Route 66 Adventure Handbook - by Drew Knowles (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Route 66 Adventure Handbook is your personal guide to the vanishing American roadside, with all of its exuberance, splendor, and absurdity.

For this updated and expanded sixth edition, Drew Knowles has included it all: magnificent architecture, natural wonders, Art Deco masterpieces, vintage motels and cafes, unique museums, offbeat attractions, fascinating artifacts and icons, and kitschy tourist traps. The addition of more city maps, showing the multiple paths of Route 66 and displaying the exact locations of points of interest, is a major improvement over the already critically acclaimed fifth edition of the book. The sixth edition also includes hundreds of beautiful new photographs--including a 24-page center insert with stunning color photos and the addition of dozens of new attractions. Knowles has also added QR codes for certain locations that will enable the reader to access additional online material, such as more photos, video clips, and scans of vintage memorabilia.

Additionally, GPS coordinates have been included for virtually all of the photos, so that travelers can plug the information into their smartphones and other navigation devices and instantly determine where each photo was taken and compare it to the condition of that particular site at the time of their visit.

Filled with wonderfully quirky side trips and fun bits of trivia, Route 66 Adventure Handbook is the most authoritative resource for anyone looking to explore the Mother Road. Fasten your seat belts!

Review Quotes

"Whether planning a start-to-finish trip along Route 66 or just curious about a portion of the historic path, readers seeking an engaging tour with geographic and historical facts will be delighted by this book from road-trip expert/photographer Knowles (Route 66 Quick Reference Encyclopedia). The sixth edition has been updated and expanded with the addition of QR codes leading to fascinating sites, GPS information, hundreds of new photos, new attractions, and more city maps. Travelers worried that they won't be able to spot the original road through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California need not fear; Knowles has pointers for seeking out hints of the old Route 66. Starting in Chicago, he takes readers on a full-length adventure into the classic stops, through plenty of hidden gems, and right up to the finish line of Venice Beach, CA. More than a simple travel guide, this is a love letter to the history of this famous road. VERDICT: Road-trip planners and history lovers will be delighted to find this captivating, well-updated guide at their local library."--Library Journal

"Just when you think you know all there is to know about the most famous roadway in America, along comes this expanded edition of Drew Knowles's phenomenal guidebook with more offbeat attractions, a host of vintage motels and cafés, and a plethora of fascinating historical (and apocryphal) anecdotes. His book makes a great read, whether or not you have ever put your pedal to the metal."--Newsday

"As readers and travelers, we found the Route 66 Adventure Handbook the best of its class. Whether you're a seasoned traveler of Route 66 or gearing up for your first adventure, this book is a must-have. Drew Knowles doesn't just guide you along Route 66; he ensures you savor every bit of its storied path."--RoadTrip America

"If you want to tap into a wealth of useful and fascinating Route 66 knowledge, you need to buy this book. . . . Essential for every bona fide Road Warrior."--Michael Wallis, author of Route 66: The Mother Road

"Don't leave your driveway without it."--Road & Track

"Route 66 Adventure Handbook shows how travelers can still get their kicks on America's iconic road. . . . Route 66 Adventure Handbook provides a map of what's left of the road and its charms. . . . Knowles highlights odd facts and off-the-beaten-track attractions."--New York Daily News

"Anyone who wants to turn Route 66 into the next great road trip should bring along Drew Knowles's extensive and downright fun guide. . . . Quirky side trips are what make Route 66 still popular today and are what set Knowles's guidebook apart from others."--The Mercury News

"An uncommonly detailed and helpful handbook to guide drivers exploring unmarked stretches of the fabled U.S. Highway 66. . . . It definitely belongs in the library of every Route 66 fan. It also belongs in the glove box when armchair travelers take to the road."―Mary Kate Tripp, book editor, Amarillo Globe-News

"Reading this book is like downing five energy drinks. It's exhilarating, like flooring the pedal someplace between Kingman and Seligman, Arizona. So fast and frequent are the Mother Road highlights, you can hardly keep up with the pace. No wonder the author, Drew Knowles, calls it the 'high-octane' edition. It'll leave you breathless―and ready to drop the top and roll."―American Road magazine

"Drew Knowles has written a Route 66 travel guide for those with a sense of adventure. He makes the reader want to be a detective. The commentary about sights to see along the way is particularly helpful."―Tom Teague, executive director, Illinois State Historical Society

"Drew Knowles has crafted a much-needed addition to the literature of the Mother Road. In the Route 66 Adventure Handbook, he takes us on a complete tour of lesser-known but fascinating icons and attractions, from one end of the great highway to the other. Add to the mix a strong flavor of historical facts and anecdotes, and it becomes a book no 66er should be without."―Jim Ross, author of Oklahoma Route 66

"If you read and use this guide, there is a very good chance you will change your attitude towards motoring. Rather than simply driving to a location, your trip will become the destination."―David Knudson, executive director, National Historic Route 66 Federation

"There are a few reasons to buy a book: to add to your collection, to read, and/or to use. The Route 66 Adventure Handbook fills all three categories. Whereas a map shows you how to get from one place to another, this book tells you why you want to go from place to place. It is just as important in planning a trip as any map―maybe more so."―James M. Conkle, executive director, California Route 66 Preservation Foundation

"It is a great resource to have with you whether you are intentionally exploring all or portions of the route or whether you just happen to be in the vicinity of a Route 66 area for another reason . . . a fantastic companion and guide for the trip."--Destinations, Detours and Dreams

"The Route 66 Adventure Handbook perfectly captures all the wonder and amusement travelers will find along the way. Kids of all ages will love the photography, specifically the center spread which features two dozen full-color images. Dig deeper with every QR code, and discover the story behind each destination. If you're planning to hit even a piece of this historic route, don't leave home without the Route 66 Adventure Handbook, or you might miss something!"--Travelnitch

"If seeing Cars has gotten you yearning for a journey down America's highway, then the new expanded edition of Drew Knowles's Route 66 Adventure Handbook is your perfect guide, detailing the roadside attractions, motels, eateries, and natural wonders that will make your trip one to remember."―QuickStopEntertainment.com

"After I saw Cars, I toyed with the idea of doing a road trip on Route 66, as it was so wonderfully depicted in the movie. Then I realized we don't have a vehicle that could even get us as far as Barstow. But then, the next best thing arrived on my desk: Route 66 Adventure Handbook, the updated and expanded edition, by Drew Knowles. Organized in an easy-to-read way, the writing is fun and informative. I had no idea, for instance, that Route 66―once the main road going from Chicago to Los Angeles―was replaced by five modern highways."―Contra Costa Times

"The release of the movie Cars has certainly increased interest in Route 66, the classic 'Mother Road' pre-Interstate highway that stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles. Though the road no longer officially exists in the U.S. highway lexicon, many of the tourist sights, motels, and roadside diners along the way have been preserved. Knowles's fifth edition offers insights into offbeat roadside attractions, vintage motels and cafés, natural wonders, and quirky side trips. The book covers a town-by-town description of Route 66 in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, as well as the history of the road and how to find it in places where it might have disappeared. Don't expect to find the Cars town of Radiator Springs, however. It is a fictional amalgamation of many Route 66 places."―Salt Lake Tribune