▁depart ments , ▁guide book ▁publish ers ▁and ▁travel ▁writers ▁grew ▁at ▁a ▁fast ▁pace . ▁The ▁exp ense ▁of ▁pleasure ▁t ours ▁meant ▁that ▁only ▁the ▁minor ity ▁of ▁Americans ▁between ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁could ▁experience ▁the ▁lux ury ▁of ▁tour ism . ▁Many ▁Americans ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁find ▁work , ▁but ▁few ▁found ▁time ▁for ▁enjoy ment ▁of ▁the ▁urban ▁environment . ▁As ▁transport ation ▁networks ▁improved , ▁the ▁length ▁of ▁comm uting ▁decre ased , ▁and ▁income ▁rose . ▁A ▁growing ▁number ▁of ▁Americans ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁afford ▁short ▁vac ations ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 5 . ▁Still , ▁mass ▁tour ism ▁was ▁not ▁possible ▁until ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁tour ism ▁of ▁any ▁form ▁had ▁been ▁available ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁upper ▁and ▁middle ▁classes . ▁This ▁changed ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁through ▁the ▁dem ocrat ization ▁of ▁travel . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 5 , ▁popular ▁publications ▁printed ▁articles ▁showing ▁the ▁car ▁was ▁che aper ▁to ▁operate ▁than ▁the ▁horse . ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁autom ob iles ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s ▁included ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁Ford ▁Model ▁T ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁cars ▁were ▁registered ▁in ▁the ▁US , ▁which ▁increased ▁to ▁ 6 1 9 , 0 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 9