1906 Winton Model K

In the early 1900s there were no highways or paved roads, and the thought of traveling between states, let alone across our big country, was unheard of. But in 1903, in a Winton automobile like this, Dr. Horatio Nelson, along with mechanic Sewell Crocker and pitbull Bud, traveled all the way across the country in the first transcontinental road trip. They faced many obstacles along the way: flat tires, rough terrain, mechanical problems, bad weather and fatigue. In those days Google Maps didn't exist, and there were hardly any maps at all. But they were determined and they never gave up. It took 63 days, but Dr. Horatio Nelson and his companions drove all the way from San Francisco, California to New York City!

Now there are paved highways everywhere. You can easily drive from one coast to the other. But in 1909, Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan because the very first stretch of road to be paved with concrete. And in 1911 the first highway was built, the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway. Since then, American drivers have enjoyed driving all around the country, from the red rocks of Sedona to the Rocky Mountains to the Florida Keys. Road trips are an American tradition rooted in the the pioneering spirit of early American motorists like Dr. Horatio Nelson.