This guide to America's kitschiest road-side attractions is ordered by region and features a wonderful variety of giant oddities and gleeful tourist traps。 Giving equal weight to a two-story outhouse and the Gateway Arch, readers will enjoy this irreverent exploration of the strange things one can find on the byways。Each attraction has colorful, detailed photographs as well as an interesting article about its history and significance。 This would be a great gift for travel buffs and fans of classic Americana。Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review! 。。。more

Sheila

I received an advance copy of, The Impossible Road Trip, by Eric Dregni。 I really enjoyed this book。 There are so many road side attractions I have never seen or heard of before。

Cozy Book Spot

Fun road trip book! I have personally seen some of these spots during my cross country road trip。 So many weird but interesting spots that are worth checking out。 It's missing "The Thing" museum in Arizona。 The Wall Drug in South Dakota is awesome! Make sure you stop there on your way to Mount Rushmore/Badlands。 Also, be careful if you decide to visit the "South of the border" right on the border of NC and SC, that place is super creepy and who knows what's going there (I live in NC)。 I received Fun road trip book! I have personally seen some of these spots during my cross country road trip。 So many weird but interesting spots that are worth checking out。 It's missing "The Thing" museum in Arizona。 The Wall Drug in South Dakota is awesome! Make sure you stop there on your way to Mount Rushmore/Badlands。 Also, be careful if you decide to visit the "South of the border" right on the border of NC and SC, that place is super creepy and who knows what's going there (I live in NC)。 I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review 。。。more

Maria

So much information packed into one book and presented through beautiful pictures about places we most likely miss on a road trip。 I loved seeing Lucy the Elephant mentioned as I used to drive by her all the time and marveled at her existence。 I can't wait to take this on the road to visit the "Coldest Spot in the Country" in Montana or the "Big Brown Jug" in Oregon or just about any of the many quirky monuments throughout the country。 Added bonus is the short history written about each of these So much information packed into one book and presented through beautiful pictures about places we most likely miss on a road trip。 I loved seeing Lucy the Elephant mentioned as I used to drive by her all the time and marveled at her existence。 I can't wait to take this on the road to visit the "Coldest Spot in the Country" in Montana or the "Big Brown Jug" in Oregon or just about any of the many quirky monuments throughout the country。 Added bonus is the short history written about each of these stops。 Very excited to check these places out! I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Mehsi

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review。All in all, if you want to go on a road trip but can't, or just want to know more about roadside attractions, I would recommend this fun book! Review to come November 18th。 I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review。All in all, if you want to go on a road trip but can't, or just want to know more about roadside attractions, I would recommend this fun book! Review to come November 18th。 。。。more

Tissie

Eric Dregni has put together an excellent little book。 Armed with an interest in oddities and a camera to snap away at roadside attractions, Dregni states he began researching when he was young。 The Impossible Road Trip is the result of years of hard work and dedication, sprinkled with hilarity。 It’s Americana incarnated。[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups] Eric Dregni has put together an excellent little book。 Armed with an interest in oddities and a camera to snap away at roadside attractions, Dregni states he began researching when he was young。 The Impossible Road Trip is the result of years of hard work and dedication, sprinkled with hilarity。 It’s Americana incarnated。[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups] 。。。more

Theediscerning

A humongous dog you can sleep in (as testified to by Dave Gorman – https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。), a one-man effort to decorate as many toilet lids as he could, allegedly the world's largest stone grotto, and London Bridge in the Arizona desert – all can be seen from road trips across the US, and all are here on these pages。 Some are world famous, others very specific to their locale, some don't even exist any more, but it's well worth making a book out of exploring what would once up A humongous dog you can sleep in (as testified to by Dave Gorman – https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。), a one-man effort to decorate as many toilet lids as he could, allegedly the world's largest stone grotto, and London Bridge in the Arizona desert – all can be seen from road trips across the US, and all are here on these pages。 Some are world famous, others very specific to their locale, some don't even exist any more, but it's well worth making a book out of exploring what would once upon a time have been a curious stop on a lengthy drive。 The trivial entries cover the utterly bad and trashy and the really quite decent, but on the whole the contents agree with that old line about the Giant's Causeway, that it was worth seeing yet not worth going to see – ie make a trip just for one of these locations and you'd have wasted your time, but catch them in passing and you'd have been on to a winner。All are presented very well, with decent photos, and readable text that does seem to have just the right amount of info for each entry, meaning that some contents get just the one page but the majority have two。 Only a handful of things, like Paul Bunyan and some fibreglass fish (both in statue form), get more than one spread。 A book like this is certainly not the place you'd expect to find anti-Masonic bigotry, mind – so I seriously hope this is a case of the proof being different to the real thing。 If that severe example of misreading the room has been edited out, this deserves four stars。 But only if that entry has been left by the roadside。。。 。。。more