A travel back in time and space. Nostalgic and iconic.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The ultimate book for road trippers. It has everything a person going on a road trip across the US of A would want. History junkies, foodies, theater people will all find something. Rather than ignoring the quirks like some travel books, this one embraces it fully. A must read for anyone on a road trip.

Thank you Artisan books for this arc.


Seeing this book's cover I have to be honest and admit that the first thing I thought of was the opening sequence for "National Lampoon's Vacation." And yes, this is sort of an expanded coffee table book version of that. Pujol divides the book into regions of the lower 48 (no Alaska or Hawaii entries) and then subdivides what he covers by categories such as motor court inns, restaurants, businesses, tourist (trap) attractions, etc.


The section for the South was a bit of a trip down memory lane as I remember stopping at Stuckey's as well as seeing barns painted with the enticement to "See Rock City" and the endless signs to stop at South of the Border during summer vacation trips.


Some original businesses are still open and doing what they've always done while others have become new ones but with the original sign there. Other iconic signs have been saved by public support. If you watch the opening scene of "Vacation" you'll see many of the images that are in the book. There's lots of neon, elephants, clowns (many creepy), dinosaurs, and mid century modern space stuff galore. B

As a long time reader of Rolando’s Substack, I was so excited when he announced he was publishing a book and thrilled to get a copy early. I cannot imagine how hard it was for him to pare down the thousands of worthy restaurants, signs, sights and oddities observed on his travels.

This book will absolutely inspire you to jump in the car and wander, I’ve bookmarked so many locations, both familiar and far off to add to my must see list.

If you suffer from wanderlust or just love history and American culture at its finest, definitely check this out (and subscribe to Rolando’s newsletter)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Artisan for the opportunity to read and review.

This book is a love letter to the American roadside's charm, identity and heart. So beautiful to see history and heart combine in its culture and scenery.

If you’re not already dreaming of a road trip across the U.S., this book will absolutely spark that wanderlust. The Great American Retro Road Trip is packed with vibrant photos, quirky anecdotes, fun historical tidbits, and genuinely useful travel info. It’s a treasure trove for anyone who loves the offbeat charm of America’s hidden gems and roadside attractions.

I especially loved the sections on classic diners and the “Roadside Quirks” — full of delightful surprises and oddball stops that make a road trip unforgettable. This book is a total charm bomb and a perfect companion for anyone planning (or just fantasizing about) the ultimate American road adventure. Would also make an awesome gift!

A super fun read. No matter your age or where you're from you'll find something in here that brings back memories or gives you roadtrip ideas.

This one makes me want to jump in the car with a full tank of gas and head out to see some incredible sights!

An interesting view on some great road side attractions. I like that it was divided into chapters by state - making it easy to find where things are located. There is a lot of information and great photos. It can't cover everything, but I wish there was more per state included.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy of this book to peruse. The book is divided out by sections of the country. it groups like-attractions together. For example, may have one section with attractions featuring dinosaurs and another section attractions that feature eateries. There are a lot of fun pictures of places that are featured and descriptions of the places and where they are located.

This is more of a coffee table book, but could be used on a road trip to find some unique places to visit. I made sure to look through the upper Midwest, since that is where I am from. I think the author tried to highlight some key places, but missed a few stops I would have included. I still think this is a fun read for anyone that is interested in road trips mixed with a little history and nostalgia.

I was so excited by the idea of this book. Sadly it just didn't make me love it.

The title is definitely why this nook will sell. All that is "Retro" sells big. However, the book just doesn't deliver. It seems to packed full - rushed in places, slightly opinionated in others. There are way too many pictures on a page and often difficult to find the corresponding paragraph of explanation. The sections were jumbled - going back and forth between states - I would have preferred a by state rather than by subject.

Cute idea and I truly wanted to love it - but I've just seen too many better.

Fun coffee table book with lots of photos and brief but entertaining write-ups on the various features. Arranged by region to make it easy to do the obvious thing with a book like this - check off the things you’ve already visited and circle the things you want to visit in the future!

After reading this book I came away feeling like it’s a book at war with itself. On one hand it’s a wonderful travel guide that takes you on a fun retro road trip to find the odd roadside attractions, signs local businesses and fun places to eat and sleep. On the other hand it’s a fun coffee table book sharing pictures of slices of America back when the different geographical regions meant something.

