Before you could compare hotels in seconds or book flights from your couch, planning a summer trip was a weeks-long project involving paper maps, travel agents, and a whole lot of hope. Here's what the process actually looked like — and how much invisible work has quietly disappeared from American life.
Mar 13, 2026
Before GPS, before completed interstates, and before your phone could find the nearest gas station in seconds, driving from New York to Los Angeles was a genuine adventure — and not always in a good way. The miles haven't changed, but almost everything else about that journey has. Here's what the open road actually looked like before the modern world caught up with it.
Mar 13, 2026
Before GPS, before rest-stop lattes, and before anyone legally had to wear a seatbelt, millions of Americans piled into their cars and just... drove. A lot has changed since the golden age of the American road trip — some of it wonderful, some of it quietly terrifying in hindsight.
Mar 13, 2026