Route 66 Dining & Lodging Guide - 12th Edition Reviews

• Great Guide!

  
  By A1DAWFP5VAVA1G on 2002-05-04
  On a recent trip a few weeks ago from Chicago to Needles, CA on Route 66 we used this book extensively. All motels and restaurants listed in the book were exactly as promised. We were never disappointed. If you prefer to sleep and eat at NON-franchised establishemnts - you need this book. There are franchised motels listed, but there are several Mom n' Pop motels & cafes still operating. Even if your not traveling the Mother Road, most places are just a very short drive off of the boring interstate highways. Look for these places - you WILL enjoy the change of pace.
  
  

• Where to EAT and SLEEP on Route 66

  
  By A1O9CIMZRRL4VT on 2003-10-06
  The Dining and Lodging Guide is not, and was never intended to be, a guide to finding and driving Route 66. There's many good books and maps for that. INSTEAD, it is a valuable resource for finding places to eat and sleep while on your Route 66 journey.

  Full dislcosure time...I am a member of the National Historic Route 66 Federation, and a Route 66 author and artist. I had NO part in developing this dining and lodging guide...that was done by volunteers.

  But, even though I have been researching Old 66 since 1981, I have found several editions of this frequently updated guide to be very useful, and never travel the Route without it.

  So, if you want to know a good place to stay in Vega, TX, or eat in Springfield Il, make sure this guide is in your glovebox!
  
  

• Compact and very useful

  
  By A1BBYSMT9YCODI on 2006-04-14
  Great resource for finding places to eat and sleep while following Route 66--or for anybody traveling through the areas covered by this guide. An invaluable supplement to road maps and/or turn-by-turn guides to 66.
  
  Something to keep in mind is that the Guide isn't meant to be a Zagat's or a "what's most popular" guide to Route 66. Rather, the Guide is a reference which can be used both in the planning stages of a Route 66 trip and while actually out on the road.
  
  Unlike some earlier reviewers here, I prefer the personal viewpoints in each section of the Guide. Listings based on online popularity contests result in bland, homogenized recommendations which cater to the lowest common denominator. The fun of exploring Route 66 comes from experiencing the unusual, the unexpected, and the unknown.
  
  

• Disregard Maggie Kaspersetz's Review

  
  By A39AAKA57OUUC9 on 2003-08-19
  Maggie Kaspersetz's review is very misguided. We doubt that she purchased the Dining & Lodging Guide. If she had, she wouldn't compare it to two sources that are travel guides and don't evaluate or even list places to stay and eat. We ask that you dismiss her evaluation as illogical.
  
  

• This Guide is a real Winner!

  
  By AHODUG8JLTFU8 on 2007-01-15
  This guide is a real winner!
  
  I just read some of the other reviews here and the few negatives were
  based on expecting this guide to be everything and to include
  everything. The Dining & Lodging Guide is exactly what it is to
  purported to be - a guide that will help you find good places to eat
  and stay while avoiding those worth avoiding. As you travel through
  communities, you simply don't know what's good or bad without some
  objective recommendations. And incidentally, this guide will give you
  the information you need to make reservations in advance.
  
  We never would have stopped at several of the highly rated places,
  but thanks to the guide, we did, and thoroughly enjoyed them. Three
  examples were Bobcat Bite, the Blue Swallow Motel and the Midpoint Cafe.
  
  One reviewer here said, there were some places the guide didn't list.
  Well, it has over 500 in it. There are thousands of places along the
  Route and there is no way to include them all.
  
  I certainly agree with the reviewer who said you will want several
  types of guides before you set out on your trip.
  
  I think the Route 66 Federation is performing an important service in
  publishing this very helpful guide.
  
  
  
• Disappointing...
  By A2OA6RRCVZDHMV on 2006-10-05
  Yes, the folks at the Nat'l Route 66 Assn are nice, and I'm sure the folks that do the "adopt a hundred" mean well, but this book is full of holes. Motels that should be here aren't, some that shouldn't be are. The listings are a hodge-podge of layouts, nothing is presented the same way twice, making it hard to follow.
  
  By the third day of my Route 66 trip, the book stayed in the glove compartment for the most part. The one time we really relied on it was for the Lincoln Motel in Chandler, OK. That turned out to be one of the worst motels of our entire trip, dirty & messy, but it was 11pm, and we were too tired to keep looking for lodging. (I have pictures to back up these statements)
  
  For now, check out motels on your own, and ask to see a room first (Don't always depend on outside looks). Dining isn't really a problem, since there's plenty of places to eat along the route. Just go in, look around, and if it looks ok, it probably is.
  
