American road trips are a cultural phenomenon almost as old as the automobile, dating back more than a century. Millions of families nationwide are getting behind the wheel this week, with the Fourth of July marking the peak of the season.

A 31-year-old doctor from Vermont was the first to motor cross country. Horatio Nelson Jackson, along with his chauffeur and a bulldog named Bud, traveled from San Francisco to New York City in 1903 on a $50 bet.

A cross country road trip these days is a far cry from Jackson’s two-month trek. But for many, the hum of tires on the road is still the sound of freedom, signaling the possibility for a grand adventure and the opportunity to explore and discover.

As the Independence Day holiday approached, The Epoch Times drove with the masses and talked with hundreds of individuals in diners and around towns, starting on the Pacific coast near the crashing surf in Fort Bragg, California, and ending in the nation’s capital.

Driving across the United States gave a glimpse inside the nation, as individuals from all walks of life and political persuasions expressed optimism for the country’s future and said the idea of freedom is paramount to the American experience.

“We’re just celebrating as a group and trying to re-harmonize and remember that we are kind of a part of the same country, whether it’s something that we want right now or not—that we are actually part of the same team, and that we’re here together,” Jesse Godlewski, 36, of Denver, said.

“And I think honestly, like, no matter what your political beliefs are, most people want to have independence. Everyone wants freedom, and, so we’re celebrating that, but also, I’m grateful that I have that.”

“We’re kind of big on parades here, little parades,” Keith Aikenhead, 72, of Elko, Nev., said about his local community.

Aikenhead said he’s looking forward to the nation’s 250th anniversary next year, while reminiscing about the bicentennial celebration in 1976.

“I remember all that. Everybody was wearing red, white, and blue,” he said. “You couldn’t find anything without red, white, and blue, and I can only imagine this will be similar to that.”

“A lot of stuff that people are kind of fading away from is kind of frustrating me,” he said. “A lot of the parades and city events, they’re still there, but they’re not as prominent as they used to be.”

The business owner and car collector said independence is an emotional topic that deserves reverence. Everyone should honor those who served, fought, or died for the United States, he said.

“The Fourth of July, it’s kind of one of those teary-eyed things,” Roper said. “You think of America, and you think of the flag, you think of the national anthem—it’s one of those things that brings a tear to your eye.”

Sea lions barked and frolicked in the water, while a few individuals gathered near a fire pit and waited for their food and drink orders to arrive.

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On the first stop of the trip, burgers and fish and chips were the stars of the show, an omen of what was to come, as the two items were repeatedly featured on menus nationwide. Servers and patrons in every state listed the American staples as favorites when asked.

Food was top of mind for most of those questioned, regardless of time of day, location, or age.

Several said barbeque is mandatory for a proper Fourth of July celebration.

“It doesn’t matter what you put on it, could be brisket, steaks, chicken, or whatever, even veggies, but the grill has to be fired up. It’s required in our family,” Jason Miller, 53, of Cincinnati, said.

Others said recipes for potato salad, coleslaw, pies, and cobblers, handed down from prior generations, are always included

Ice cream received the most votes for favorite holiday food from children across the country, with vanilla the flavor of choice.

Subtle variations in food preparation and flavor profiles offered unique opportunities to explore and fuel the country’s thriving tourism industry.

Mountain roads in the west yielded to flat horizons, with fields stretching as far as the eye could see, in the agricultural heartlands of Nebraska and Iowa.

From soil to harvest, farming is king in the region, and family recipes from the farm are taking center stage over the holiday.

Rush Jones, 55, of Fort Bragg, said they were always one of his favorite parts of the holiday when he was a child, and he hopes that fire conditions in the dry California coastal area remain minimal, so that kids will get to see a show this year.

“It was always a big deal when I was growing up,” he said. “And I don’t want to be a curmudgeon, but we don’t want to risk having any big fires break out.”

Sports topped the list of favorite activities nationwide, with the national pastime, baseball, the most mentioned by travelers. Some said they try to catch a Major League Baseball game over the holiday; others said a pickup game in the park is the perfect way to enjoy the Fourth.

“It’s the love of freedom. That’s what makes Americans different, and why we go all out for the Fourth of July,” Sarah Smith, a mother of two young children, said with a sparkle in her eye while cutting a piece of apple pie at a small diner in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

“We’re hungry; hungry for freedom.”

Others said the democratic ideals on which the country was founded are precious and must be guaranteed for future generations.

“We need to double down on hope for our grandkids,” said Adam Brown, 51, a small business owner from Tennessee who was visiting Indiana with his wife. “We have to guarantee that they have, at a minimum, the freedoms that we do.”

After thousands of miles cruising with almost no traffic, a steady flow of vehicles and backups signals the east coast is near.

Everything moves at a faster pace in the heavily populated Northeast, but the flow of ideas remains the same.

“We just want to see our kids, and their kids, live in the best country in the world like we do,” Nicole Williams, of Baltimore, said. “We’re all Americans.”