Route 66 conjures images of an innocent golden age of car travel: shiny V8s powering down hot, two-lane blacktop, sucking 20-cent-a-gallon gasoline, and periodically depositing their occupants at mom-n-pop greasy spoons, neon-lit motels, and tourist traps. But America’s Mother Road wasn’t all about ruddy-cheeked, summer vacationers. Route 66 and the regions it traverses have a side more seldom seen, rich with weird tales (mimetic architecture, paranormal phenomena, and even cryptozoology) to the downright sordid and seedy (murder, mistreatment, and other assorted mayhem). In Strange 66, bestselling Route 66 authority Michael Witzel explores the flip side of Route 66 to offer details on infamous Route 66 locations that once served as hideouts for the James Gang (Meramec Caverns), Bonnie and Clyde (Baxter Springs, Kansas), and Al Capone (Cicero, Illinois). There are the stories of unspeakable crimes committed along 66, such as the Stafflebeck “murder bordello” in Galena, Kansas, and Ariziona’s “Orphan Maker of Route 66.” Witzel also explores the people that passed through the region, including the Dust Bowl exodus and the Trail of Tears tribute in Jerome, Missouri. Then there are the lighter, though still strange stories, such as the Route 66 Great Transcontinental Footrace and the origins of various roadside colossi, like the Blue Whale of Catoosa and Giganticus Headicus in Walapai, Arizona. And speaking of heads, what about steak? Eat one as big as your head at the Big Texan in Amarillo—and it’s free! All of these stories culminate in a look at Route 66 unlike any other, completely illustrated with modern and archival photography and written by an acknowledged authority on the Mother Road.

Written for Perfect Sense Digital and published on the the Coca-Cola Journey web site, "11 Classic Diners to See Around the U.S." is a mouth-watering review of the best diner-style restaurants in America.

Nationally renowned food commentator Michael Karl Witzel takes readers on an eye-opening (and mouth-watering) tour of the histories, techniques, culture, competitions, traditional side dishes, and classic hot spots associated with barbecue’s four major regionally based styles. With hundreds of photographs and illustrations, print ads, signage, and more, this account offers a rich picture of American barbecue in Texas, North Carolina, Memphis, and Kansas City.

Legendary Route 66: A Journey Through Time Along America's Mother Road is an amazing homage to this historic highway. Through an eye-popping collection of color and black and white images, follow the evolution of Route 66 from the early days of the trails to the era of the superhighway bypass. Along the way, you'll meet the legends that breathed life into the road and will discover why this fabled highway is more than just a road. Experience the sights along the way with historic and current photos in then-and-now pairings, vintage postcards, road signs, trinkets, maps, brochures, and ads. Witzel shares a wealth of personal, archive, collector, and contributing photographer images in these pages, offering a nostalgic tour of the charms and oddities of this road through American cultural history.

Barns: Styles & Structures captures the pastiche of rural America through stunning photography, illustrating the five major architectural barn styles. It's all here, including the stone barns of hard-scrabble Maine, thoroughbred barns of the bluegrass regions, traditional Gambrel-roofed red barns of the Midwest, distinctive round barns of the Northeast, and more.

The American Diner is the story of a tasty American original, from the early days of Walter Scott and the first horsedrawn lunch wagons through the birth of the pre-manufactured dining car industry, the age of streamlining, the rise of jumbo diners, and the heyday of diner construction during the 1950s. A calorie-free, blue-plate special of nostalgia.

The American Motel recalls the evolution of yesterday's hotels, motor camps, and tourist courts into the sleek, franchised, leisure motels of today. For those who long for the days of two-lane highways lined with neon signs, drive-ins, and "Mom and Pop" motor inns, here is a key to a time when a night in a motel wasn't just an interruption to a vacation, it was part of the fun.

The Sparkling Story of Coca-Cola, a compendium of America's favorite soft drink, is an entertaining account of the product that helped define "pop culture." This is the definitive overview of a world famous company and drink, including the history of Coke's distinctive flavor, the fight for control of the formula, the advertising battles, and its meteoric rise to worldwide popularity.

Remember when filling stations fixed flat tires for just a few bucks? Or when "fill 'er up" meant no more than five dollars' worth of high-octane in the tank? Gas Stations Coast to Coast is a full-service time-machine packed with memories of an age when pulling into a gas station to refuel was more than just a chore, but rather, an enjoyable experience.

From its evolution as a miracle medicine to its prominent role in the refreshment industry, soda pop has become a daily staple and international commodity. Soda Pop! presents the history of the explosive growth of carbonated beverages around the world, "pop culture," and the huge popularity of soda pop memorabilia, including Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Hires, 7 Up, Pepsi, and more.

Cruisin': Car Culture in America examines all aspects of the universal automotive pastime known as "cruising,", including the cars, the rise of youth culture, street racing, drive-in restaurants, drive-in movies, cruisers versus the law, Detroit's role, "classic" cruising venues like Detroit's Woodward Avenue, Main Street, popular culture and more.

Drive-In Deluxe is a tasty remembrance of the drive-in restaurants and fast food eateries that once lined the roadways of America. Discover the origins of drive-in dining, carhops, customer service, and cruising the Main street strip. Packed with a hefty platter of colorful artifacts from the era of curb service, including menus, burger wrappers, vintage advertising, and postcards.

Route 66 Remembered is an incredible collection of historical photographs and evocative interviews that capture the reverence of the towns and attractions found along the roadsides of America's fabled Mother Road, Route 66. Take a nostalgic time trip from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California across a long-forgotten America of yesteryear and rediscover the myth, magic, and imagination that defines the “old road.” Inside, you'll discover the wonder of roadside attractions and tourist traps, greasy spoon diners and restaurants, service stations, tourist courts, auto camps, and motels that transformed the highway into a living, breathing entity. On Route 66—the legendary Main Street of America—the ride truly is more important than the destination.

The American Drive-in is an eye-popping chronicle of the drive-in restaurant's glory years and recent revival, including icons like the Texas Pig Stands, A&W, Mels, McDonald's, The Varsity, Porky's, Sonic, and many more. Here is the definitve fast food volume, a fun history of the folklore, architecture, and cuisine of our favorite drive-in restaurants from coast to coast.

Gas Station Memories takes a fond, fun, photography packed look at the filling stations of yesteryear and the many aspects that made them so memorable. A rich resource of the gas station, including chapters detailing vintage gasoline signs, gasoline pump globes, station attendants, smoking memorabilia, oil cans and containers, gasoline pumps, and promotional giveaways.

The American Gas Station: History and Folklore of the Gas Station in American Car Culture is the service station book that started it all. Here is the complete history of the roadside refueling station, packed with images of vintage service stations, gasoline pumps, gas pump globes, oil containers, neon signs, petroleum mascots, promotional memorabilia called "petroliana," and more.