  If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't have purchased this book. I'm hoping they can develop this into a much more informative and well (consistant) laid-out guide, but for now... I just can't recommend it.
  
  
• Compact and useful
  By on 2004-06-08
  Great resource for finding places to eat and sleep while following Route 66--or for anybody traveling through the areas covered by this guide. An invaluable supplement to road maps and/or turn-by-turn guides to 66.
  
  
• Nicely organized by 100-mile segments.
  By A3EIM644WAUGYF on 2006-10-16
  The 2,400 miles of Route 66 are divided into 24 100-mile segments and each of the listings are placed within these groups. This does help those deciding how to travel, as one can determine how many hundreds of miles to cover in a day, and can plan for lodging, etc.
  
  The drawbacks are that the dining and lodging listings are separate within each segment, so one has to consult a map. I found a nice place to eat but I later found that it would be several miles back from where I might stay. It might be an idea to have a listing for each segment of all items in order. Some smaller towns required me to consult a map to see just how far these individual towns were apart.
  
  On a very positive note, though, I found several very nice, what one might call "out of the way" places to eat that were off the interstates. I don't think that one can do justice to a trip like that without dining at places like that.
  
  I do wish it could be noted if a place is owned by a Route 66 "lifer" or still in the family along that line. Some places were bought up by foreigners...I am not against foreigners here at all, but they won't have any desire to sit and talk with you about the merits of Route 66 and its history. I had a nice talk with a couple diner and motel owners and would gladly go there again, and I would have to make certain to visit other spots along the way that I sadly missed.
  
  There is one segment (I will not mention it in this review) that I felt was sadly under-represented. Thankfully I had another guide, as there were elements of the movie "Cars" that could be found in the town that began that segment. The town is full of locally-owned, neon-lit businesses and motels that were just plain overlooked. My recommendation to anyone is to rely not on a single guide, book, or map, but rather a multiple set.
  
  
• Your BEST Guide through Route 66
  By A3HRBTOFF0AWKA on 2005-08-20
  Have you ever taken a vacation by car and thought you would be able to find a decent place to stay, only to find out it wasn't what you expected? Or what about those times you were soooo hungry, wanting to stop at many restaurants along the way but they just didn't look appetizing and on and on you drove! Well, no more! This jam-packed guide is just what you need before getting on "The Road", guiding you along the way right to those tasty, friendly, home-cooked meals just like long ago. You'll have your pick of many lodging places, making you feel as though you are part of the family, along with learning the historial background about them from their yesterday's to today. You can count on this information as it has been written from the experts who practically live on the road or do and know it first-hand forward and backwards. So...what are you waiting for? My husband and I highly recommend this first-class guide book. It is a must so order at least a few as they make great gifts.
  
  
• Route 66 Guide
  By ATS9ZOH5CQCJ5 on 2006-08-07
  This guide was very helpful. We tried several restaurants in the book and all were very good. The El Rey Inn in Santa Fe was beautiful. I highly recommend staying there. This is worth buying. It made the trip enjoyable knowing that where we were eating and staying were good. We would have missed many of them if not for the book.
  
  
• Route 66 Dining and Lodging Guide 11th Edition
  By A3BBSC1KGFIWKJ on 2007-01-12
  We took the Route 66 Trip in 2004 with an older edition of the Dining and Lodging Guide and found it to be very helpful. So I ordered the new edition before we took the trip again this past fall. There were a few places that have closed since the book was printed. And of course you always found a few that shouldn't be in the book, but you really need to look a place over carefully anyway. I find the same to be true with my AAA Guide books. Overall the Dining and Lodging book was very helpful. I would give it a 90% and I would get another updated version if we took the trip again. (Just avoid the Silver Saddle Motel in Santa Fe.)
  
  
• Not very comprehensive
  By A9GG187ES39F1 on 2006-03-11
  There are so many other good places on RT.66 that this book does not mention. The way the book works is, a certain person" adopts" a section of RT.66. IF they have never stayed or eaten at a place, it does not get mentioned! Its also possible for the person who adopted a certain area and who is responsible for reviews of that area, have not traveled there in years so the info could be old and outdated. For example, the Blue Swallow in Tucumcari,NM. is not even mentioned! Its one of the most famous hotels on RT. 66! I liked the idea that proceeds from the sale of the book go the National 66 organization, but I think the book is way overrated. The national RT.66 organization should let people review any and all eating and lodging establishments on their website, and then base the book off of that. I would reccomend going to RT. 66 websites and use those to research where to eat and sleep instead of buying this very small incomplete "booklet"
  Sorry for being harsh but its not that great of a book.
  
