How different things used to be.

Chronicle Shift

How different things used to be.

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Three Weeks of Mud, Misery, and Mechanical Failure: The Lost Ordeal of Driving Across America
Travel

Three Weeks of Mud, Misery, and Mechanical Failure: The Lost Ordeal of Driving Across America

Before interstate highways and GPS, driving from New York to Los Angeles was less a vacation and more a survival expedition. Early motorists faced unpaved roads, zero navigation tools, and cars that broke down almost daily — and the trip could eat up an entire month of your life. Here's how dramatically American road travel has changed.