Route 66: Traveler's Guide and Roadside Companion (Paperback)

by Tom Snyder (Author), Bobby Troup (Introduction) "It's tempting to think of old Route 66, stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, as a happy accident..." (more)
Key Phrases: highway memorabilia, jog west, business loop, New Mexico, Santa Monica, Oklahoma City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Fully revised and expanded

New stories-more details

-Nearly 30 feet of strip maps
-350 towns and attractions
-More highway memorabilia
-Mini-tours-rentals-discounts
-Chicago-L.A. mileage table

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Collectors edition (March 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312254172
• ISBN-13: 978-0312254179
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 4.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,308 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enlarged, improved 3rd edition of a standard Route 66 guide, May 2, 2000

By	Doug Pappas (Hartsdale, NY) - See all my reviews

10 years ago, Tom Snyder compiled the first modern guide to driving Route 66. For this third edition, Snyder has thoughtfully separated the driving directions ("Traveler's Guide") from his trove of 66-related anecdotes ("Roadside Companion"), making the book more useful. The guide's most distinctive features are reproductions of period maps from the Automobile Club of Southern California, over which the route of the modern Interstate has been superimposed.

Snyder's book is a fun read and quite helpful for planning a Route 66 drive. But once you're on the road, BY FAR the most useful navigational aid is Bob Moore and Patrick Grauwels' *The Illustrated Guidebook to the Mother Road*, which unlike Snyder's book provides turn-by-turn directions and mileage.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful and fun , April 30, 2006

By	Konrad Baumeister - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Snyder's Route 66 guide is broken down into two sections; the first is essentially a town by town guide through the from Chicago to Santa Monica pier, and the second is a collection of stories, history, and perhaps a couple of tall tales of the Mother Road and the people along it. There is also a bit of introductory information on planning for the road trip, estimating times, what to take along, and this would be helpful for the first-time roadie.

The directions, as far as they go, are accurate, and the maps (all from the Auto Club of Southern California) are serviceable but small. Snyder's narration of the drive is easy to read, he points out various attractions and areas of interest along the way, and the route is easy to follow. This doesn't mean you won't need any other maps; every roadie would benefit from Bob Moore's set of maps and directions.

Also, Snyder presents the route in its east-west direction only; someone following the route from west to east can do so, but other books will serve far better.

Snyder's Roadside Companion of stories from the road are interesting and well worth reading in your motel before going to sleep before another day on the road.

The ardent roadie will find both information and a lot of love for the Road in Snyder's book, and it is highly recommended.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but..., August 7, 2006

By	Loungelistener "LL" (Great Lake State) - See all my reviews

The book itself is interesting, but not "the" guide. It's now somewhat out of date, and no where as easy to follow (or as accurate) as the "EZ66 Guide For Travellers" by Jerry McClanahan. Use that if you really want the nitty-gritty on finding your way around and on Route 66.

However, this book is still an interesting read, and I don't regret buying it, and would recommend it. (though not as a guidebook for your Route 66 trip)