  
• Actually 0 stars
  By AIN01CJ0D1A2L on 2003-07-13
  Don't waste your money. This book was useless. I just returned from my trip on Route 66 and never once found this book useful. I suggest Route 66 Adventure Handbook, by Knowles and highly recommend Traveling Route 66, by Freeth. The last a great traveling companion helps figure out mileage and what to see.
  
  
• sue's views
  By AI4I2U23XPN3Q on 2005-08-19
  This little book is a MUST to take on the Road. Its reviews help you find the best places and they keep you away from those that aren't so good! Don't leave home without it!! Additionally, don't forget to purchase the Route 66 Map Series that cover all 8 states...a great companion to the Dining and Lodging Guide.
  
  
• Recent Vacation
  By A21Z7II5VFX6CK on 2007-07-10
  We used this book extensively on our recent trip out west. We drove on Route 66 as much as possible and came upon the diners that were listed in this book. The author was right on with the descriptions. If ever in Flagstaff, AZ, try Miz Zip's. It was the best dining experince we had.
  
  
• Not quite what I thought
  By A39ACNGSRHPJR on 2007-08-07
  I'm getting ready to take my first full trip down Route 66. I bought this guide to direct me to authentic 66 dining and lodging. I was disappointed to find that a lot of the places listed are chains and places that didnt exist on the original 66. However, it does mention if an establishment is a supporter of Route 66. In general, it is a good guide, if you don't care about the authenticity of the place.
  
  
• Indispensable
  By A2W14FZMF35VWK on 2007-08-23
  We bought this book in anticipation of a Route 66 trip we are taking in a couple of weeks. The book is small but packed with information that we believe will prove very valuable. Each entry has ratings, exceptional places are marked with a star. There is information on which credit cards each place accepts or whether they only accept cash, a must know when hundreds of miles from home! I would purchase it again.
  
  
• Really Useful Guide
  By A1IJD8UPYZVHJ8 on 2007-05-12
  This is a must-have for anyone driving Route 66 who wants to know where to stay and eat. It is very comprehensive and easy to follow and has certainly made my planning much easier.
  
  
• Helpful for finding food and lodging but I question the ratings
  By A4PBNUUQR1C2D on 2007-09-15
  The book was helpful for finding food and lodging but I disagree on some of the ratings. Some motels listed as excellent were worse than some rated as good. The food ratings and recommendations I found to be more reliable. We stopped at many of the recommended food places and were not disappointed. The addresses listed in the book were helpful for navigating route 66 and determining what towns would be good for stopping.
  
  
• Route 66
  By A3E0RON66PTG7X on 2008-03-03
  We purchased this book to assist us with a planned trip down Route 66. We have still to do this journey so cannot say whether or not the book will be of any assistance. However, it gives a list of hotels/motels and places to eat, and at first glance this seems like the ideal book to take with us. It is small book so will not take up much room in our luggage and is ideal to carry around with us.
  
  
• Get the most from your Route 66 trip
  By A39AAKA57OUUC9 on 2005-08-19
  If you plan to experience the vintage motels and restaurants, you'll need this guide. You'll find some real gems.
  
  
• Holiday Planning
  By A2MFQQFBSX0Y1S on 2007-05-06
  I propose to drive The Mother Road this year and this booklet is part of the planning scheme. Its very helpful when planning the driving stages between meals and overnight stays
  
  
• helpful
  By A3NL0INEJRJZ9X on 2007-09-19
  I am going to be traveling cross country in a couple of weeks and I will be referring to this quite often.
  
  
• Basic Book
  By A29ZOA72QSHL5F on 2008-05-19
  This book pretty much provides what it advertises. I was a little disappointed in the description of most of the places. It is very difficult to tell what is a true can't miss place to stay and eat, or just a run of the mill restaurant or motel.
  
  I will give it credit for the abundance of places listed through out all the states, look forward to making use of it on my Route 66 Journey.
  
  
• Great little book!!
  By A1SFUE4IKW6252 on 2008-07-16
  I just returned from a relatively unplanned trek down much of Route 66 (St. Louis to San Bernadino) armed only with a set of maps and the Dining and Lodging Guide. I found the Guide extremely useful. It was occasionally inaccurate in terms of hours of operation, which presumably change often. The Rock Cafe in Stroud OK was burned down. The La Posadas hotel in Winslow Arizona was fully booked - so I would recommend advance reservations there. My only real complaint would be that the book fell apart after the third day. Other than that, it was a great resource to have along.
  
  

• Here It Is! The Route 66 Map Series
• Route 66: EZ66 Guide for Travelers
• Route 66 Adventure Handbook: Updated and Expanded Third Edition (Route 66 Series)
• Route 66: The Mother Road 75th Anniversary Edition
• Route 66: Traveler's Guide and Roadside Companion