History of the Great American Road Trip

Historic Route 66 - Snow Covered Peaks; public domain image

History of The Great American Road Trip

Not so long ago in America, taking a vacation meant packing up luggage, an ice chest, possibly the dog, and of course the family and setting off on a road trip. The rise of air travel changed this scenario for some, but definitely not for everyone. Pulbished in 2021, the 2019–2020 Portrait of American Travelers® survey by MMGY Global revealed a resurgence in road travel. Since 2015, the survey recorded a 64% yearly increase in road trips. The trend is far from over, with 50% of Americans planning to travel more in 2024. Of those, 63% will hit the road.

I am writing this in a remote cabin on a river in California, one of many stops on my own road trip adventure. The April 8th total eclipse of the sun sent my husband and me across six states in our SUV to Texas. We were not alone. Millions traveled to the path of totality, which included parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. On the way home, I keep running into eclipse travelers. While waiting for tables at restaurants or for admittance to tourist attractions, we swap impressions of totality. Restaurant and service staff confirm that the recent crush of new business is due to eclipse travelers.

The great American road trip seems here to stay. After driving paved-over stretches of the Old Oregon Trail and Route 66, it makes me smile that essential slice of American history lives on. Most people take the interstate nowadays, but for those who seek roads less traveled, the rewards are substantial.

The opportunities for safe road travel abound today, but this wasn’t always the case. At the turn of the 20th century, wretched roads and the limited capabilities of horses, wagons and coaches hampered travel. Most covered long distances by steam locomotive. However, a few hardy souls set off on horseless carriage excursions. These intrepid individuals began the tradition of adventuring by private motorized vehicle that we enjoy today.

1899 Quinby Electric Carriage; public domain image

When recalling his 1903 trip from Colorado Springs to Santa Fe, attorney Phillip Delany declared: “and so the machine is conquering the old frontier, carrying the thudding of modern mechanics into the land of romance. . . .” Much taken with the idea, he went on to note: “The trails of Kit Carson and Boone and Crockett, and the rest of the early frontiersmen stretch out before the adventurous automobilist.”

While exploration appealed to adventurers like Delany, others wanted to escape the rigors of city life into a romanticized dream of nomadic travel. These tourists belonged to the upper-middle class. The cost of an automobile (between $650 and $1,300) placed owning one beyond the reach of most households. Besides this constraint, gas stations and garages were not largely available outside city limits. While a wealthy person might overcome such limitations, the average American could not.

Bad roads increased the likelihood of breakdowns and misadventures. One motorist in the Wyoming of 1909 described the roads he traveled as “deep ruts, high centers, rocks, loose and solid; steep grades, washouts, or gullies…” He also described “unbridged streams, sand, alkali dust, gumbo, and plain mud” as “common abominations.” Venturing off the beaten path for long distances demanded a great deal of self reliance. Mishaps could and did happen.

The first successful transcontinental journey was undertaken on a whim and a $50 bet in the spring of 1903. Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson, his friend, Sewall K. Crocker, and a bulldog named Bud set off from San Francisco in a 20-horsepower Winton touring car. This feat inspired others. 

Horatio Nelson Jackson, public domain image

Between 1901 and 1908, transcontinental drivers loaded their vehicles with numerous tools, sleeping bags, water carriers, camp stoves, navigational instruments, first aid supplies, rain-proof ponchos, pith helmets, tire chains, spare parts, firearms, and more. Mary C. Bedell published her gear list in Modern Gypsies, her 1924 account of auto touring: “tent, duffle bags, gasoline stove, Adirondack grate and a kit of aluminum kettles, with coffee pot and enamel cups and saucers inside.” This equipment increased the weight of her fully loaded automobile by “four or five hundred pounds” and gave the automobile a striking resemblance “to a hermit crab staggering across the ocean floor burdened with its house on its back.”

