The Great American RETRO Road Trip: A Celebration of Roadside Americana
By Rolando Pujol
Artisan Publishers, 2025, 2025
Hardcover, 320 pages, $35

Reviewed by Heather David

“You’ll find that great roadside stops are everywhere when you begin to look for them.”
~ Rolando Pujol, The Great American RETRO Road Trip

WANDERLUST. I have it. Chances are, you do too. Every place has a story to tell, and this narrative can be experienced through its history, cultural artifacts, and customs. Rolando Pujol’s new book, The Great American RETRO Road Trip, is a tome that is sure to help satisfy your wanderlust. In what once seemed like an impossible task to me, Pujol has produced an encyclopedia of “Roadside Americana,” one book that covers hundreds of unique attractions across the country, from coast to coast.

The Great American RETRO Road Trip is organized by geographic region and subject. The book functions as both historic documentation and a travel guide. Each section features the following categories: Roadside Quirks (such as the World’s Largest Popcorn Ball), Roadside Eats (coffee shops, diners, and drive-ins), Mainstays of Main Street (whether located in an old downtown or strip mall), On the Show (theaters and other buildings related to entertainment), The Inn Crowd (historic motels and hotels), Sweet Stops (candy and ice cream shops), and Cheers! (bars, cocktail lounges, and liquor stores). There is literally something for everyone in this book – whether your personal passion is roadside architecture, vintage signage, old coffee shops and diners, etc.

For people just getting started with exploring the American roadside, Pujol’s book will prove invaluable. It’s like a “Greatest Hits” compilation. There are over 300 pages packed with information and colorful photos. The book, however, is useful for longtime roadside enthusiasts too.

One of the first things I did after getting my copy was page forward to the section on the Mountain West, and cross-reference suggested sights with a recent trip I took to Denver. After that, I moved on to the Desert Southwest and did the same with Las Vegas.

Be sure to check out Pujol’s special “Pull Over!” sections. I had to laugh when I saw “Pull Over!” because it’s something I say and do often, while in the car, and I bet that others can identify. These two words have prompted some of my best roadside discoveries.

Another notable aspect is Pujol’s inclusion of American chain businesses. What is deemed historic and/or culturally significant is always subject to interpretation, and we lose special places regularly due to a lack of education and advocacy. A few months ago, I drove by an abandoned and perfectly intact 1960s Pizza Hut restaurant. I worried about its future. The sighting had me pondering whether mass-produced buildings are worth fighting for. Pizza Hut is celebrated in Pujol’s book, as well as such American fast-food mainstays as Arby’s, Dairy Queen, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, and Taco Bell.

The last section of the book is devoted to California, the nation’s most populous state. Being a native Californian, I was curious to see what attractions resonated with Pujol the most. Credit must be given to the author/ researcher because someone could produce an entire Heather M. David is a California-based cultural historian and book just on vintage California signs. It must have been challenging to shortlist all of the possibilities. I was happy to see the Magic Lamp Inn and Donahoo’s Chicken featured in a “Signs that Strike Gold” page spread. I had just visited both places earlier this year.
The Great American RETRO Road Trip feels like a grand love letter to the U.S. The reader can just feel the excitement and enthusiasm radiating off each page. Ours is a geographically large country, and not surprisingly, a great deal of diversity and creativity is expressed in our roadside attractions. This book, however, is not just a celebration of one-of-a-kind neon signs and buildings that seem to defy gravity – towering muffler men and dinosaurs – special foods and local traditions. It is also a call for preservation. There is no guarantee that places that exist today will still be there tomorrow.

My personal desire has always been to see the country, crossing off each state as I go. There are places I may never get to see in person, and I have accepted that sad reality. However, for the places I do get to visit, I want to ensure that I don’t miss the “must-see and do” experiences. Pujol’s well-researched book will ensure that I don’t. This book provides countless options for American road trips… I highly recommend that you pick up a copy, fill up your tank, and GO!

Heather M. David is a California-based cultural historian and freelance writer. She is the author of the books Mid-Century by the Bay, Motel California, and numerous articles on American popular culture and historic preservation. Heather is an advocate for the preservation of mid-century modern architecture, art, and signage — with a focus on Northern California Modernism. Her ongoing personal research interests include California-based sign companies and the designers who worked for them, concrete screen block patterns in the wild, and mid-century modern architecture, including schools, churches, and commercial buildings.

This book review originally appeared in the SCA Journal, Fall 2025, Vol. 43, No. 2. The SCA Journal is a semi-annual publication and a member benefit of the Society for Commercial Archeology.

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