Americana2003

Americana Readside Memories Whether cruising down the streets of Anytown, U.S.A., or taking the family on a cross-country ride, the highway and its many sights, sounds, and smells are part of the culture and collective memory of generations of Americans. This book brings together the defining elements of our love affair with the open road. It includes Tim Steil's entertaining trip along America's Main Street, the storied Route 66 that once stretched in glorious excess from Chicago to LA. Michael Witzel takes us back to a time and place where service-with-a-smile meant something, presenting a nostalgic look at the places where travelers filled their cars with gas and their bellies with good grub. The gas stations and drive-in restaurants of old offered their own special charm and personality, a far cry from the cookie-cutter feel of today's strip malls and "convenience stores." These icons of roadside America are colorfully illustrated here with vintage ads and memorabilia along with photos of the aging landmarks today.