Americans love of their automobile travel in general is legendary and globally acknowledged. And so many extraordinary sights to see; the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, and The Great Plains to name a few. In fact, we’ve been traveling since before we were even a young nation as our settlements expanded from the East Coast to the West Coast. It was difficult than, and now it would be far too hazardous a trip to make without roadside assistance.
After the colonies were established exploration revealed that the nation to the west was enormous and people could not rein in their curiosity or their desire to find a place to live free of persecution. Gradually the civilization expanded into the West and made it as far as St. Joseph Missouri by railway. Any travel further west has to be undertaken on horseback or in a wagon train.
Contrary to the romanticized version seen on television, travel by wagon or horseback was difficult and dangerous. With nothing more than a trail and a guide, these trips were a role of the dice with your life hanging in the balance. If you were lucky enough to avoid the violent weather you still had to deal with lethal animals and native people intent on preventing your progress.
One of the primary drivers to interconnect the West Coast with the East Coast was the need for communication. From the time when Benjamin Franklin was named our first Postmaster General this nation has sought the means to quickly and safely deliver mail and packages from one end to the other. Using rivers, streams and the railway as a start following it up with such exciting endeavors as the pony express we found a way.
The years from 1863 to 1869 saw a Herculean effort come to fruition as a railway line was completed traversing the nation. Fifty years later our first highway would cross from New York to California and the US was connected, albeit in a rudimentary fashion. Thus began the American love for driving.
There was a crude the vehicles elementary, transportation had begun for the individual which was how we liked it. Automobiles became more and more accessible to the average American and the road systems grew and improved. When Dwight D. Eisenhower became president of the United States he brought with him an appreciation for the German autobahn system. Inspired by the Lincoln Highway and his experience he launched the interstate system.
The interstate system began construction in 1956 and is generally agreed not to have been completed until 1992. It took 23 years longer than predicted and tens of millions dollars more than budgeted to complete but is arguably worth every penny. Our nations economy runs on the trucking industry which could not function without the highways. It is also designed as a preparation for mass mobilization should the US ever be attacked (very true with CAA insurance especially).
Travel across the united States in the form of a road trip has been immortalized in movies and been a part of most American lives. About the only downside to traveling across the nation is the time it takes and the possibility of having your car malfunction or just die altogether out in the middle of nowhere. The introduction of roadside assistance has all but taken these risks out of the equation.
With CAA insurance, you can feel relaxed if you face a vehicular emergency. And who knows? You might even win a Las Vegas vacation package if you accrue enough points in some CAA insurance packages!
