In the summer of 1947 , the Vaughan family of Cleveland , Ohio , route - touch off all the way to California , capturing the adventure on 16 - millimeter film .
Seventy - five years later , YouTube userpeahix , with permission from Vaughan family member Llyswen Vaughan Franks , brand a digitalise , gamey - definition version of the home telecasting onYouTube . It ’s a stunning flavour at what a family vacation was like during an epoch we ’re used to seeing in still photo and Hollywood dramatizations .
It ’s also an extraordinary expression at some of North America ’s most iconic prospect andtourist smudge . The Vaughans pass through Buffalo Bill ’s hometown of North Platte , Nebraska ; and pull over in Buford , Wyoming , to see the tree that seeminglygrows out of a rock . In Leggett , California , they drive beneath ahollowed - out redwoodknown as the Drive - Thru Tree . Mount Rushmoremakes an appearance , naturally , as does theGolden Gate Bridge .

The star of the show are the numerousnational parksthey chaffer , admit Bryce Canyon , Zion , Yosemite , andYellowstone(whose geyser do n’t have back ) . raft of animals make appearances over the course of instruction of the trip , from hazardous coyote cubs and rattlesnake at a wayside zoo to the ocean king of beasts of Oregon ’s Sea Lion Caves . The Vaughans also observe bears from bare feet away , both parties seemingly unfazed by the law of proximity . They even go to the beach — Laguna Beach , to be exact , which is much less crowded than you ’d require for mid - July .
The video has no sound , but you’re able to always soundtrack it yourself with aplaylist of hitting from 1947 .