As a travel guide it doesn’t give enough clear information and easy access to that information with the layout. The Index is weak and an appendix or two would be wonderful to search and group.

As a coffee table book the pictures are two small and the writing too bland.

I think the subject matter would make either a great guide or coffee table book sharing pictures unfortunately this does neither.

—ARC Review from NetGalley—

I loved this book as an idea. Knowing this book was photography-based, I was looking forward to all of the old signage and imagery. Pujol’s photos are fun to see and I did recognize a lot of places and learn of new spots that looked interesting to visit someday. The photos give the a fun, retro vibe and I appreciate that little to no photoshop was done to clean them up. The old buildings remain rundown (if they are), passersby are present, power lines exist, and trashcans live on the streets and by doors. However, I do wish that some of the photos were better composed. For example, the Red Rooster Drive-In on page 22 isn’t even straightened to the skylines. Just basic changes like that could have cleaned up some of the images. Additionally, some of the photos feel like something that someone could have snapped on the iPhone rather than well lit, properly composed photos.

Layout-wise, I found the book to be way too busy. I would have rather had larger images with fewer spots explored. The description made the book seem like it was going to be heavily focused on the imagery of these places. With more images of each location, we could have more detail into the spot and Pujol could have given more backstory into each location rather than a couple basic sentences. There are many places listed that aren’t even pictured. I don’t see the point of including them without imagery. Cutting these could have lent some space to larger images of the places that were featured. Also, some of the images had the backgrounds cut out and the images placed on the page which loses any potential for the surrounding atmosphere or location of the places.

Overall, I feel like this would have been better as a series of books focusing on each part of the US in a book fewer spots features, more detailed and better composed photos of each location, and more history on those more memorable spots.

Rating: DNF

What a fun book bringing back some memories of a past life... Having left the USA quite some time ago my connection to some of the places and signs, etc made me smile all over again. Was such a fun way to remember past travels and past places. This is a book of nostalgia, a book of history really as some of these places have made the USA what it is today.

And as we love a good road trip and we have and will continue to visit the USA (to see relatives as well as finding more places to visit) this book is something I will buy to take on our travels with us fir sure. So much fun, great photos and plenty of information to lead us on a wonderful Retro Road Trip.

Thank you NetGalley and Artisan Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Okay, so "The Great American Retro Road Trip" really caught my eye, especially since I've never been to the States but will be very soon and wish to use this book as my guide. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The photos were absolutely stunning, and the writing so clear and packed with good info without being boring. Seriously, I’m definitely getting a physical copy for my coffee table.

I suspected this book would my jam and I was right. I will definitely purchase this book when it comes out to help serve as a "bible" for our retirement Route 66 and beyond road trip. There are pictures of almost every place he mentions and he gives enough information to be able to locate them on the road. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book. Loved it!

The book celebrates the unique American car and road trip culture and inspires the reader to want to get into their car, turn up the radio, and leisurely travel the highways and actively witness and experience their journey rather than simply arrive to their destination as conveniently, quickly, and mundanely as possible.

As a person who loves to road trip, this is a very useful and user friendly guide to unique and off the beaten path roadside attractions. The book is organized by geographic region and then into categories for attractions, food, lodging, and other sites. This makes the book easy to navigate and accessible for readers to relocate attractions of interest while traveling. While concise, Pujol's research is evident and I appreciated the pictures he provided of almost every attraction. That helped me want to continue and read more about different attractions. The book made me excited to look up which roadside attractions are near me in my own geographic area and which attractions might inspire my next road trip in a different part of the country.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

This was a fun travel guide with great insights into retro Americana. I loved all the pictures and I for sure want to see some of these places! I loved all the that I was introduced to so many places I never even considered.

As a family, I suppose as many growing up in the 70s, we took road trips every year. We had family across the country, so we did these long, focused drives. We have so many memories that make for a lot of nostalgic talk around the table. I really loved this book, and I wish this generation could experience the journey that was the Great American Retro Road Trip.

Thank you to Artisan Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #RolandoPujol #TheGreatAmericanRetroRoadTrip #ArtisanBooks

The Great American Retro Roadtrip by Rolando Pujol is an entertaining and whimsical journey across the USA via roadside attractions and locations both big and small. The photos are fantastic and the narrative is concise and light-hearted. I would LOVE to get my hands on a physical copy of this book! For travel enthusiasts and nostalgia lovers alike, this book is fun, fun, fun! Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this advanced reading copy.