Across the Continent by the Lincoln Highway

From a motor car, Effie Price Gladding observes the United States at close range, from California's forests and orchards to the roads of Virginia and Maryland. Her travel narrative follows a tour from the Pacific to the Atlantic by the Lincoln Highway, with additional excursions along the way. The opening brings her into San Francisco after years of travel abroad, and she describes the city's buildings, public monuments and nearby university campus with the excitement of returning home.

Out in Nevada, sweeping valleys and mountain passes share the page with engine trouble and uncertain road conditions. Two women traveling with their dogs warn the party about a muddy stretch and suggest help from a settler with a horse. Gladding notices cactus flowers even while the cars struggle onward. These small encounters give the account its particular texture: landscape, roadside assistance and the practical demands of automobile travel appear together. Readers interested in American roads can find both a personal record of travel and detailed observations of places along the route.