For a number of years, we’ve been among the Adopt-A-Hundred volunteers (as in “adopt a 100 miles of Route 66”) for the National Historic Route 66 Federation‘s “Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide.”
So when we submitted our sections’ recommended restaurants and motels earlier this summer, we knew we’d get a courtesy copy within a few weeks.
Still, it was a surprise when we opened a package from the Federation on Monday and found the 14th edition of the guide fitted with a snazzy, full-color cover.
In a handy spiral-bound form instead of regular binding.
In larger pages.
And text sprinkled with photographs from the road.
To give you an idea of the look of the previous guides, go here. For years, it was a no-frills publication. It sported a one-color cover, with no photos inside. It simply sought to cram in key information about Route 66 restaurants and motels, for as little cost as possible. It did that exceedingly well, and people considered it one of the Mother Road’s most indispensable publications.
Federation executive director David Knudson wrote in an accompanying letter with the newest edition:
I think it is more appealing, and the spiral binding, like the EZ Guide, makes it easier to use while driving. Most importantly, it will retail for the same price as the earlier editions. This took quite a bit of negotiating with the printer, as you can well imagine.
The guide is now 118 pages. Earlier editions were staple-bound and perhaps 60 pages. But volunteers kept finding more and more interesting restaurants and lodging options, and the guide grew thicker and eventually was adhesive-bound.
Now, it’s a classier-looking and more functional publication, and still with all of the information that Route travelers crave.
The growth of the guide of is a testament to the volunteers’ enthusiasm and the increasing viability of Route 66 for businesses.
You can order the new guide here. Cost is $12.95, plus $4.95 for priority U.S. shipping. I recommend it highly.