Click on one of the picture buttons below to begin your journey!

                                        NEW!  A trip across the Heartland!  Come check out my new Iowa Lincoln Highway pages with pics and tidbits of the road taken in July of 2012.  Iowa's Lincoln Highway is well maintained, well marked and above all, a fantastic drive across whole state.  Iowa has wholly embraced the old highway and Iowa's Department of Transportation has even marked the entire route.  Just follow the signs!  Click on the carved out tree pic to the left or the Lincoln button below to get started on your virtual journey!

My story?  I accidentally discovered old Route 66 while motoring one sunny day along super-slab I-40 near Flagstaff, Arizona.  I'd heard of it, but it really existed?  Wow!  From then on, a special interest was born, not just of Route 66, but of the glitz, kitsch and excitement of all of America's roadside past.  From childhood trips, I vaguely remembered buzzing neon signs, albino rattlesnakes, mysterious teepees; greasy spoon diners and rubber tomahawks.   Where had they all gone?  Replaced by a dull monotony courtesy of the mega-corporations and a spreading numbness across the land.

Well I still remember them!  How long has it been since you saw something unique along the road?  How long has it been since you considered a road trip an adventure into and of itself?  Probably far too long.  So come with me as we reminisce about some of the fun and flair that used to make every trip a special occasion.  Click on one of the images below for some pictures of my experiences along the American road and please send me some of yours...I'm looking forward to seeing what's out there.

"Gee, I wonder how I can get a copy of some of those cool pics...?"  

Drive the Broadway of America by Jeff Jensen.  The definitive Highway 80 drive guide through the American Southwest!

Click on the image below to see a sample of the text, the tours, and most importantly, my turn by turn maps!

By Jeff Jensen

"As one who has spent two decades exploring, charting, and documenting Route 66, I can say without hesitation that Jeff Jensen has elevated himself into the upper echelon of road scholars with Broadway of America.  His exceptional accounting of the old US 80 and Bankhead Highway corridor leaves no stone unturned, revealing a marvelous grab bag of ruins, old roadbed, and other roadside attractions. The maps are dead-on and the images mouth-watering. I've made the trip twice and can't wait to do it again!"
Jim Ross

Author, Oklahoma  Route 66
Co-author and Publisher, Roadside USA

The 1922 Bankhead Highway Tourist Guide.  An incredible find!  The second transcontinental convoy to blaze an early auto trail across the United States would become known as the Bankhead Highway and would also leave a myriad of U.S. Highways in its wake later on.  From Washington D.C. to San Diego, California, the Bankhead Highway was touted as an important military and 'all-weather' auto route across the United States.  Often called the Broadway of America, here in detail is a copy of the path the Bankhead Highway took across the united States in 1921 (published in 1922).  How much of this early highway can you uncover and share with us?

Route 66.  Since 1926, this road, perhaps more than any other, has come to define America's unique roadside culture.  From Chicago to Santa Monica, a whole new way of life consisting of the roadside cafe, motor court and unique roadside attractions sprung up and made their way into our pocketbooks, and our hearts.

Highway 80, the Broadway of America, the Bankhead Highway, the Dixie Overland and the Ocean to Ocean Highways...well, it used to be.  Decommissioned first in California, then subsequently in Arizona and New Mexico, and now even all the way back to Dallas, Texas, old Highway 80 seems to be shirking away from the west coast like a turtle retreating into its shell.  However, due to the arid conditions of much of the Southwest, relics and evidence of the old highway abound. 

Highway 99, the Pacific Highway.  Born at the same time as its cousin 66, old 99 quickly became the main thoroughfare for North-South travel in the West Coast states.  Unfortunately, 99 has undergone the same onslaught of 'progress' as has 66.  Those quaint cafes and motels of yesterday, once thriving on the main route, continue to disappear.

Highway 101, the Redwood and Pacific Coast Highway, is a fantastic drive over virtually its entire length.  101 carries one from San Diego surf to Redwoods; Oregon coast to Washington's Olympic peninsula.  I've had the privilege to drive it from San Francisco to Washington, and it was a wonderful trip.

The flair of yesteryear lives on!  Enjoy some memories of the road.  I'll start with goodies from my own  personal experiences, but I'm looking forward to getting guest photos.  Help me 'flesh-out' the country by sending me some of your favorite stuff!  Location, state and credit are given when known.