Summer Road Trip

The summer of 2021 is the right time to hit the road and make memories that will last a lifetime. On May 23rd 1903 a former bicycle racer and mechanic, a dog, and a retired doctor looking to collect on a $50 bet embarked on the first cross-country road trip. Previous automobile trips had ended in failure as roads were still extremely primitive. There were no road signs or gas stations, auto repair shops, or phone booths; you were basically on your own. Leaving San Francisco it took 63 days to get to New York City. The Cannonball Run record is 27 hours and 25 minutes. Dwight D. Eisenhower signed The Federal Highway Act of 1956 authorized $25 billion for construction of 41,000 miles of interstate highways. It was by far the largest public works project in American history! We now have nearly 49,000 miles of interstates. Hop on the longest interstate highway in the United States in downtown Seattle and in 3,020 miles you will reach the end of I-90 in Boston MA. The United States of America has 62 National Parks that are operated by the National Park Service. President Ulysses S. Grant signed an act of Congress creating Yellowstone as the first National park in 1872. Yellowstone was the first National Park in the world! We now have more than 52 million acres protected for future generations. We have 26 National Parks within a two day drive. If you take your week vacation you could easily pickoff 2 or 3 parks and you will have memories for a lifetime. One of my all-time favorite trips was to Yellowstone coming in from Cody and leaving thru Grand Teton to Jackson. I hope I inspired you to get out on the open road and celebrate our countries lasting love affair with the automobile. Stay safe!