In time, wages rose and prices for used cars fell. Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908, improving the availability and affordability of automobiles. The increasing number of automobile travelers sparked the interest of merchants across America. Gas stations, garages, roadside diners, and hotels sprang up along more traveled routes. 

Eventually, interconnected roads became highways like Route 66. The great American road trip was born.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with tales "written" in her head. Today Janalyn is a storyteller who writes western historical romance and medieval epic fantasy. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all her novels in proportions dictated by their genre.

Learn more about Janalyn Voigt and her book series.

President William Howard Taft visits the Thousand Islands

By Susan G Mathis

Lots of famous people from all over came to the New Frontenac Hotel during their summers. In 1904, William Howard Taft sought respite in the tranquil beauty of the Thousand Islands on Round Island. The scenic archipelago, nestled along the Saint Lawrence River on the border of the United States and Canada, provided the perfect backdrop for the president to unwind and rejuvenate. President Taft, known for his larger-than-life personality and robust stature, had a keen appreciation for leisure and relaxation. The Thousand Islands, with its lush greenery, crystal-clear waters, and countless islets, promised a peaceful escape from the pressures of the Oval Office.

Taft and his family embarked on a voyage to the Thousand Islands, taking advantage of the region's reputation as a premier vacation destination. The president's decision to visit the islands not only highlighted the area's natural beauty but also brought attention to the growing popularity of the Thousand Islands as a haven for the well-to-do seeking solace. The president and his family enjoyed boat rides along the winding channels, exploring the myriad of islands that make up the region.

Fishing excursions were a favorite pastime, with the president's robust enthusiasm for the sport. The abundance of fish in the Saint Lawrence River provided ample opportunities for Taft to indulge in his love for angling while taking in the picturesque surroundings.

In Rachel’s Reunion, Rachel meets William Howard Taft, Secretary of War in Teddy Roosevelt’s Administration at the time, the Maharaja and Maharani of Baroda, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver and Alva Belmont, the Russian Prince and Princess Engalitcheff, and a famous photographer, Chester Armstrong. These people, and others, really did come and stay at the resort.

What makes a great president? Leave your answer or comments on the post below and join me on February 19th for my next post.

ABOUT RACHEL’S REUNION

It’s 1904, and Rachel Kelly serves the most elite patrons at the famed New Frontenac Hotel on Round Island. She has wondered about her old beau, Mitch, for nearly two years, ever since he toyed with her affections while on Calumet Island, then left for the high seas and taken her heart with him. Now he’s back, opening the wound she thought was healed. Mitch O’Keefe returns to claim his bride but finds it more difficult than he thought. Returning to work at the very place he hated, he becomes captain of a New Frontenac Hotel touring yacht, just to be near Rachel. But his attempts to win her back are thwarted, especially when a wealthy patron seeks her attention. Who will Rachel choose?

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has eleven in her fiction line. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan lives in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling the world. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

 

Katsushika Hokusai's Art

Great Wave off Kanagawa - Public Domain

In November 2023, I was visiting my daughter in Washington near Seattle. We found out about an art exhibit for Katsushika Hokusai’s art and visited one afternoon. The exhibit was one of the most amazing to me. Hokusai’s art is just incredible and his contribution to the art world is still impactful. 

For pronunciation: Consonants are like English, vowels like Spanish. So Hokusai is Ho - Coo - Sigh. Also, in Japanese, traditionally the surname comes first and the personal name second. Thus, Hokusai is his familiar or personal name while Katsushika is his family or surname. 

 

Self-portrait
Age 83
Wikimedia 
Commons

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was one of Japan’s great artists. He lived almost 90 years and changed his name 30 times. Most of his name changes reflected where he was at in his art production. We’ll look at a few of those.

 

Hokusai began drawing when he was only six years old. Some believe he got his start by helping his father, who polished metal mirrors for the shōgun. The mirrors included art work around the edges, usually flowers and vines.

 

When he was 18, Hokusai became an apprentice to artist, Shunshō, working at his school. His master called Hokusai, Shunrō, and this is the name Hokusai used when he published his first book of prints. After the master’s death, Hokusai had to leave the school when his thirst for knowledge of art led him to learn from a rival school.

