In 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson made the first cross-country trip across the United States in an automobile. I wrote about this Road Trip Pioneer in 2020.
In 2025, Stacy McAnulty published Are We There Yet, The First Road Trip Across the USA, a delightful picture book (illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley) depicting this journey. As a self-declared lover of picture books, I immediately grabbed a copy from the library.
This historic road trip is both completely unimaginable and also completely relatable!
Unimaginable… Few roads, no maps, and thousands of miles traveled in a car with no windshield, seatbelts, or roof!
Relatable… Breakdowns, runaway dogs, helpful strangers.
Enjoy this read-aloud of Are We There Yet and see how many parts are relatable to you as well.
Want to grab a copy of this great book for yourself or a friend? Head on over to Bookshop to order Are We There Yet? by Stacy McAnulty
1903 vs 2023… Same but different
As I read along, I was nodding my head. More than 100 years later, and some things about road trips are still the same.
Runaway pets… Dr. Jackson’s dog, Bud, runs away several times during the trip. My dog, Bailey, was also known as Houdini due to her habit of getting out and running away. On a drive from California to Colorado, she jumped out of the window (we were parked at the time) and ran off. Luckily, we found her again, but I was definitely starting to think we might have to leave without her.
Breakdowns… Dr. Jackson’s journey was plagued with breakdowns. Fortunately, we’ve only had a few mid-trip breakdowns over the years. It was during one of these breakdowns that I learned the difference between basic AAA tow service and the plus membership benefits. If you travel at all, definitely upgrade to Plus!
Lost luggage… We never lost anything important out on the road, but we did almost lose a sleeping bag from the rooftop luggage box once. Luckily another driver alerted us to the problem and we pulled over before it was gone forever. Dr. Jackson, however, lost an almost comical number of things, including his glasses! (I’m way too blind to drive without my glasses – that would have been the end of the trip for me.)
Sketchy roads… Dr. Jackson was lucky to have any roads at all. Nowadays, you can travel coast-to-coast without ever leaving the highway. The sketchiest road we drove was the rutted, rocky dirt road along the mountainside on our way to the ghost town. Luckily, our trusty minivan made it okay.
Road trips are always an adventure!
Read more about Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson’s Road Trip
Want more information about Dr. Jackson’s record-setting road trip (and a link to the Ken Burns documentary about the trip)? Head on over to Road Trip Pioneer!
Follow me for more!
Planning a Road Trip of Your Own?
