1w (edited)

Cross-country travel in the early 20th century

I’ll start with this quote by Mason Cooley:
"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.”
In my case I enjoy going back in time via books. Specifically books which contain first person accounts of life in the USA in the first two decades of the 20th century. My automotive interest spurs me to find books about travel across the US back then, via auto mobile. Some have perhaps heard of the first coast to coast Hammond/Whitman trip in a CDO or Alice Huyler Ramsey’s trip in her Maxwell. I have found several other books of travel like this and will show them if anyone is interested in following up on these. If you know of any others from that era please post so we can share. I am always looking for more.
J

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Oct 22, 2026

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Replies (11)

· 1w

The one about the Great Race was authored by George Schuster’s grandson, Jeff Mahl. The fifth book is a delightful one about a motor trip in Europe which was halted by the outbreak of WW1.

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· 1w

One book that’s on my list to buy is Modern Gypsies: The Story of a Twelve Thousand Mile Motor Camping Trip Encircling the United States. Written as a travel log in 1924 by Mary Crehore Bedell

https://books.google.com/books/about/Modern_Gypsies.html?id=FS4d0gEACAAJ

· 1w

Travis, this looks interesting as well. These early excursions and adventures really capture your imagination. I’m a sucker for these types of things along with books about people who did solo crossings of the oceans in a small craft.

· 1w

Thanks for the suggestion Travis…..I will track it down for my winter reading.

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· 1w

Jeff, great stuff and good suggestions for our own benefit to pick up and read, and also great gift ideas to our car friends and buddies when we went to pick something up to give away. My wife is in a book club that she really enjoys, I’d like to be in a book club where all of us are reading some of the suggestions you provided here!

· 1w

Love it. I like reading on rainy or cold days where i can get a cup of tea and sit in my over stuffed chair in my office. Typically I stick with biographies as most fiction these days gives me a headache.

· 1w

I find that my ability to focus on a book as become severely degraded. Probably by the internet. I still tell myself I'm gonna go back to reading at least 1 hour a day but this has not started yet. Maybe as winter sets in.

· 1w

I hear you there. Though in my case, I’ve always had difficulty sitting still long enough to read a book. I have to force myself to do it. Meanwhile, my wife can read endlessly, even if there is a tv on in the background or some other distractions. I don’t get it.

· 1w

Travis, the key is what a previous poster said. You need a crappy day and a good spot and your phone in another room. The problem I run into is the comfy chair ends up making me fall asleep.

· 1w

Horatio Nelsons 1903 trip from Ca to NY in a Winton is amazing as well:

https://www.amazon.com/Horatios-Drive-Americas-First-Road/dp/037541536X

· 1w

The PBS special about this trip was very interesting. It was also written and narrated by the author of the book, Dayton Duncan