Book Review

The Impossible Roadtrip

An Unforgettable Journey To Past And Present Roadside Attractions In All 50 States

By Eric Dregni. Motorbooks, 2021. Hardcover. 192 pages. $35.

Eric Dregni is one strange writer. It’s strange, indeed, that he has a pen collection large enough to scrawl so many books. It seems like whenever you read Dregni’s newest book, you hear rumblings of another book that will be out soon.

So, that’s strange, but so is what he writes about. He’s fascinated by the bizarre. In love with the peculiar. A connoisseur of that which is freaky. His books are an expression of this obsession.

His latest book, his twenty-fourth, The Impossible Road Trip: An Unforgettable Journey To Past And Present Roadside Attractions In All 50 States, is no exception.

Reading this book is like climbing in the car with your zany uncle who is taking you on a road trip that you’ll never forget. And Uncle Eric has no intention of taking you to the Grand Canyon or Disney World or The Statue of Liberty.

Eric Dregni isn’t that kind of uncle. This isn’t going to be that kind of trip. But rest assured, it’s going to be trippy. Getting in his car—and I don’t know what kind of car Dregni drives, but I’m picturing him in an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile with a fully functioning flux capacitor— means you’re going to see this wonderful country of ours in a way that you didn’t know was possible. You’re going to exit at stops you wouldn’t have otherwise. Hop on blue highways. Hit places that aren’t found in the most popular of travel guides. Let’s face it: He’s Eric in Wonderland and he’s taking you down some interesting rabbit holes.

Dregni is an enthusiastic tour guide who exudes a fascination with each zany roadside encounter on his travel itinerary. You’re going to hit all fifty states. You’ll visit The Santa Cities. Underwater hotels with waterproof suitcases. The Taj Mahal of…wait for it…West Virginia—a golden temple built by the Hare Krishna. A kebab made of cars. The Grotto of Redemption dedicated to the Virgin Mary. A museum of painted toilet seats. You get the point. The places Dregni takes you are off the wall and off the beaten path.

And they are fun.

So is his voice. The Impossible Road Trip is enjoyable to read because Dregni is clearly having a blast chronicling this road trip. Dregni does what the best of writers do and he convinces you that what he has to say is important. That these places are important. That’s not easy to do when you’re writing about a steampunk spaceship or a large ball of twine, but Dregni pulls it off.

When you read a book such as this, you realize how incomplete your education is. If you want to be that person at your workplace or church or family gathering who knows things no one else does, The Impossible Road Trip is for you. You will be armed with small talk that will induce all sorts of head-scratching.

In a world with so many problems, Dregni’s travelogue is a welcome respite. A true gem of a book. A treasure you’d be wise to unearth.

Story: Matt Ryan, Associate Professor of English at Concordia St. Paul

Photo: Courtesy of Eric Dregni

Eric Dregni is Prof. of English, Journalism & Italian at Concordia St. Paul. The Impossible Road Trip can be purchased through online retailers.