Taking a road trip isn’t just to get from point A to point B. It’s the destination. Get read for Take The Highway’s list of 10 different books, each with a different by interesting niche, all revolving around car travel.
What do you want to see on that destination? History? A certain niche? Do you just want to clear your head and just see what happens along the way?
Whatever it is you want to do, there’s a book for it. There’s a book for everything, it seems. Why should this be any different?
1.) 50 States, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do
Category: General.
Written by National Geographic, this book is rich in illustrations. As the title suggests, the book covers all 50 states. Attractions include everything from household names to the obscure.
As a bonus, the book also covers Canada’s provinces and territories.
A must-have for those looking to learn more intricate details of the 50 states.
2.) Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America’s Two-Lane Highways
Category: Rural
While large cities and major highways are thoroughly covered in print and online, this book concentrates on more rural territory and two-lane highways. It really highlights the areas of the country most people simply bypass.
The book covers extensive route combinations and are color coded.
The pictures are quite extensive, with a brilliant combination of black-and-white, color, and illustrated pictures of the present and the past.
Landmarks along the way are pointed out by the mile, and include contact information.
3.) The Most Scenic Drives in America, Newly Revised and Updated: 120 Spectacular Road Trips
Category: Scenic
Authored by the editors of Reader’s Digest, this book features the most scenic drives across the 50 states with brilliant pictures and accounts. From the flat, marshy land of the Florida Everglades to the mountains in the Adirondacks, to the rainy Olympic Peninsula, to Alaska, a little of everything is covered. By following along, you’re sure to never get bored, and always see new sights.
Do you want to go to Massachusetts in January? Probably not. This book covers each route with numerous resources, including the best time of year to take each journey.
All routes have a sidebar with pertinent information, including website information where you can access up-to-date information.
4.) Roadfood, 10th Edition: An Eater’s Guide to More Than 1,000 of the Best Local Hot Spots and Hidden Gems Across America
Category: Dining
First written in 1977, Roadfood has been a proven go-to for foodies who like to travel, as well as travelers who just want a bite to eat that’s not passed through a window. As such, the 10th edition has just been released.
The book doesn’t cover high-end or low-end, so much as places that epitomize a particular region’s flavor. Of course, the locals have to go there and display passion for the food and atmosphere.
The book is divided by regions, then by states, then by a listing of restaurants. Restaurants have addresses, phone numbers, price range, and a summary of the restaurant’s history and its signature offerings.
5.) National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas: Maps, Games, Activities, and More for Hours of Backseat Fun
Category: Kids
OK, you have your books for food, for rural trips, for scenic trips, and landmarks all over North America.
What about your kids? They need reading material for the back seat.
Each state is represented in colorful, artistic pages loaded with state facts and a state map with attractions
The rear of the book comes with riddles and puzzles.
6.) Ultimate Baseball Road Trip: A Fan’s Guide To Major League Stadiums
Category: Sports
Written in 2012, this book is a follow-up to a previous edition written in 2004. The follow-up contains new ballparks that had been built after the 2004 edition.
Each Major League Baseball ballpark is featured in great detail over several pages of stories, features, facts, and various pictures.
This is the book for any baseball fans wanting to make the visit to all 30 MLB parks.
An appendix near the end of the book is on how to plan the trips, so you can hit several different parks at one time. Included is a series of sample itineraries which block out the trip into different parks and different days.
7.)The Route 66 Photo Road Trip: How to Eat, Stay, Play, and Shoot Like a Pro
Category: Route 66
“Route 66” from Chicago to Santa Monica was the first great (nearly) cross-country route traveled by the automobile. It remains America’s most famous route, though today it’s a series of different highways and interstates.
This book by photographer Rick Sammon and his wife, Susan, shows brilliant pictures throughout, from a corner in Winslow, Arizona, to classic motor lodges. The Sammons also go into great detail on the editing of photos (a bonus for photography geeks!)
It’s not simply a picture book. Provided are contacts for attractions along the routes, a list of smartphone apps, even advice on how to battle some of the high altitudes over which the route traverses.
8.) The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide: More than 500 Sites from Gettysburg to Vicksburg
Category: American History
Sure, most of these books are historical to one degree or another.
However, this one is about a more distant history. A darker history.
Covered within is a guide covering all 384 Civil War battle sites, as well as additional historical sites pertaining to the Civil War.
Also, lodging and eating information is included, as well as a detailed itinerary for numerous separate roadtrips.
Geographically, the book is divided into geographical areas such as the deep south and the far west.
9.) Adventure, My Road Trip Journal!
Category: Journal
This one is way different. Why? For starters, there is no reading material within when you buy it. The good news is, you provide the reading material based on your own experiences. It’s an actual journal!
Many people take a written account of their road trips. Some after the trip, some daily. Ideally, this is a daily journal, something to fill in after dinner, in your hotel room, RV, or tent.
The journal’s pages are themed, where you can divide your entries into highlights, routes, the date, the weather, your odometer reading, and points A and B.
10.) Not Tonight, Josephine: A Road Trip Through Small-Town America
Category: Humor
The author, George Mahood, and his friend, Mark, came over from their home of England to set out across the United States.
Their adventure led to a humorous account, enough to fill a book. Literally. Literally, a literary 371 pages!
Through the humor, there’s a lot of history. A lot of knowledge about rural America that many would otherwise not get.
Jump in the Dodge Caravan and take the trip!
Want to check ’em out???
All ten books are available on Amazon, and links are available for each and every title. Enjoy!
(Cover image courtesy of www.inkmedia.eu)
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