 

Courtesan Sleeping
Public Domain
(Try enlarging the picture 
to see the incredible detail.)

Under Shunshō, Hokusai did mostly prints of courtesans and people of the court. When he left the school, his art focused more on landscapes and daily life. His depictions of the daily life of Japanese people were vivid and detailed. 

 

At 51, Hokusai became known as Taito and began a new type of art to him. He did more simplified drawings, creating Hokusai Manga. The art he produced at this time influences the manga of today. The style of artwork is very similar. He published 12 volumes of his manga during his life and three were published posthumously.

 

Red Fuji - Public Domain

The 1820’s to mid-1830’s were a time of renown for Hokusai’s art. His name during this period was Litsu and his fame in Japan grew. He created his most famous work, 36 Views of Mount Fuji. This collection contained “Great Wave off Kanagawa”, Hokusai’s most famous painting. The wave painting (pictured above) is reproduced often today in a variety of ways, including on the shower curtain in my guest bathroom. If you watch for that wave picture, you’ll start to notice where it’s used.

 

Hawfinch and Marvel-of-Peru 
Small Flowers Series 1834

Hokusai never stopped learning or growing as an artist. He believed he would not truly understand art until he reached 90, and it would be better if he could live until 130, when he would have divine understanding of art and would have “reached the stage where every dot and every stroke I paint will be alive.” 

 

From 36 View of Mount Fuji

During his 80s, Hokusai continued his art, mostly painting in his latter years. He had a table set up for him to produce art any time he wanted. His daughter lived with him and cared for him. She was also an artist. 

 

Wisteria and Wagtail
Small Flowers Series

On his deathbed, Hokusai reportedly said, “If only Heaven will give me just another ten years…five years, then I could become a real painter.”

 

I hope someday you have the chance to visit an exhibit of Hokusai’s art. The detail is exquisite. His pen and ink sketches have such a graceful style and his drawings of every day life are very detailed and lifelike. 

 

Have you ever heard of Hokusai? Have you seen some of his artwork? I’d love to hear from you. Be sure to enlarge the pictures in this post so you can see the detail he adds to his artwork.

The Night Attack - 1780s
From the real life story of the 47 Ronin.

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

Twenty Fascinating facts about Paul Revere beyond his "Midnight Ride"

 

Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley

 

Many of us had to memorize parts of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere in grade school. It immortalized the Boston Silversmith, but there was so much more to him. I was looking through my copy of The Book of This Day in History by Jim Dailey. When I came across the entry for April 18, 1775, marking the Paul Revere’s ride to alert those in Concord, Massachusetts that the British were coming, I got curious about the man. The things I knew about him: he was a successful silversmith, had been married twice and had 16 children and he was a patriot. 

Here is my list of fascinating facts after a little research on Paul Revere

1.   He helped organize an intelligence and alarm system to keep watch over the British troop movements before and during the Revolutionary War. This system consisted of men who would observe and report. He was such a well-known courier that The London Times listed his name as being wanted for spying. I’m impressed he avoided being arrested. However, during his “Midnight Ride” through a British Checkpoint his horse was confiscated.

2.   In 1748 at 13, he began his apprenticeship with his father to be a silversmith. Paul never attended college but had a brilliant mind.  

3.   In 1756, he briefly served in the army during the French and Indian War. He wasn’t old enough to take over his father’s silversmith shop after his death in 1754, so this was a way for him to earn a consistent wage.

4.   1758 at 21 he opened his own silversmith shop. He’d already married Sarah Orr in 1757. 

creamer  created by Paul Revere

 

5.   Business was poor due to the economic stresses like the Stamp Act on the economy. So, he learned dentistry to add to his income.

6.   In 1765, he joined the Sons of Liberty and was an active participant in the Boston Tea Party. Three shiploads of tea were dumped in the harbor after the patriots had blocked the harbor for several days, not allowing the ships to unload their cargo.

