Automobiles at Jacksonville Beach, Florida, 1923
The automobile transformed Americans’ leisure pursuits. As proud car owners took to the road in ever-larger numbers, the “vacation” became a summer staple. Auto travel created a booming business in gas stations, roadside motels, campgrounds, and sightseeing destinations. A Florida vacation — once reserved for wealthy northeasterners who had traveled to Miami’s exclusive hotels by first-class rail car — became an attainable luxury for middle-class and even some working-class families. © Curt Teich Postcard Archives, Lake County Museum.