Many people love the American road trip. It involves long hours of driving and the excitement of reaching a famous place like the Grand Canyon. There are also small surprises along the way. Yet today many Americans choose to travel by plane or drive quickly on wide highways instead because these options are faster and easier.

Susan Rugh, a historian, says the best years for family road trips came after World War II and ended with the oil crisis of the 1970s. More families had money and paid vacations for the first time, more people owned cars, and the government built better roads. Visits to national parks grew by more than 650% between 1946 and 1966, and traveling together helped families feel closer.

Businesses soon opened motels, restaurants, and gas stations for travelers. Some built unusual attractions so that they could stand out. Route 66, a famous highway between Chicago and Los Angeles, became 100 years old in 2026. A song about it is remembered to this day.

Later, interstate highways carried traffic past small towns, and many businesses closed. Richard Ratay, an author who writes about road trips, explains that people lost the chance to meet locals and discover new places. Even so, some old roads and motels remain, so it is still possible to take the slower route and enjoy the journey itself.