This lavishly illustrated book guides the reader along iconic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles - from the Great Lakes to the heaving Pacific Ocean, through Great Plains and high plateaus, major metropolises and remote country towns. Presenting fifty backroad journeys, this book points the way to gems beyond the tourist trail: quaint frontier communities, ancient native cultures, awe-inspiring natural wonders, and of course the small towns, service stations, eateries that operated when Route 66 was flourishing, some now revitalized, some ruined reminders of a bygone era. Find state parks, wildlife refuges, museums, historic sites, literary landmarks, and much more, all a short drive off Route 66, awaiting the traveler who is looking for more on this legendary road.Whether you are a nostalgia buff, armchair traveler, group of enthusiasts taking your cars and traveling on holiday, or simply off for a two-week family break, this book is a detailed travel guide and fascinating historic document in one volume, and bound to appeal to the legion of Route 66 fans worldwide.