Route
66 Adventure Handbook: Updated and Expanded Third Edition ,
by Drew Knowles
The third edition of Drew Knowles' Route
66 Adventure Handbook is about 100 pages longer than the
previous version of this book. Without question, the best part
of the book is the author's opening essay about what it means
to travel along historic Route 66. He likens this book to "teaching
a man to fish" rather than simply serving up a plate of
prepared seafood. In particular, I applaud his recommendation
to "simply go with the flow" when traveling along
the Mother Road. His tips for locating the path of the original
Route 66 highway are excellent, and his useful techniques can
be easily applied to any historic road in America.
Traveling the entire length
of Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, though it inspires
many, has never ignited road trip fever in me. For those who
do dream of traveling this steeped-in-romance two-lane byway,
Knowles' opus will provide a good overview of what is there.
His book follows the traditional east-to-west path adopted
by most Route 66 chroniclers, and he provides short paragraphs
about many of the roadside attractions that can be found along
the way. In his introductory section, he warns his readers
that "…the information about various features and
attractions is not meant to be authoritative" but rather
is presented "primarily to whet your appetite for investigation
and exploration…" I would add that although the
content and breadth of the material presented in this book
is, on the whole, excellent, the reader should exercise a
certain level of wariness in accepting his narratives about
the history of certain attractions as fact. The author tells
many a good and intriguing story, but some descriptions of
places and events occasionally fall more in the realm of urban
legend than what is normally accepted as documented history.
There are also occasional factual mistakes.
All that said, the author's
collection of black-and-white photographs is excellent and
the well-chosen typeface means a passenger can easily read
the book aloud while traveling. Route 66 Adventure Handbook
is part road guide, part history lesson and part cultural
exploration. We learn that both ends of Route 66 have symbolic
termination/starting points while the official points lie
elsewhere. In Chicago, the traditional endpoint is Lakeshore
Drive alongside Lake Michigan. The official starting point
is the corner of Adams Street and Michigan Avenue in front
of the Art Institute of Chicago. Likewise in Los Angeles the
sentimental start/finish location is the Santa Monica Pier,
which is in reality a few blocks south of the official end
of road at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Ocean
Avenue. Knowles' descriptions of the towns and cities along
the route reveal the birthplaces of many American cultural
icons like corn dogs, cheeseburgers, mail order businesses,
architectural masterpieces, and natural wonders. Historical
anecdotes like the naming of Joliet, Illinois, are not only
entertaining, but also engender appreciation for the living
history still to be found along this famous roadway.
Knowles makes the point that
travelers journeying in the traditional westward direction
will be afforded a unique glimpse into the creation of the
American psyche as populations of the east gradually made
their way west to California and the Pacific Ocean. Regardless
of the philosophical orientation, travel direction, and motivation
of today's roadtrippers, this book points the way to roadside
wonders like the albino squirrels of Marionville, Missouri,
the Totem Pole Park in Foyil, Oklahoma, the enormous ball
of barbed wire in McClean, Texas, and Exotic World near Helendale,
California.
Throughout the book, Knowles
uses an icon of a vintage Corvette to identify insider tips
for finding and exploring little-known segments of Route 66.
He also does an excellent job of providing pointers and suggestions
for finding attractions a short way from the main path of
the highway. An unexpected bonus is his description of sixteen
additional historical routes including U.S. Route 20, the
Trail of Tears, and the Lewis & Clark National Historic
Trail. The author also provides an excellent list of tourist
services for each of the eight states through which Route
66 travels between Chicago and the Pacific Ocean.
For the price, this book is an outstanding value
and a terrific resource for anyone interested in Route 66,
whether traveling by car, RV, motorcyvle, or armchair.
Mark
Sedenquist
7/9/06
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