In addition to being good recreation, there is great educational value in travel with an automobile, provided, again, that you know how to capture these values. In the modern world there is little excuse for the individual who has not traveled and talked with people in all walks of life, and yet there arc those who travel and see not, who talk and learn not.

As an example we might consider for a moment the many places of historical interest that arc scattered throughout the country. With the automobile, it is now possible for a family to spend one or more afternoons a week in becoming acquainted with the geography and history of their own state. Perhaps very near to your own city there are famous battlegrounds, or old Indian burial sites, or historic buildings dating back to colonial times. Before the automobile became the common property of American families, these national shrines were visited by very few people. Now, however, it is possible for almost everyone to travel to such places and enjoy reliving on the ground some of the experiences of the early pioneers.

Just riding around and looking is not enough. Trips to places of interest will be much more valuable and interesting to you if you prepare before going there. It is one thing to visit an Indian battleground, for example, but it is a much better thing to know who fought there, who won the battle, why it was fought, and what was the result of the struggle. If you have read a description of the battle and the series of events leading up to it, every hill and valley and stream is going to mean more to you when you see it at first hand.

And so it is with every place of historic interest. A visit will mean much more if you have some knowledge of the real meaning of the history connected with the place. If you prepare yourself on the historical facts, you can explain each thing to those of the family who make the trip. Everyone will benefit.

Some families plan many of their trips with some such end in view. Instead of simply going out on the same old roads every week for a short ride, they plan each trip for a different purpose. One week it is for recreational activity on the beach or in picnic grounds. Another week it is a visit to some historic place. The following trip is to a certain industrial plant to see how it operates.

Here is what one young man who has learned how to look for unusual things says about his experiences in northern New Jersey:

"If you accidentally turned off one of the main highways of northern New Jersey, and became lost and entangled in the lonely network of dirt roads there, you might feel that you had entered into an America of centuries ago. Throughout the Kittatinncys there is an atmosphere of a way of life gone by, steeped in legend and local history not found in guide books or histories, yet close to the hearts of the people who live there, and basically related to the development or backwardness of those regions from pioneer times to the present.

"The small shacks and shanties that you pass by, with gaunt women and tow-headed children standing curiously at the door, are, perhaps, the descendants of the Jackson Whites, whose ancestors came from England during the Revolutionary War to help fight the American colonists.

"Entering the Delaware Valley from Hidden Valley, amidst farms of golden pheasants, you come upon a rutty dirt road that leads into the little village of Flatbrookville. The teeming wild life which abounds on each side is unlikely to inform you that this is one of the oldest roads in America. The indigo bunting that sings there at noon will not point out the old Shoemaker home to you either. The former inhabitants, two old maids who lived to be over a hundred years old, have been dead several years now. The building that was once their home had been the fort to which the local people fled when Indians attacked the settlements, and in the cellar may be seen the chains which bound the captives.

"Perhaps one of the most beautiful glens in New Jersey is near by, and unless you are a hiker familiar with the wilderness trails such as the Appalachian Trail near Rattlesnake Springs, you passed by this glen, Millbrook, leaving it behind you in a cloud of dust.

"As you descend the steep hill on foot into the glen (after parking the car), you become conscious of the cool fragrance of fir trees and the thundering of a giant waterfall. When you have descended to the level of the stream, you cannot help being amazed at the beauty of this hidden nook. From some unseen source a turbulent mountain stream plunges through the tiny valley, gouging out the rock and then leaping in a series of waterfalls into deep trout pools below. All about in the red rock arc deep holes from a few inches in diameter to over a foot. These are potholes, caused by the churning of rocks under the pressure of the swift stream. The atmosphere which pervades the glen turns our thoughts back to the time when Leni Lenape Indians walked along the narrow ledges and climbed down to the lower pool to see the biggest waterfall. If you dive into the icy pool, you can see numerous trout in the clear water.

"An interesting discovery can be made by climbing up the slippery, moss-covered rock to the waterfall, and pushing a log into the enormous pothole beneath it. I was able to pull myself down into it by pulling on the log. The pressure of the waterfall was terrific, and measuring by the length of log under water, it must have been eleven feet deep. Farther down the stream, beneath the bridge, a school of big trout has been evading anglers for years, and they are not listed in my Baedeker.*

"The old mine holes arc probably surrounded by more history and legend than any place near by. At the mouth of the brook which flows from the Kittatinneys you may find, besides hair snakes, bits of blackened pottery, with little ridges on them. These are examples of the first steps of civilization among the Indians, for they indicate that the early red men wove baskets and in them formed clay bowls, the weaving and pottery marking great steps in the early activity of man."

Getting Acquainted with Those You Meet. Do you know-that one of the best ways of educating yourself is to learn how to talk intelligently with those you meet? To some individuals, a trip in the car is a chance to see how fast they can go. They measure success in terms of how many miles they travel in a day-Others have learned how much fun it is to spend time by becoming acquainted as they go along. By talking to those you meet in different walks of life you can learn much that is not wTitten in any book. The ability to appreciate the point of view of others is a mark of an educated person. By talking with farmers, service-station attendants, truck drivers, and other travelers, you can gain an insight into their problems and understand what they think of them.

Occasionally, as you are driving along, you may see something worth stopping to investigate, such as a farmer threshing his grain or laying away his crop of tobacco to dry. Usually these people are only too glad to tell about what they are doing, if you learn how to approach them correctly. Sometimes if you stop overnight in a tourist cabin, or at a tourist home, you can enjoy a chat with fellow travelers about your experiences and theirs.

* Baedekers arc well-known guide books, named after their original author.

If you have read about the history of the country in which you arc traveling, it is especially easy to find those who are interested in helping you become better acquainted. Usually each city has a bureau of information from which complete information and maps can be secured. These maps and pamphlets can be obtained before you start the trip, or you can call and get them as soon as you enter the town. Many places of interest that may otherwise go unnoticed will in this way come to your attention.

Several years ago a group of young people were traveling along a beautiful highway in Idaho on the way back from Yellowstone Park. Several cars that were in front of them turned off the main highway and headed down a narrow dirt road toward the west. Down this dusty lane, a long line of cars could be seen winding their way along. By asking a farmer who was irrigating his crops in a near-by field, the group discovered that about three miles down the road the Blackfoot Indians were holding an annual dance. Here was the chance of a lifetime to see the redskins do one of their own dances in their own way! So the Yellowstone travelers swung down the lane following the other cars.

About three miles out from the main road, Indian tepees were pitched in a great circle. Scores of Indians in full dress with feathers flying were getting warmed up for the big event. It was a rare occasion, and the group had nearly missed it.

In almost every state you can secure booklets that tell of such interesting events and also list places of interest to visit. Each person should become acquainted with these sources of information, if he is to enjoy the use of the family car to the fullest extent.