Monday, May 30, 2016

How America invented the road trip


We were on a short road trip, just an hour hike from Detroit to Port Huron, MI, and my German friend Mathias was giddy. He turned on a country station and said this was how he always imagined America. He came for the techno and urban decay, but he what he wanted to see was the open road.

Germany may have the Autobahn, but America grew up around the car. The large expanses of countryside carved up by highways and freeways are just as iconic as any skyline. The American love affair with road travel didn't spring up overnight. Whole industries, technological innovations and federal agencies had to come into being over time. Whether traveling across the country or a few hours from home, there's a lot to appreciate about the way road trips have shaped America.
 Chamberlain, South Dakota - A concrete teepee encloses benches at a rest area by the Missouri River on Interstate 90.
Rest Areas

Brace yourself for the high drama of the history of the roadside rest stop. The 1956 Federal Aid Highway Act didn't just set up the freeway system, but also the network of rest stops that line freeways to this day. The feds considered rest areas important safety measure, giving tired drivers a break from hours of travel.


The act called for the rest areas that would be maintained and supervised with bathrooms and areas for picnics. What the act didn't specify is how creative designers could be with the rest stops. These rest stop might be the only contact travelers had with the local culture as they pass through. Many are tailored to the region they're in, such as large tee-pees in southwestern states. Almost all contain some basic information about the state and surrounding area. Some are considered excellent examples in mid-century design and have developed an unusual fan base.
 Road Maps
Road Maps

Check out the crazy map above. That is a AAA atlas of transcontinental routes in 1918, before most roads outside of cites had even a number to label them. The first usable  maps with labeled streets came out in the late 1800s, but were for bikers, pedestrians, and carriages in big cities. People traveled long distances by train. Roads outside of major population centers were usually country dirt roads. When Horatio Nelson Jackson completed the first cross-country road trip in 1903 it took him sixty-three days of traveling over rough terrain to go from San Francisco to New York.

As cars became more common, lousy roads and maps became more of an issue. AAA was founded to deal with the map side of those problems. Along with Automobile Blue Book Publishing Company, AAA printed maps which highlighted "good" roads. These maps often included photos of routes to help drivers figure out where they were. The photos still posed a problem, as identifying roads by the surroundings would be useless if the landscape changed. AAA constantly sent out pathfinders to find what routes were safe for cars. Maps improved dramatically when standardization of route names and serious road improvement began in the 1920s.
6626

Source: autoblog.com/photos/america-history-the-road-trip/#slide-3482047

14 comments:

Industrialvehicles said...

Warequip Solutions are proud to present their new online parts and accessories store Industrial Vehicle Parts

Unknown said...

For driving safety, besides of car tires, keeping the windshield clean is also important.

Industrialvehicles said...

Industrial Vehicle Parts is a dedicated online parts store run by the team at Warequip Solutions the home of #industrial #vehicles.

saeed said...

very nice blog also check http://vigoasia.com/ Thailand no 1 hilux exporter largest stock list

saeed said...

very nice blog also check http://vigoasia.com/ Thailand no 1 hilux exporter largest stock list

Businessmindltd said...

Businessmindltd is the perfect solution for land rover car parts. Here you can find the best and cheapest land rover car parts london,land rover car parts,
land rover accessories Car Parts,land rover freelander parts,land rover oem part,land rover aftermarket parts,land rover copy parts,jaguar parts london,jaguar parts supplier london.
You can here directly contact for best and cheapest Land rover car parts. So keep visiting our websites to get exciting tour offers on regular basis.

Unknown said...

Find here automotive parts traders, automotive parts suppliers in singapore. It is the automotive components and parts suppliers, exporters and traders companies in Singapore. VIEW MORE :- Automotive Parts

Industrialvehicles said...

This is a very nice blog
visit to Industrial vehicle parts and buy reasonable Taylor Dunn parts and Taylor Dunn batteries

Crystal Coleman said...

I am not sure where you're getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for magnificent information I was looking for this info for my mission.
mazda wreckers brisbane
brisbane wreckers
car wreckers brisbane
wreckers brisbane
auto recyclers brisbane
brisbane holden wreckers
mazda wreckers sunshine coast
4x4 wreckers brisbane
scrap car brisbane
cash for cars brisbane
cash for car gold coast
Best place to scrap a car
cash for junk cars brisbane
toyota wreckers Brisbane
brisbane cash for car
cash for scrap cars brisbane
cash for cars gold coast
nissan wrecker brisbane
Brisbane spare auto part
brisbane spare part auto

Unknown said...

Excellent information provided by you,
Thank you so much............
recall motor vehicles
recall alerts on vehicles

Unknown said...

Are you looking for potential buyers without investing much???? Then you are at right place we are offering you affordable business solutions which will help you to increase your profits.. VIEW MORE:- best website designing company in delhi,india

Wayne Chin said...

Lusida Rubber produces a variety of fiber glasses which is a good insulator of electricity and famous for its outstanding properties.wwww.lusidarubber.com
Lusida Rubber
Lusida
Lusida Rubber Products
lusida rubber company
Lusida Rubber Products Inc

Godaddy Promo Code said...

Thanks very nice article keep posting
Delhi Group Housing 2019

Rip Rook said...

Thanks for sharing this post it's all information is really helpful for all users.

Dodge Source Auto