- Road trips are a lasting slice of Americana — think Route 66, neon signs, wigwam motels and other kitschy roadside attractions people still seek out for fun, nostalgic detours.
- Modern travel (cheap flights and interstates) made getting there faster and easier, but traded away the small‑town interactions and serendipity that made journeys memorable.
- The road-trip story isn’t all sunny — segregation meant Black families needed guides like the Green Book, and those injustices helped push the civil‑rights changes of the 1960s.
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