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Remembering the Classic Family Summer Road Trip

A family scene in an open landscape with clear skies and sparse vegetation, with a vehicle parked on a dirt road suggesting travel or camping.

The 1960s were a great time in American culture. The popularity of family road trips swept the nation. There were no GPS devices and no Air BNBs, but families found a way to travel together across the country.

A woman loading luggage into a vintage Chevrolet car at Central Chevrolet Co., likely mid-20th century.

Some trips were down the east or west coast, and some were across the country. However, families traveled, cars were crammed with luggage, road snacks, and even brothers and sisters!

Families would hit the road guided by a AAA TripTik map. This map was printed on paper for those who remember unfolding the huge but helpful guide. Typical destinations could include a Florida beach or a National park.

A vintage Stuckey's Pecan Shoppe in Texas with two classic 1950s cars parked nearby, an adult male middle-aged in casual attire and an older adult female in light clothing standing by the shop on a sunny day.

Great family memories were made while on the road. Gas station stops, and 60s hotels are perhaps the most memorable parts of the road trip. The wise philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, 'Life is a journey, not a destination!' Never has this saying been more true than 60s road trips.

People loved playing car games together to pass the time. The fabulous summer nights in the motel pool were classic road trip moments. It was like exploring the country in a car!

A family prepares to leave their suburban home with a camper trailer and blue car parked in front, set against a backdrop of greenery indicating spring or summer.

Of course, packing a family in a car for a long ride can lead to a few meltdowns! Everyone has their fair share of memories of a parent yelling, 'Keep it up, and I'll turn this car around!'

The photo montage put together by Recollection Road's YouTube channel will remind you of classic motel pools, incredible 60s cars, and old-school gas stations. There are old station wagons, campers, and even some bears crossing the road, blocking traffic. All in a day's journey on the road in America in the 1960s.