May 7, 2018
With smartphones and rear-seat entertainment systems, the family road-trip experience has changed dramatically, writes Ratay in this enjoyable reminiscence on what they used to be. Ratay, an advertising copywriter, begins his story in 1976, when, as a seven-year-old, he and his family crashed into a ditch during a blizzard while driving from Wisconsin to Florida; years later, everyone would deem that incident “the best start to family road trip ever.” Ratay recalls taking long car trips with his father, mother, sister, and two brothers, playing games in the backseat with his siblings while his parents engaged in the “Battle of E” (in which his mom continually asks his dad to get gas while dad waits for the last possible second before running out). Throughout, he also explores how America’s love affair with the automobile forced better safety requirements (e.g., enforced seat-belt regulations) and pushed lawmakers to develop an interstate road system. He explains how road trips influenced the concept of roadside diners (in the 1930s a Georgia pecan farmer started what would become the convenient road-stop restaurant, Stuckey’s), the creation of travel lodging (a road trip inspired Charles Wilson to open the Holiday Inn in 1951), and how cars were developed to accommodate entire families. Ratay’s informative, often hilarious family narrative perfectly captures the love-hate relationship many have with road trips.
May 15, 2018
A historical and nostalgic look at the family road trip.In his first book, a mix of memoir, history lesson, and travelogue, advertising copywriter Ratay waxes wistfully over the rise and fall of the tradition of traversing the United States via the nation's superhighways. Using as a jumping-off point his personal experiences in the 1970s as a child stuffed into the back of a station wagon with his siblings ("although ordinary Joes couldn't afford a plane ticket, nearly every family could afford a car, often two"), the author covers a wide variety of topics related to family road trips. He discusses the construction of U.S. interstates, the need for dining establishments, gas stations, and motels for the families on the road, and the sights a child might have longed to see, including a whole slew of "World's Largest" objects or animals. Ratay includes details about the rise of theme parks, including Disneyland and Disneyworld, Knott's Berry Farm, and others, when more safety features, including seat belts, were introduced, and how the use of CB radios kept people in touch with one another on the road. He also shares his thoughts on how cheaper air fare and the need for faster travel have helped make the long road trip somewhat of a relic. Some of the more minute details--e.g., about the roof design on Stuckey's restaurants and their distinctive yellow-and-red billboards--may not appeal to a wide audience, but much of the narrative will find favor with older readers who can readily recall their own experiences riding in the car while Dad drove and Mom navigated. By sharing this history, Ratay also provides a useful juxtaposition against the modern vacation, with each person engaged with an electronic device rather than each other and the surroundings outside the windows.A lighthearted, entertaining trip down Memory Lane.
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June 15, 2018
In a debut that is part history lesson, part nostalgic drive down America's burgeoning highway system, award-winning advertising copywriter Ratay reflects on his 1970s childhood while expounding on the societal and economic origins of the family road trip. Soaring in popularity in postwar America, the family road trip was not only necessary in a time before affordable airfare but a welcome diversion in the automobile age. Ratay transitions seamlessly between humorously sweet yet sarcastic personal anecdotes from his own family's misadventures to bite-sized history lessons behind American roadside staples. Plenty of facts and trivia are provided, telling the stories of favorite roadside attractions of the 20th century, such as Howard Johnson's, state rest areas, and even the nation's favorite drive-throughs. VERDICT Readers gearing up for summer travel or a trip down memory lane are sure to identify with the timeless ups and downs in this entertaining guide.--Jennifer Clifton, Indiana State Lib., Indianapolis
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