What The American Road Trip Looked Like 50 Years Ago

These days, it's easier than ever to hop online, buy a plane ticket, and spend your family vacation halfway across the world. But prior to WWII, the idea of leaving so much as one's city for some much-needed family bonding was shockingly uncommon thanks to the extremely high cost of cross-country travel.

Thanks to the economic boom that followed wartime, however, the average American income increased and, with it, the affordability of automobiles. That meant traveling was easier than ever — and what better way to spend some time away from home than with your family?

The family road trip isn't a new idea, but it has changed dramatically since the years of rear-facing seats and the occasional friendly hitchhiker. Those concepts sound foreign to you? Then you won't believe what the American road trip looked like 50 years ago.

#RoadTrip #America #1970s

Incomplete Highways | 0:00
Radio & 8-Track Jams | 1:18
55 MPH Limit | 2:28
The Drive-Thru | 3:36
Gas Stations | 4:41
Rest Areas | 5:47
Hitchhiking | 6:42
Rear-Facing Seats | 7:50
The Seat Belt | 8:50
Automobiles Broke Down | 9:54
Paper Maps | 11:05

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