Skip to content

Route 66 a voyage of discovery

Travel Route 66 by Jim Hinckley, Voyageur Press, 240 pages, $23.99. It has been a long time since it's been used as the cross-country route it was built for but Route 66 is still a destination highway.

Travel Route 66 by Jim Hinckley, Voyageur Press, 240 pages, $23.99.

It has been a long time since it's been used as the cross-country route it was built for but Route 66 is still a destination highway.

From the starting point in Chicago all the way to its west coast terminus at Santa Monica, America's Mother road retains its place in history.

Route 66 was replaced by the interstate highway system as an east-west connector but what has occurred is a resurgence of interest in what are now secondary routes and fascinating side trips.

Jim Hinckley provides a wealth of information on the many stops along the way.

From the giant Gemini Man at the Launching Pad Drive-In, located in Wilmington, Illinois to the famous Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona, Route 66 is lined with quirky roadside attractions.

The road is fragmented now with detours and various connecting roads necessary to attempt to follow the original route but that doesn't take away from the experience.

Like the best kind of road trip, traveling Route 66 is a voyage of discovery and Hinckley has provided a fascinating guidebook to help you get the most out of the trip.

With detailed driving instructions, historical descriptions and fascinating anecdotes, this is a book that should be examined before a trip that intersects with any portion of this highway to ensure you don't miss out on any of the unique attractions.