The 1950s and 1960s witnessed the emergence of the family road trip. Advanced vehicles, highways, and the introduction of the station wagon all contributed to the appeal of packing everyone into a car for a long drive.

This montage of colorized pictures features numerous beautiful sites, ranging from classic roadways to well-known National Parks. A gorgeous navy blue 1957 Ford convertible transports a family of four while parked in front of a mountain.

A brilliantly colored street in Virginia City, Nevada, circa 1954, with a tiny motel and two women who appear to have arrived at their holiday destination There’s also a 1957 Dodge Wagon with a gaggle of tiny children in the rear. The youngsters are smiling out the back window as they stand in front of a beautiful lake in the sunlight.
One photograph depicts a 1963 Pontiac traveling down a slope while a bear cub runs beside the car. Another 1950s road trip shot is of Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park. Several family automobiles and a pick-up truck are seen parked in front of a massive tree that conceals a cabin and a route.

In 1960, the family road trip also included a stop at Jack Rabbit Ranch in New Mexico. The frame is filled by a solitary automobile parked outdoors at a roadside stop with antique Native American-style tents.

The Rocky Mountains are also seen in a 1950 photograph of a family of three posing on the side of the road next to their automobile with their arms around each other.

The classic family road trip was born in the 1950s and 1960s, but it is still popular today as families travel by vehicle to beautiful locations in America. These vintage photographs capture the brilliance of the first road trip craze in American history.