Cover Image: The Backroads of Route 66

The Backroads of Route 66

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Member Reviews

Having visited LA and done a little travelling on route 66 this seemed like a great book to dip into! I wasn’t wrong! This book gives you insight into the nitty gritty of route 66 all the insider information you could ever want or need!
When I visit again I’m armed now with more knowledge than before so am 100% ready to tackle those other areas which we didn’t get to bison our first trip!

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I really enjoyed armchair traveling these Route 66 detours. The book is organized by state traveling east to west. Each state includes an overview of Route 66 and the landmarks to visit. When you venture off Route 66 the author writes about historical landmarks as well as natural places to visit. Places to stay and local places to eat are also mentioned. This book will make a great companion guide to traveling Route 66. Lots of wonderful photographs accompany the text. Enjoy the journey

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This is the third Route 66 book that I have read from Jim Hinckley, and being quite a Route 66 fan I am happy to add “The Backroads of Route 66: Your Guide to Adventures and Scenic Detours” to my library. I believe that this is an update to the 2008 guide, a fun edition that looks at what’s just beyond the mother road.

Similar to just about every Route 66 book, this looks at the road state-by-state, from Illinois to California. Each chapter starts with a basic primer of what you will find along the Route: some commentary, highlights, and even places to sleep and eat. But then Mr. Hinckley takes you off the beaten path, providing four or five side trips in each area that are similar enough that they would fit in to a Route 66-themed vacation but different enough that they are worth a side trip. Some of the trips are only a half-day round trip, but others will definitely extend your journey by a few days. There’s a combination of natural beauty, manmade wonders, and historic finds. As with his previous books, one of the joys of this guide are the pictures: Mr. Hinkley does a great job of combining vintage pictures, old postcards, and current-day photos to entice one to get behind the wheel and head on west for an unforgettable journey. Not a standalone guidebook for a road trip, but a great addition to a Route 66 library.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Quarto Publishing Group – Motorbooks via NetGalley. Thank you!

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This guide book on Route 66 is fascinating as it contains great detail of the road and the immediate history of the towns and buildings along the way. What really enhances the guide are the ‘breakout’ journeys one can take as you travel from Chicago to Santa Monica in California. It sounds as if you need a couple of months to complete the trip in one go! In general, the USA does not have the long history of Europe but in the history of the car, Route 66 is famous the world over as the ‘mother road’ with a lot of myths surrounding it. It is the road that every petrol head wants to travel in that ’67 Mustang.
I have had the privilege of driving parts of ’66 in California, but my father travelled the stretch from California to Tulsa in the 1920’s in a Model T Ford.
A great guide that will make you want to travel west!

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This was a brilliant read. It was fascinating learning about cool areas off the great road. I am never going to go on route 66 let along discover its back roads. That is why I read books like this one as its a way of travelling in a affordable way. It's the next best thing. Travelling the world from the comfort of your own armchair. This book had so many colourful and very interesting photographs. Which really made the journey all the more fun to go on. So many of these places where on the original route 66 before it was rerouted. Not living in the states. I just couldn't believe how long this road was and how many states it actually went through. I liked the way the book was separated into states and then into drives. It was obvious that the author has travelled these roads many times. It was a brilliant history of an area /towns. Places worth eating and visiting were in each drive. It was so entertaining and well wrote that I could definitely imagine myself there. I definitely recommend reading this book if you love travelling from your own home or if you are interested in travelling the area. It's definitely well worth a read.

Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this fantastic book that will take you on a journey of a lifetime. 
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When I think of Route 66 I have wonderful memories of watching ‘Lightning Macqueen’ or Billy Connelly! This book is the perfect guide for actually travelling along this legendary road, or dreaming of all the amazing places to visit!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well researched book. The secrets of otherwise unknown attractions are revealed, the photos and the history are truly amazing, a special gift to all who read this gem!
As a travelling companion or a wonderful coffee table book, to return to time and again, this is a fabulous addition to treasure for years to come!

Huge thanks and congratulations to Quarto Publishing Group – Motorbooks, NetGalley and the author for providing an advance copy of this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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One of my husband’s bucket list trips is to drive the entire length of Route 66, so I knew I had to get my hands on “The Backroads of Route 66.”

This fascinating guide is broken down by state and works its way along the Mother Road east to west: Illinois, Missouri and Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The attractions featured here aren’t the just the ones that everyone thinks of, these are lots of little side trips along the way to explore the heartland of America and beyond. It’s perfect for travelers who want something more than the typical tourist attractions.

Loaded with gorgeous photos, interesting off-the-beaten-path attractions, and practical tips for travelers, you’ll definitely want to add this book to your list if you’re planning to travel along Route 66 or even if you’re looking for unique individual excursions.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Motorbooks for providing me an advance copy of this book.

