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Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways Paperback – May 8, 2012
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Jamie Jensen has been immersed in road trip culture from an early age. After a three-year stint bumming around the country, making hay in Kansas, sailing boats in Chesapeake Bay, painting houses in Boston, and living in the storeroom of a Manhattan music studio, he returned to California and earned a degree in Architecture from U.C. Berkeley. Rather than get a real job, he then moved to England, where he began to write about America. Jamie is the author of Road Trip guides to the USA, California & the Southwest, and New England. He lives in Northern California, at the west end of US-50.
More About the Author
I grew up in Southern California back when cars were king, freeways were new, cheeseburgers cost a quarter, and every beach had a beachfront amusement park. After some very pleasant years traveling around the country (making hay in Kansas, crewing sailboats on the Chesapeake Bay, studying architecture at UC Berkeley and ghost-writing a book for the Grateful Dead...), I started work on my book Road Trip USA, a thick and tasty (and fully illustrated!) guide to the best drives in America.
Since then, over 20 years and what are now six (SIX!) ever-improving editions of the book, I've traveled close to half-a-million miles in search of the perfect stretch of two-lane blacktop. Though I drive way more than is healthy, for me or for the planet, I get out of the car as much as possible to check out the best french fries, rodeos, historic trails, and slices of cherry pie that I can find.
So please join me. Check out Road Trip USA, and hit the road!
Since then, over 20 years and what are now six (SIX!) ever-improving editions of the book, I've traveled close to half-a-million miles in search of the perfect stretch of two-lane blacktop. Though I drive way more than is healthy, for me or for the planet, I get out of the car as much as possible to check out the best french fries, rodeos, historic trails, and slices of cherry pie that I can find.
So please join me. Check out Road Trip USA, and hit the road!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
By
T. Sanders
on August 27, 2012
Format: Paperback
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Prior to leaving on my spring 2012 solo cross country road trip I purchased Route 66: EZ66 Guide for Travelers, 2nd Edition by Jerry Mc Clanahan (5 stars), Route 66 Adventure Handbook: Turbocharged Fourth Edition by Drew Knowles (3 stars) and Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways by Jamie Jensen (4 stars) from Amazon (best prices you'll find). My plan was to drive to Chicago, IL from Providence, RI and from there to Santa Monica, CA following old RT 66.
For the Providence to Chicago leg of my trip I used Road Trip USA. While this book gives you a general idea of the routes you want to take it is NOT a turn by turn guide (good driving directions would have been appreciated). It does give many sightseeing suggestions that I did use extensively. Paired with a good GPS unit or additional maps this book is idea for road trips throughout the USA.
On reaching Chicago I found RT 66 and switched over to Route 66: EZ Guide and Route 66 Adventure Handbook. I found RT 66: EZ Guide to be indispensible for traveling 66. I did manage to get lost in nearly every city I drove through as I was both driver and navigator but this would have been solved with the inclusion of the street name of 66 as it passed through cities. Route 66 Adventure Handbook was less useful. It does give you great ideas for sightseeing but finding these locations can be a problem. The addition of street addresses or GPS coordinates would be helpful! Highlights along 66 were Pontiac, IL, Meramec Caverns, the Painted Desert and Grand Canyon.
On reaching Santa Monica I had no plan so I pieced together several of the routes in Road Trip USA to return home. The highlights of the return trip were the Pacific Coast Highway and Yellowstone, not to be missed.
For the Providence to Chicago leg of my trip I used Road Trip USA. While this book gives you a general idea of the routes you want to take it is NOT a turn by turn guide (good driving directions would have been appreciated). It does give many sightseeing suggestions that I did use extensively. Paired with a good GPS unit or additional maps this book is idea for road trips throughout the USA.
On reaching Chicago I found RT 66 and switched over to Route 66: EZ Guide and Route 66 Adventure Handbook. I found RT 66: EZ Guide to be indispensible for traveling 66. I did manage to get lost in nearly every city I drove through as I was both driver and navigator but this would have been solved with the inclusion of the street name of 66 as it passed through cities. Route 66 Adventure Handbook was less useful. It does give you great ideas for sightseeing but finding these locations can be a problem. The addition of street addresses or GPS coordinates would be helpful! Highlights along 66 were Pontiac, IL, Meramec Caverns, the Painted Desert and Grand Canyon.
On reaching Santa Monica I had no plan so I pieced together several of the routes in Road Trip USA to return home. The highlights of the return trip were the Pacific Coast Highway and Yellowstone, not to be missed.
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34 of 40 people found the following review helpful
By
Mackerel Bob
on March 18, 2013
Format: Paperback
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I found this book almost useless in planning a road trip from Florida to Vancouver and back. The book is a collection of six north to south routes and five east to west routes that are basically semi-straight lines drawn on a map with descriptions of points of interest along the way. It's the sort of book you could write without ever leaving home. I found the following two books vastly superior if you're willing to do your own route planning (listed in the order of preference): Reader's Digest "The Most Scenic Drives in America" and Reader's Digest "Off the Beaten Path". Don't waste your money on National Geographic's "Drives of a Lifetime" if you're only interested in U.S. travel.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By
GShaw
on January 12, 2013
Format: Paperback
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The book definitely has some interesting insights and facts. However, judging by the number of errors about places I am familiar with, I might not trust the rest of it.
Some of the two lane routes in the book have minimal things to see because they are so remote, which may explain the number of 'detours' that are included. The 'mile by mile highlights' are more like 'gobs of miles highlights.' If you like Americana trivia, it's worth buying the book, otherwise you might be better off looking thru it at your local library.
Some of the two lane routes in the book have minimal things to see because they are so remote, which may explain the number of 'detours' that are included. The 'mile by mile highlights' are more like 'gobs of miles highlights.' If you like Americana trivia, it's worth buying the book, otherwise you might be better off looking thru it at your local library.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By
T-read
on January 26, 2013
Format: Paperback
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I found the book had too much information and not the right kind. It gave historical facts about the areas, picked out one or two highlights and that's it. It didn't give much information about the proper "touristy" sights, let's face it that's why we go on road trips, nor did it give you much of an in site to hotel, hostels, rv campsites or their costs in different areas. It did have some useful information but I wouldnt use it as my guide book.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By
pat coleman
on March 25, 2013
Format: Paperback
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Although this is a revised 2012 edition it is out of date and too many stereotypical and/or cynical remarks are found throughout the book.
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By
Katherine H.
on November 7, 2012
Format: Paperback
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We traveled 9,000 miles around the U.S. and covered portions of six of the routes outlined in this book in September/October 2012. The book was great for identifying random, interesting stops along various two-lane highways, but we found the restaurant recommendations extremely unreliable. Despite the fact that the latest edition of the book was published only four months before our trip, many of the places listed in the book were closed when we found them.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
Namu
on July 3, 2013
Format: Paperback
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An ok book to get some ideas. Not laid out in a format that is particularly easy to use for quick reference, need to spend time reading it like a novel. The info within is useful but plan on doing some reading. The Woodall's guide and such are faster to reference.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
barbara king
on May 23, 2013
Format: Paperback
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the new edition is really worth having. Purchased it for someone in England who wants to tour/discover America. I have the previous edition and might just have to get myself this new edition, too. Mr. Jensen has done a great job of adding more visual items to this most interesting volume. All sorts of unusual places to visit. Well worth acquiring for those who want to see 'Little America."
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