7.   He served as a courier for the Boston Public Safety, traveling 18 times to New York and Philadelphia to report on the political unrest in Boston. The colonists were monitoring the movement of the British.

8.   In 1775, at the beginning of the Revolutionary War he continued as a courier and printed currency Congress used to pay the Colonial Army. He also created silver engravings of the Boston Massacre and the British entering Boston, which he titled “the insolent parade.” He made many other politically themed engravings.

Bloody Massacre Engraving

 

9.   He served as an officer in the Revolutionary War after the British overtook Boston and he had to flee with his family.

10.       If there was a need, Revere stepped up to meet it. He designed and built a gunpowder factory for the Colonial Army.

11.       John Warren, a close friend, had died at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Paul went with Warren’s brother to find his body amongst mass graves on March 21,1776. Although his body was badly decomposed, Paul was able to identify him by dental work he’d preformed on John. Was this the first use of dental work to identify a body?

12.       Seeing the need to expand his business after the war, with a slow economy, he began producing things for the masses rather than the wealthy class. Among those items were silver teaspoons and belt buckles.

13.       After the war, the economy was depressed. Revere saw the need to learn more technology and expanded beyond silver and gold to other metals. By 1788 he bought a furnace and began to produce cast iron items like sash-window weights, stove backs, fireplace tools sold to the masses in Boston.

14.       Revere used artisans to create various items in his factories and, rather than treat them as common laborers, he gave them benefits that were not available in other factories. He offered higher wages to match their skills, flexible working hours and liquor on site.

15.       Revere was always looking for ways to expand his business. He was constantly learning from other manufacturers ways to make his factory better. Always looking for consumer needs, he expanded to cooper and created the first sheet cooper machine. The sheet cooper was sold to the Navy to coat their ships and was used to cover the original wood dome at the Massachusetts State House. He also developed cooper hinges, spikes and other items that he also sold to the Navy and manufacturers.

16.       He learned to cast bronze cannons, which he sold to the federal and state government and some private clients.

17.       And his most noteworthy creation was casting bells. During the Second Great Awakening, a revival that brought many to The Lord, new churches needed bells. In 1792, he became known as one of the world’s best bell casters. He produced over a hundred bells. Some are still in operation. One is even at the National Museum of Singapore.

18.       Paul saw the need to standardize production and worked toward creating standardized instructions for creating items so they could be produced faster and cheaper.

Portrait done in 1810

19.       He also supported Alexander Hamilton’s campaign for standardized currency for the nation. At this time, each state had its own currency and often Revere found himself unable to get raw materials for his factories because of insufficient funds in circulation.

20.       He was 83 when he died on May 10, 1818. Only his daughter Maria Revere Balestier outlived him. Can you imagine outliving 15 of your 16 children.

I was very impressed with all that he accomplished as a patriot, an entrepreneur, and a businessman. 

Anyone have Revere Ware?

 He passed on a legacy of good business practices that continues today. Paul Revere was more than one of several guys who warned his fellow-patriots that the British were on the way. If you haven’t read the poem The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, click here.

Did you know about the Revere Legacy?

Cindy Ervin Huff is an Award-winning author of Historical and Contemporary Romance. She loves infusing hope into her stories of broken people. She addicted to reading and chocolate. Her idea of a vacation is visiting historical sites and an ideal date with her hubby of almost fifty years would be live theater.Visit her  website www.cindyervinhuff.com Or on Social media:

https://www.facebook.com/author.huff11

https://www.instagram.com/cindyervinhuff/

https://twitter.com/Cindyhuff11Huff

https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyehuff?lang=en

 

Rescuing Her Heart

As her husband's evil deeds haunt a mail-order bride from the grave, can she learn to trust again and open her heart to true love? Jed has his own nightmares from a POW camp and understands Delilah better than she knows herself. Can two broken people form a forever bond?

 Click to learn more.