The Last Stop: Vanishing Rest Stops of the American Roadside By Ryann Ford

20 June 2016

Road-tripping along historic Route 66 is a wanderer’s dream. With its open stretches of blacktop and vast vistas, the route from California to Texas epitomizes the overwhelming spirit of the American Southwest.

© Ryann Ford, from The Last Stop: Vanishing Rest Stops of the American Roadside, published by powerHouse Books.
© Ryann Ford, from The Last Stop: Vanishing Rest Stops of the American Roadside, published by powerHouse Books.

While embarking on this epic journey, photographer Ryann Ford was struck by the multitude of humble, solitary mid-century rest stops built during the nation’s golden age of car travel. What may have been a nondescript blur outside the car window to most, intrigued Ford. What was the story behind these quirky and playful pieces of Americana, such as the mock adobe dwellings in New Mexico and faux oil rigs in Texas, which she passed by?

The Route 66 trip left Ford wanting more, so she set out on a quest to document as many of these locales as possible, all across the country. It was a race against time: with countless commercial options at nearly every highway exit, many feel that these old rest stops are no longer necessary, and many were being closed and scheduled for demolition. Determined to capture as many as she could while they were still in existence, Ford did whatever she needed to gain access. Whether ducking under fences, stepping over fallen trees, or hiking through the snow, she found a way to get the shot.

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico – This is by far my favorite location. The picnic tables there are iconic, straight out of the ’60s, and the landscape is like no place else on earth. It was a hot summer day at sunset when we were shooting, and a thunderstorm had just rolled through, so hardly anyone was around. You couldn’t take a bad picture in this place. © Ryann Ford, from The Last Stop: Vanishing Rest Stops of the American Roadside, published by powerHouse Books.
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico – This is by far my favorite location. The picnic tables there are iconic, straight out of the ’60s, and the landscape is like no place else on earth. It was a hot summer day at sunset when we were shooting, and a thunderstorm had just rolled through, so hardly anyone was around. You couldn’t take a bad picture in this place. © Ryann Ford, from The Last Stop: Vanishing Rest Stops of the American Roadside, published by powerHouse Books.

Collected together for The Last Stop: Vanishing Rest Stops of the American Roadside, Ford’s photographs take us on a memorable ride across the United States, visiting more than 75 different locales along the way. Included in the book are rest stops in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, Mississippi, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. With The Last Stop, Ford does far more than capture the remarkable, effective design of the USA’s road stops, she preserves a moment in the American travel experience when the journey was just as important as the destination itself.

In 2014, Ford ran a successful campaign on Kickstarter, raising over US$35,000. The Last Stop by Ryann Ford is published by powerHouse Books.

About Ryann Ford

Raised in a Southern California mountain town so small it didn't even have a stoplight, Ryann Ford had the freedom to explore and observe from a young age. At age 12, she took her first photo using her father's old Pentax Spotmatic from Vietnam; at age 18 she enrolled in the renowned Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography. Living in Los Angeles, Ryann's creative work began to focus toward two subjects: artefacts of the abandoned American desert, and the fading landscape of California's Salton Sea. In 2007, Ryann packed up her things and made the move to Austin, Texas, taking Route 66 to get there. Along the way, she discovered her next photography subject – the rest stop – a project that culminated in the Last Stop series.

Monument Valley, Arizona – This is one of the last picnic tables in Monument Valley. There were many more, but the rest were demolished so that a hotel overlooking the valley could be built. This table is located in a pull-off, offering a great view of “The Mittens” rock formations in the background. © Ryann Ford, from The Last Stop: Vanishing Rest Stops of the American Roadside, published by powerHouse Books.
Monument Valley, Arizona – This is one of the last picnic tables in Monument Valley. There were many more, but the rest were demolished so that a hotel overlooking the valley could be built. This table is located in a pull-off, offering a great view of “The Mittens” rock formations in the background. © Ryann Ford, from The Last Stop: Vanishing Rest Stops of the American Roadside, published by powerHouse Books.

This work has been covered by outlets such as the New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and NPR. Ryann is currently a commercial photographer who shoots regularly for such clients as Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, and Texas Monthly. Her meticulously composed architectural and interior photography has become an industry favourite, and it is this style – clean and thoughtful – that continues to inform her fine art today.