As the burgers sizzled, Cruisin’: Car Culture In America (1997) roared off the presses, winning the prestigious International Automotive Media Awards (IAMA) Silver Medallion for 1998 (this title features specially commissioned artwork by “cruise culture” artist and co-author Kent Bash). Witzel took the “pause that refreshes” in 1998 and penned Soda Pop: From Miracle Medicine to Pop Culture, a picture-packed history of carbonated beverages. This nostalgic title was co-authored with his wife, Gyvel Young-Witzel (both are members of the American Society of Journalists and Authors).

In 1999, MBI Publishing released Witzel's retrospective of the classic filling stations of yesteryear entitled Gas Stations Coast to Coast (1999). Concurrently, The American Diner (1999) hit the bookstores, showcasing the streamlined dreams of stainless-steel clad eateries. This tribute to comfort food garnered a 1999 Book Achievement Award in the “Merit Award” category for an Art-Photo-Coffee Table (style) book, presented by the Midwest Independent Publishers Association.

Witzel followed up both roadfood titles with his critically-acclaimed The American Motel (1999), a nostalgic time-trip documenting the history of roadside tourist cabins and their metamorphosis into the modern motel. Later that year, Witzel again teamed up with co-author Young-Witzel to release a picture-packed chronicle of America's favorite soft drink, The Sparkling Story of Coca-Cola: An Entertaining History Including Collectibles, Coke Lore, and Calendar Girls (1999).

Additional non-fiction books followed, including Witzel's lavish photographic treatment of classic farming structures entitled Barns: Styles & Structures (2003). The author returned to the Mother Road in 2007 with the publication of Legendary Route 66: A Journey Through Time Along America's Mother Road (2007), also co-authored with wife Young-Witzel.

His most recent title, Barbecue Road Trip: Recipes, Restaurants, & Pitmasters from America's Great Barbecue Regions is a return to his passion for food, published by Voyageur Press in October of 2008.