History of Travel

Since the dawn of civilization, man has always wondered what was over the next hill or around the next curve or across the water. I think all of us are born with a little bit of wanderlust a desire for adventure what I call the “Christopher Columbus gene.”

Long before the invention of the wheel, people traveled. Granted, they didn’t travel fast, but they did travel far. They walked. There is proof that ancient tribes migrated according to the weather. Before the wheel was ever invented, ancient people floated or paddled across rivers.

With the invention of the wheel and the subsequent discoveries of uses for the wheel, travel became a little faster and even a little more comfortable. Instead of riding a horse or a mule, people hitched the animals to carts, wagons, and carriages and travel made a giant leap forward.

With the invention of engines and locomotives, travel became even easier and faster. Railway tracks were laid all over the civilized world. People began to travel far and wide. The invention of the “horseless carriage” made travel even easier. As more and more cars were purchased by individuals, more and better highways were built. Soon bridges replaced ferries, and crossing rivers became easier and faster as well.

After the Wright brothers proved that it was possible for man to build a machine that would fly, aviation grew at an amazing rate! The need for airplanes because of wars pushed the aviation industry to find better and better ways to fly.

In the beginning of commercial air travel, only the very, very wealthy could afford to fly but today most people can afford to travel by air.

Air travel has progressed to the point now where we have already flown men to the moon, and we have spacecraft that are penetrating the depths of space. So far these space missions are unmanned, but that won’t always be the case.

Yes, I think that all of mankind has a “Christopher Columbus Gene.” We will never be satisfied until we know what is over the next hill, around the next curve, across the ocean, and on a neighboring planet!

History of Travel