Peterson, Eric 1973-

PERSONAL:

Born 1973.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Denver, CO.

CAREER:

Writer.

WRITINGS:

Roadside Americana: Landmark Tourist Attractions, Publications International (Lincolnwood, IL), 2004.

(With Colin Shattuck) Scooters: Red Eyes, Whitewalls & Blue Smoke, Speck Press (Denver, CO), 2005.

Ramble: A Field Guide to the U.S.A., Speck Press (Denver, CO), 2006.

(With David Lewis) Amazing Places to Go in North America: Hundreds of Amazing Sights and Events, Publications International (Lincolnwood, IL), 2006.

Frommer's Montana & Wyoming, 6th edition, Frommer's (Hoboken, NJ), 2006.

Contributor to periodicals and travel guides.

SIDELIGHTS:

Eric Peterson is a freelance writer who often writes about travel for periodicals and for travel guides. In his book Roadside Americana: Landmark Tourist Attractions, Peterson provides photos and information for visiting forty famous roadside attractions in forty-eight states and provinces. The author classifies the attractions as "Roadside Landmarks," "Roadside Statues," "Architectural Digest," "The World's Largest," "Gas, Food & Lodging," and "Weird and Paranormal." Mark Sedenquist, writing on the Roadtrip America Web site, called the book a "delight for anyone who loves roadside attractions." Sedenquist also noted: "Through the excellent photography of this book, I was able to experience some of the roadside attractions … that I have yet to see in real life."

In Ramble: A Field Guide to the U.S.A., the author provides, according to a Small Press Bookwatch contributor, an "eye-opening guide" to visiting 250 unique attractions throughout the United States, from road art to celebrity graves. The author also writes about road trips he has taken associated with some of these sites. In addition to presenting weird facts and statistics, as well as lists of required reading, viewing, and listening, Peterson includes numerous full-color photographs. "This guide is … enjoyable and colorful," wrote Louise Feldman in the Library Journal. A ColoradoBiz contributor commented that Ramble is "written in a sociologist-meets-Gonzo style."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

ColoradoBiz, July, 2006, Eric Peterson, review of Ramble: A Field Guide to the U.S.A., p. 59.

Library Journal, August 1, 2006, Louise Feldman, review of Ramble, p. 110.

Small Press Bookwatch, September, 2006, review of Ramble.

ONLINE

Roadtrip America,http://www.roadtripamerica.com/ (July 15, 2007), Mark Sedenquist, review of Roadside Americana: Landmark Tourist Attractions.

Speck Press Web site,http://www.speckpress.com/ (July 15, 2007), brief profile of author.