Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Unmistakably, this is a wonderful book. I used the first edition for years, then the revised edition since it appeared in 1992. It has served as the basis for more than one weekend trip, and rarely leads one to a deep disappointment. However, you have to rein in expectations, and be prepared for a search.

The most significant drawback to the book is simply its age. While most of the features will be around for a long time, they may no longer be as available as the book might imply. Once in Forest City, NC, a search for Charlie Yeltsin's bottle house took several hours, a whole host of inquiries in town and around, interpretations of vague recollections, etc. When we finally found it, the house was on private land, with caged barking dogs adding a distinct foreboding to our exploration. We were able to explore it, but all the time cognizant of a possible irate owner with a shotgun. Our persistence was rewarded with a delightful attraction, though in dire disrepair. So, be prepared for this sort of adventure.

As another reviewer has observed, many of the references in the book barely provide a rough location, so it is not intended for the casual exploration.

The attitude pervading the book is right on the money, and at the very least provides a list of waiting adventures.

I purchased this book after discovering the related website roadsideamerica.com. This book was published in 1992 and some of the attractions contained in the book have closed, but in a way that only adds to the appeal because if you really want to see an attraction featured in this book you'd better get going before it's too late. I only wish I had met Tom Gaskins before he passed away, but at least I know of his life's work.

The lack or directions and phone numbers is understandable when you realize just how many area codes have been added since 1992 and how many road names have changed. For me, this book represents the finest scavenger hunt of kistch ever written, and the lack of phone numbers and directions only addes to the experience.

This book is the first thing I throw into the suitcase when I travel for business or other reasons. The pages are dog-eared from use and the cover is stained with coffee and how knows what from that diner in Tennessee, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The best part about the entire Roadside America experience is that if you discover something on the road you can add to the fun via roadsideamerica.com.

Buy this book and hit the road.

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.

This, along with their hilarious website at http://www.roadsideamerica.com, is the perfect planning guide for the American Road Trip. Not only have they done their research on these crazy sites to visit, but choosing one of their themed trips alone makes one great weekend! Highly, highly recommended for anyone with a taste for the weird.

As a teenager living in a very dull community with a yearning to do something other than the usual mall and movie, I came across an ad in a Wisconsin tourist book about the World's Largest Talking Cow. I was immediately intrigued and decided to travel the six hours with my best friend to get there. While for some people it may not be worth the drive and the .25 you have to pay for the cow to talk, if you're the kind of person who shuns Disney World type trips in search of the unique this book is for you. After my cow trip I went online and found the website for this book, which has almost more info than the book, including preplanned trips across America centered around these Roadside Attractions and Paul Bunyan sightings. The book itself gives quite a detailed amount of information about each site, and you can always double check the website if you're worried about if its still existing, which can be an issue for smaller attractions. You'd be suprised how many of these things are close to home, and for me that meant the Mustard Museum in Mt. Horeb Wisconsin and Metropolis, IL (home to Superman everything...though most quickly note that Superman was not born in Metropolis.)If you're up for an interesting road trip or two that DOESN'T involve another Hard Rock Cafe stop, you should definately get this book. It was 7 years ago that I picked it up, and now I make a point of getting out at least once a year to find something wacky along the road.

I found the website by these same authors and after visiting the website a few times, I knew I had to have the book.

This is a hilarious book. I laughed and wanted to jump into my car to go see some of the wild sites described in this book.
This book covers the off beat places that are not covered in typical guide books (McD's Elvis, Small Oddball museums and more). A great way to add variety and zest to your trip.

Visit the website too. It's a lot of fun.

Enjoy.

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.