“See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet — America is asking you to call…”
The opening line from this advertising jingle, made famous when sung by Dinah Shore in the 1950s, speaks to the America of the postwar era. In those years following World War II, families took to the road in much the same way that the nation assumed its position on the global stage — ambitious, dynamic, searching for opportunity.
Few things seem more American than the road trip, when friends, families, and individuals take to the ribbon of the highway in pursuit of adventure. And while it’s arguably never a bad time for a road trip, few times seem more opportune than a summer vacation to set course for sun, fun, and relaxation.
Exploring the Country
I rediscovered the joys of the road trip through an unfortunate twist of fate. Nearly three years ago, my mother’s health deteriorated such that her continuing to drive became unwise and impractical. As such, I ended up inheriting her automobile — a Chevrolet, as luck would have it.
Some months after the shock of this family health scare subsided, it dawned on me: I have a car in my backyard. More than a decade of living without an automobile in the nation’s capital had conditioned me to rely on public transit. And while maintaining a car was a financial luxury I could not afford right after I purchased my home, paying off my mortgage, not to mention the grant of a free
