Travel

When Getting Lost Was Half the Fun: The Beautiful Chaos of American Family Vacations Before Google Maps

American families used to hit the road with nothing but a AAA TripTik and a sense of adventure. Today's hyper-planned, review-checked vacations have eliminated the beautiful uncertainty that made travel actually transformative.

Apr 12, 2026

Coast to Coast in a Cloud of Cigarette Smoke: What Flying Actually Felt Like in the 1950s

Before TSA lines and tiny bags of pretzels, a cross-country flight was a 16-hour odyssey that only the wealthy could afford. The golden age of air travel was glamorous, exhausting, and nothing like what most Americans imagine today.

Mar 13, 2026

Before GPS and Rest Stops, Driving Across America Was a Genuine Adventure — and Not Always the Good Kind

In 1960, driving from New York to Los Angeles meant two weeks on the road, a glove compartment stuffed with paper maps, and a real chance your engine would give out somewhere in the Nevada desert. Today you could do it in four days without breaking a sweat. Here's what changed.

Mar 13, 2026