ROUTE 66: THE ROMANCE OF THE WEST

Most of the RTA's focus is on what can be seen and experienced on the highways and byways of North America in the 21st century. Likewise, most of the books that we review and recommend were written by authors that share this contemporary view. However, sometimes spending a few moments looking at the past can lead to a shift in perspective that sheds new light on the truths of the present. The biggest single difference from roadtripping in 2006 from travels in the 1950s may be the range and efficiency of the road trip vehicles. In the heyday of two-lane highways like Route 66, before the development of the Interstate highway system, there were hundreds of small roadside attractions and gas stations. These were located twenty to thirty miles from each other, because the cars of this period needed to stop more often.

Modern travelers on the old historic roads drive vehicles that don't need those kinds of services more than once every 200 miles or so, and it's our general belief that travelers rarely see things they aren't looking for. This is why books like Route 66: The Romance of the West can provide a wonderful way to see into worlds that, at first appearance, no longer exist...[More]