On American Highways I: A brief history of family road-trips in the USA

“Once again road trips are becoming more about the journey rather than the destination and I see that as a very encouraging sign that maybe people are realizing the merit of enjoying the journey.” – Richard Ratay

Richard Ratay (@RichRatay) is the author of Don’t Make Me Pull Over!, an informal history of the family road trip.

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Richard discuss the history of long-haul automobile travel and the interstate highway system (6:00); the effects of interstate highways on American travel culture (19:00); the station wagon and the evolution of the road trip car (35:00); and the decline of the road trip Golden Age (48:00).

Notable Links:

• Henry Ford (founder of Ford Motor Company)
• Horatio Nelson Jackson (automobile pioneer)
• Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey (book)
• Howard Deering Johnson (entrepreneur and businessman)
• Motel 6 (hotel chain)
• Ralph Teeter (inventor of cruise control)
• I Can’t Drive 55 (song by Sammy Hagar)
• Citizens Band Radio (short distance radio communications)
• Convoy (song)
• Convoy (movie)
• Wooly Willy (toy)
• Handheld electronic games
• Mattel (toy manufacturing company)
• The Sears Christmas Wish Book was (truly) great American literature (Deviate podcast episode)
• 8-track tape (sound recording technology)
• Bill Lear (inventor and businessman)
• Barry Manilow (musician)
• M*A*S*H (TV series)
• MacArthur Park (song)
• Duran Duran (band)
• Herb Kelleher (founder of Southwest Airlines)
• Airline Deregulation Act

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