New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of America's Tourist [Paperback]

Mike Wilkins (Author), Ken Smith (Author), Doug Kirby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1992

Highlights the wacky, one-of-a-kind treasures lurking among the Gaps and Burger Kings alongside America's highways and byways. The entries cover every interest and is organized for easy reference, with tips for all-inclusive-tours.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Roadside America is a Baedeker to the junkiest attractions on America's major, minor, and nearly forgotten highways. Planning to see Graceland? Why not let this delightful volume direct you on the complete Elvis tour, including a miniature "Elvis City" in Roanoke, Virginia; the Elvis-theme McDonald's in Elvis's birthplace of Tupelo, Mississippi; and the Elvis Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Learn about the Curse of the Pyramids, and see the many unfinished pyramids that litter America's heartland. Jump into the debate about which town has the largest ball of string, the biggest tree stump, or America's true weather-forecasting groundhog. The locations of giant statues of the Jolly Green Giant, an "African village" in South Carolina claiming to be an independent kingdom, and the mysterious "Thing" of the Sonoran Desert are all found here. Buy it and drive west, young trendies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; Revised edition (June 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671769316
• ISBN-13: 978-0671769314
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good intentions marred by low detail and poor organization, May 5, 2000

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of America's Tourist (Paperback)

While the authors' hearts are definitely in the right place, their lack of thoroughness and haphazard organization severely mars this book's usefulness as an actual working travelguide.

By sorting the items under topics (e.g., "Gators" "Elvis", etc.), the book turns into a good bedside reader, and a poor guide to "what's here." Providing a geographical index (by state, then city) in the back, means that you're constantly flipping back and forth to try and figure what's near you. And with no map to locate a city within a state's boudaries, it's difficult to tell whether you're within a hundred miles or more. The only solution is to employ a map (paper or web-based) to figure this out.

Add to this a complete lack of addresses, phone numbers or hours, and you'll find yourself searching through a phonebook as well.

It's a useful source of ideas, but leaves the reader to do way too much of the legwork.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than a guide, its a trip, March 21, 2000

By 

Husker Du "Pondering" (Dime Box, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of America's Tourist (Paperback)

This is a book to have laying around to just pick up at odd moments and start enjoying. True , the directions are scanty (you'd have to work to find alot of these places) but thats got to be part of the fun. And it needs updated, but thats where the website comes in ROADSIDEAMERICA.COM, which is how I found this book in the first place: Add your own entries, updates, etc. A joy if you never even hit the road. I'm giving copies to my British in-laws. Will give you a new appreciation of American culture.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Preeminent Reference Work, June 4, 2004

By 

Jeffrey Sward "aandjsward" (Huntington Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of America's Tourist (Paperback)

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.