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I like how this book is divided by states as it follows Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. The author includes photos of sites alongs the way along with route descriptions and side trips. I enjoyed the mix of historic photos and postcards along with modern photos of destinations and landscapes. When I think of Route 66, I think of Americana kitsch mixed with history and natural beauty. The route descriptions are informative and easy to read. Suggestions for places to eat and stay are much appreciated. I’m always interested in more specifics like hours of operations for sites like caverns or mines. Including local websites for more information would be useful too. Overall a very helpful book if planning to drive all or part of Route 66. Or fun to read through in the comfort of your chair and getting a good look at small town America. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Motorbooks for a temporary ARC in exchange for a review.

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An informative and intriguing journey into a much talked about area that has so many aspects to explore. This book gives background of the area, details of trips to take and many tidbits of personal knowledge. I enjoyed it!

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Lots of good trip and travel info, written in an easy to follow format, both visually (with the spacing between the lines) and mentally. Love that I was able to even learn more about my own area along near the route that I definitely want to go exploring now too!

Lots of good info, and love the history behind the buildings and roads as well. LOVE!

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While there are plenty of books on Route 66, few are as useful for planning a trip as this one. Going state by state, each chapter begins with an overiew of where the road goes in the state. Following this are detailed descriptions of side trips you can take off the main road to visit other interesting places and scenery.

I loved that this book had detailed information about the Route and all the side trips. It didn't neglect places to stay and eat, things I've found lacking in other Route 66 travel books.

Illustrated with both historic and new pictures, it's a prefect companion for a road trip.

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My best memories are our annual summer trips along Rt. 66 from Californi to see family in Indiana and Ohio. Oddly, we had specific stops along the way that we did every single time. This book brought those memories back. While it didn't cover the specific stops we had (other than those tee pees!) I was able to remember times that are priceless; a slower time. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for an e-ARC of this title for my review. All opinions are my own.

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This is a really cute guide to some stuff around Route 66. I bit the 66 frenzy upon a trip to Texas so I’m really interested in doing a Route 66 trip. This book was picturesque and filled with great sight seeing photos.

What did I like? I guess I like the feel of the book as it navigates you from state to state with some memorable sights. It gives you some background and some ideas of what to see or eat. It’s also full of great photos!

Would I recommend or buy? This is the type of guide I’d buy before embarking on a road trip. It was fun and informative! Five stars!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left this opinion!

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If you've always been intrigued by and drawn to the idea of a Route 66 road trip, this book is for you. It will function as a coffee table book as well as an actual guide so it will be appreciated by a range of readers. I liked the focus on eateries since that's always a draw for any type of travels and the photography is classic. The book works as an incentive for travel and notes many fun side trips off of Route 66 as well. Quite useful and fun!

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

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This is an excellent travel book with striking photography. I realized I didn't know much about route 66 but it starts in Illinois and doesn't really get scenic until you hit New Mexico. If you like American history, you might enjoy planning a trip along this highway.

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This book takes readers on a journey from Chicago to Los Angeles following good ole Route 66. The book is divided by state and provides both photos and route descriptions. The photos are in color, except for a few historical photographs, and include brief captions. I enjoyed that there was a mix of old photographs from closer to they heyday of the route as well as more modern pictures. I'll just put it this way, many of the modern photographs truly capture the kitsch of small town America. The descriptions were easy to read an follow, but I do wish there had been more practical information like hours of operation, suggested places to stay, and resources like websites to look at for more information. I did appreciate that Jim provided tips for the journey including suggestions of the best places to eat along the way. Thank you to Quarto Publishing for the ARC.

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One of my bucket list things to do!
It has breathtaking photos and interesting descriptions of each state.
Great book !

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Image that you go over to visit your Uncle Jim, and while your there you get snowed in by an unexpected squall. So now you are stuck in the house with your most boring relative, without anyway to get away from him. Jim says, "while your here, let me show you my slides (slides??) from my trip along the (most of it) original roadway of the famous Route 66". Your thinking at least it's not of the annual family picnic.

Not only did good old Uncle Jim travel this vintage highway, but he had a guide book that showed all of the really interesting places and oddities, all the way to California (LA actually). Since Uncle Jim is a seasoned traveler of "unusual" places, he also takes side trip off the highway to view additional "interesting" towns, mines, and artifacts like the second largest rocking chair in the country (if not the World).

I mean how many pictures could he take, right! How about enough to fill a 192 page book. It's actually interesting if your the type of person who reads National Geographic of Conde Nast Traveler.

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THE iconic American road trip, Route 66 was the only way to see the American West until the the interstate system was built. Much of the old route has disappeared, but there are still amazing places on “the Main Street of America”, and Hinckley takes readers on a. tour of those and some of the even more interesting places on the backroads from the midwest all the way to the Pacific

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The Backroads of Route 66 is a fully updated version of the author's book previously released under the same title. This guide book offers trip ideas for travelers looking for something new to experience along Route 66.

The book is divided up by state and gives several touring options for each area. There are a variety of attractions and historical sites listed for each option. The author has filled this book with helpful tips for both seasoned and new travelers. There are beautiful photographs all throughout the book.

The Backroads of Route 66 would be a great companion book to the author’s other book released earlier this year, Here We Are… on Route 66: A Journey Down America’s Main Street.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Motorbooks!

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