Proving that even a proper woman could manage the cross-country trip, etiquette expert Emily Post publicized her 1915 journey from New York to San Francisco in her first hand account, By Motor to the Golden Gate. In 1919, 209 men in 76 vehicles embarked on the Army's First Transcontinental Motor Convoy in order to demonstrate the advantages of improved roads in case of war. The motor convoy was welcomed in Aurora by thousands of onlookers at an elaborate lunchtime reception held by the Aurora Red Cross in McCarty Park. This 2 month long trip from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco, along with firsthand familiarity with the German Autobahn gained during World War Two, later influenced trip participant Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote the development of the interstate highway system during his presidency in the 1950s.
Road improvements and highly publicized expeditions generated much
interest in the Lincoln Highway. By 1919, average Americans felt more
confident about taking up the adventure of cross-country motor travel.
With the aid of auto club guides and maps, auto travelers found motoring
easier and less costly. Even travelers on a shoestring budget loaded
their Fords with all manner of camping gear, luggage, children, and
pets. By the mid-1920s, it was estimated that 10 million people had
tried auto-camping at least once.