Family road trips became a major part of American vacations during the 1950s as more families gained access to cars. Even the Best Road Trips Had TearsKirn Vintage Stock / Getty ImagesA mother holds her crying son on her lap inside the car during a family trip in 1954. Riding With the Top DownGeorge Marks / Getty ImagesA smiling family rides together in a convertible with the roof lowered. The image captures the cheerful side of 1950s road travel, when the drive itself could become part of the vacation. Some Families Took the BusBernard Gotfryd / Getty ImagesA family poses beside a bus before continuing toward a beach destination.