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Summary: ultimate travel companion
Review: I've owned this book for years now, and although some of the information is outdated, I still refer to it frequently. In fact, I just took it along on a road trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. Some reviews of this book note that there are no directions, hours of operation, etc. That's not the point of the book- get out a map! Explore these things yourself! Or, you can go to the authors' website at roadsideamerica.com and find most of that information along with other attractions not mentioned in the book. The book is hilarious! Trust me! It makes you long for the open road.
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Summary: The Preeminent Reference Work
Review: The New Roadside America by Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, and Mike Wilkins is the preeminent reference work about the wonders of roadside America. Do not expect descriptions of mainline corporate attractions such as Disneyland in this book. The New Roadside America celebrates extant small-scale attractions which show the ingenuity and pride of individual entrepreneurial initiative. The authors report every palpably gaudy, tacky, and tawdry detail of each roadside attraction. The authors' descriptions should not be interpreted as disapproval. On the contrary, the lack of polish of roadside attractions is part of their appeal. The authors relish the dilapidated splendor of each attraction, as should the reader. One caution: the second edition is becoming dated. Because of the intrinsically high attrition rate of roadside businesses, many attractions are now closed. Check before starting your journey. A third edition is eagerly anticipated. The New Roadside America by Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, and Mike Wilkins. Don't leave home without it.
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Summary: A celebration of roadside attractions
Review: The point of this book is not to provide point to point directions. Doing so would just take up room that could be dedicated something else, and listed hours and phone numbers become dated and useless in no time. What this book does is capture the joy some of us feel while driving around the country and discovering roadside attractions on our own. I've had fun visiting dozens of the places mentioned in this book, but I've had just as much fun following my nose and finding places on my own. The book is about the joy of exploration and the weird things people do. This doesn't change even if attractions close or move. These are all fun places to visit, but the best part is that they exist (or existed). In a very entertaining way, the authors let you know what's out there and what's entertaining about it. You'll love this book even if you never leave home. It's fun to read. You may, however, be inspired to drive around a little on your own and find out how much fun it is to stop at a convenience store and ask where the giant chair is.
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Summary: America on and off the beaten path
Review: There is so much more to America than those oft visited and photographed monuments, and this book helps you find it. The freaks, the fun, the truly bizarre of America is laid out for the traveller, and constantly updated on the accompanying web site. There are things that you never knew existed, and things you probably never wanted to know existed. But if you're looking to get off the beaten path, this book tells you where to go. The book could easily be twice as long, since so many of the attractions could use more description as the highlighted sites do. It's silly, but one of the most fun books I've read in a while. My copy is all dog-eared from corners folded down of places that are within a drive of me that I want to now visit. It helps you remember the fun and diversity of the US. As well as the wierdness.
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Summary: My travel planner
Review: These guys were on a talk show once a few years ago and their book looked so intriguing that I had to get it. It didn't let me down. Every imaginable tourist trap in the United States is in this book. Even if you're turned off my the gaudiness of these attractions in real life, it's a real kick to read about them. I have a thing with trashy attractions. It's people trying their hardest to earn your attention and some dollars, and stopping at nothing to get them. What's best is that you get to hear first-hand accounts of everything from the legendary House on the Rock up north to Gatorland down south. The descriptions are well-written and hilarious. I was delighted to see that the run-down Holy Land USA from my hometown also achieved inclusion in this wonderous volume. And chances are you've already been to a few of these places, too. Upon getting the book I read about three or four different places I had been and since getting the book I've made sure to include some the attractions in my vacation plans. The only problem I had was that some places weren't given the attention they probably deserve and so some descriptions end torturously short.
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Summary: This is hilarious, informative, and well laid-out!
Review: This book is a must for those who like travel, especially the old fashioned travel of one's youth: the family car trip. These guys have obviously been in the back seat way for way too many car trips. I make it a point to check to see if any of their destinations are on my route whenever I make a road trip. This is a true favorite.
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Summary: A Fantastic Voyage, but More than a Bit Dated
Review: This book is incredible--in fact, it opened a whole new door in my roadway explorations. No longer was I restricted to the mundane sites of interest recommended by the local C of C or state tourism board. This is REAL Americana--not the kind that is publicized by purely commercial interests--but the anachronistic, the intensely unique, the.....obscure. The problem is, this is also the downfall of the book. A good number of the sites described are simply...unfindable....no one in Roanoke--at least no one we talked to--was willing to admit the existence of, or describe the location of "Elvis City." Well, we did get some directions that it was "somewhere down near the hospital." Driving aimlessly yielded no Elvis City. At first, the same was true of Charley Yelton's Bottle House in Forest City, NC. In this case, however, a customer at the Family Dollar did recall something about it, which eventually led us (after many other inquiries) to this absolute treasure. However, 8 years after the book was published, the Bottle House is in serious disrepair. Not to mention the fact that it is off the road, behind a barn, and on private land. Barking dogs and all. No angry owners with a shotgun, though....this time. So, users of this book need to be tenacious in their search, and expect to find that neglect has tarnished what was shiny in 1992. The dated nature of this book brings it down a star. We need an update--badly. And perhaps some real directions? The book really does not qualify as a true guide, but an encyclopaedia. Wait a minute....maybe that's the intrigue....actually talking to someone in order to find a site...hey, that's it! Contact with real people.....
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Summary: For anyone who's ever played license plate bingo
Review: This book is perfect for those of us who have always wanted to follow the "See Rock City" signs but whose parents refused to change course; who are at once attracted to and disturbed by those concrete colossi that grin hideously above hot dog stands and auto parts dealerships; who have spent good allowance money on wax dinosaur figurines or tiny faux-leather quivers full of pencils fashioned to look like arrows; who understand that the traveling part is the best part of any vacation when you go by car. Oh, and the companion website is just as fun.
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Summary: A Great Book for The Tourist At Heart
Review: This book is well written, witty and sheds light on America's lesser known tourist attractions. I laughed constantly while reading it and was very happy to have purchased it. A very fun read to be sure...
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Summary: A wonderful review of America's roadside tourist traps.
Review: This book reviews all of the places we never stopped at on family vacations when I was a kid--even though I desperately wanted to--because my parents knew better. This book proves that my parents were wrong and vindicates my early childhood intuition. Someone give these guys graduate degrees in cultural anthropology. Please
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