A literary history of America’s most storied highway, featuring work from Raymond Chandler, Joan Didion, John Steinback, Sylvia Plath, and more. Even before there was a road, there was a route. Buffalo trails, Indian paths, the old Santa Fe trace—all led across the Great Plains and the western mountains to the golden oasis of California. America’s insatiable westering urge culminated in Route 66, the highway that ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. Opened in 1926, Route 66 became the quintessential American road. It offered the chance for freedom and a better life, whether you were down-and-out Okies fleeing the Dust Bowl in the 1930s or cool guys cruising in a Corvette in the 1960s. Even though the interstates long ago turned Route 66 into a by lane, it still draws travelers from around the world who long to experience the freedom of the open road. A Route 66 Companion gathers fiction, poetry, memoir, and oral history to present a literary historical portrait of America’s most storied highway. From accounts of pioneering trips across the western plains to a sci-fi fantasy of traveling Route 66 in a rocket, here are stories that explore the mystique of the open road, told by master storytellers ranging from Washington Irving to Raymond Chandler, Joan Didion, Sylvia Plath, Leslie Marmon Silko, and John Steinbeck. Interspersed among them are reminiscences that, for the first time, honor the varied cultures—Native American, Mexican American, and African American, as well as Anglo—whose experiences run through the Route 66 story like the stripe down the highway. So put the top down, set the cruise control, and “make that California trip” with A Route 66 Companion. “Route 66 has a long and interesting history, and Dunaway . . . has done a fantastic job selecting works of literature about ‘America’s Main Street’ to tell its dynamic story, supplemented by the editor’s own invaluable commentary. . . . [An]all-around remarkable anthology.” —Publishers Weekly “A Route 66 Companion is a great read and should find its way to the hands of any armchair traveler or lover of the history of the American West.” —Oral History Review

Now available in paperback!!This incredible collection of historical photographs captures the reverence of all the attractions and towns of the Mother Road, Route 66. Noted author Michael Witzel spent years traveling Route 66 collecting mementos of life and folklore that make up the most famous road in America. His unmatched photography takes readers back to the attractions and towns as they were and offers a captivating view of them today. Here it is, the American highway past and present in Motorbooks' beautiful 10 x 10 format, the classic photographic essay of an American legend.

Climb aboard for a visual road trip across the American Southwest, following famous Route 66 and the trains of the Santa Fe and BNSF Railways. Filled with spectacular photography and engaging text, Route 66 Railway explores the relationship between the "Route of the Warbonnets" and the "Mother Road" through mountains, deserts, forests, cities and quirky towns. Thrill to colorful diesel locomotives and vintage steam trains as they roll past cafes, motor courts, tourist traps, railroad stations, neon signs, and much more.

This guide to using a college library covers finding information in all available formats, and how to find the relevant material in periodicals. Also included is an explanation of databases and how they can help with research, and an overview of how to make the most of the Internet.

This is the first of two volumes presenting a detailed look at the history and surviving physical features of historic Route 66 in California. This volume focuses on the desert portion of the route, from the Colorado River to the San Bernardino Mountains. Immortalized in stories, songs, and movies, Route 66 remains a potent symbol of the promise of the American West. The volume combines a narrative of the history of the highway with descriptions of the architecture, abandoned roadways, and landscape features that still mark its path through the California desert.