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The Great American Retro Road Trip
A Celebration of Roadside Americana
Contributors
Formats and Prices
- On Sale
- Jun 24, 2025
- Page Count
- 320 pages
- Publisher
- Artisan
- ISBN-13
- 9781648293719
Price
$35.00Price
$46.00 CADFormat
Format:
- Hardcover $35.00 $46.00 CAD
- ebook $16.99 $21.99 CAD
Buy from Other Retailers:
The Great American Retro Road Trip is a coast-to-coast journey chronicling retro roadside America. Discover classic giant roadside attractions, from The Coffee Pot and The Big Duck to the World’s Largest Paint Can and the Haines Shoe House. Or iconic signage, like the dazzling Yoken’s neon sign, and the classic Moon Motel sign. Still-standing vintage locations of America’s favorite chain restaurants, from Pizza Hut to McDonald’s to Taco Bell. Through author Rolando Pujol’s anecdotes and clever narrative, readers will come away with a sweeping sense of roadside charm that still exists, as well as a desire to see it all for themselves.
These lingering traces of America’s past are an archive of disappearing roadside signage and architecture, and they tell a story of American ingenuity, creativity, and community. Whether you pick up this book for the nostalgia-inducing photos, the heartwarming stories, or as a reference for planning your own trip, you’ll be encouraged to, as Pujol says, “Let your curiosity guide you.”
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“This salute to 20th-century America might propel your next road trip.”AFAR
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"A hopeful look at a version of America that existed once and can perhaps exist again…Pujol is a warm and witty tour guide, and there’s enough room in his car for everyone.”Publishers Weekly
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“This book is a love note to the unique charms of the American landscape painted in neon signs, Muffler Men, and roadside motels. It’ll make you long to hit the open road.”Dylan Thuras, co-founder of Atlas Obscura
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“Well, my wish came true! Rolando has finally compiled all the nostalgic, retro, quirky, and curious places I hope to see, photograph & experience into one treasure trove of a beautiful book. I've been a longtime fan of Rolando's work and am so excited to use this to plan our next road trip adventure.”Wally Koval, founder of Accidentally Wes Anderson
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“The Great American Retro Road Trip is a joyful reminder that America is so wonderfully weird and quirky, charming and strange, bizarre and magical. Rolando Pujol highlights places that aren’t simply stops on a map; they’re windows into the soul of America, showcasing the creativity and humor of everyday people. The stories and photos make a strong case for skipping the airport for an extra-special experience on the road for your next adventure!”Margaret Bienert, co-author of Hotel Kitsch and co-creator of A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour
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“I squeal with delight and excitement as I turn these pages full of color and fun that inspire me to hit the road for a creamy soft serve or savory fried treat eaten in the glow of a neon sign. These are the places that memories are made of, and Rolando’s depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for the quickly vanishing cool vintage places across the U.S. make this book a must-have on any road trip, whether driving in your home state or planning a classic cross-country jaunt.”Beth Lennon, aka Mod Betty, founder of Retro Roadmap
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“Put a crown on Rolando Pujol’s head, for this well-traveled guidebook establishes him as the king of the great American roadtrippers, sharing the stories and glories of precious, time-honored roadside landmarks, electrifying signage, and classic mom-and-pop shops from America’s golden era of car culture and mass consumerism.”Charles Phoenix, pop culture humorist and historian
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“With his journalistic sensibility, uncanny instinct for seeking out sights worth seeing, and brilliantly easy way with words, Rolando Pujol has taken on a subject as vast as the country itself and delivered a new book that brings fresh perspective to the decades-old study of the American commercial landscape, and that is as enjoyable to read as it is an absolute visual bombshell to look at.”Thomas Rinaldi, author of New York Neon
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"I’ll admit it—I’m jealous I didn’t write this book! The Great American Retro Road Trip is brilliantly laid out, with fun categories like roadside quirks, eats and sweet stops. Rolando Pujol has done all the work so we can sit back, enjoy the ride, and use it as the perfect guide for our next adventure. I know I will."Sef Gonzalez, The BEAST at Burger Beast
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"Rolando Pujol is on a mission to save roadside Americana, or at least document as many funky, fabulous midcentury sites and signs as he can while we still have them. Rolando serves up a loving look at mom-and-pop places as well as chains that once were proud to sport the coolest look on Main Street. He provides history and insights to his photos too, making this a fun read and terrific inspiration for your next road trip."Brian Butko, author of Roadside Attractions, Roadside Giants, and Greetings from the Lincoln Highway, Director of Publications at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.
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Preorder The Great American Retro Road Trip by Rolando Pujol to receive a set of six irresistibly retro 5″ x 7″ postcards featuring photography from the book!
Plus, receive instant access to three digital Father’s Day cards so you can gift your preorder to all of the retro road trip loving dads in your life!
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