“If we had to eat just the food they give us in the dining room we would be skeletons.”
A detailed 30 day trip diary beginning in Pennsylvania through the plains, the southwest and back home. On July 5, 1940 our diarist along with her friends Betsy and Isabel began their trip by traveling into Canada from Buffalo headed toward Toronto and that evening staying at the Bigwin Inn. From their they took the ferry across Lake Mascoca, on to Sault Ste. Marie; Grand Rapids, Michigan: Madison, Wisconsin; Chicago; Rochester, Minnesota; Sioux Falls and Chamberlain, S.D.; through the Badlands with a stop to view Mount Rushmore, onto Deadwood, Cheyenne, Wyoming; Denver, Estes Park; Boulder, Salt Lake City, Cedar City, Grand Canyon, Winslow, Arizona; Gallup and Albuquerque, New Mexico; Amarillo, Texas; Oklahoma City, Tulsa, St. Louis, Decatur, Illinois; and Dayton, Ohio where the diary is completed.
Within the diary are 70 photos (3 x 3 7/8 inches) which are identified by the corresponding typewritten page and date. Also there are 21 pieces of ephemera including two postcards and several maps. The diary itself is quite detailed with both positive and sometimes very negative comments about various historic sites, motels, restaurants and roads. For instance:
July 5th : “Finding our five-course breakfast insufficient as far as nourishment went, we had a mid-morning snack in a tea-house which the Inn operates and which we were very glad to discover, for as Betty so aptly put it “If we had to eat just the food they give us in the dining room we would be skeletons.”
Friday – July 12: “Our route to day is taking us through the prairie. About 50 miles west of Rochester we came to land that was completely flat although quite green and fertile, sparsely settled and with clumps of trees here and there. Betty was very dismayed and nauseated by the sight of queer little animals, closely resembling rats, which scurried back and forth across the road. Later we discovered that they were gophers.”
Tuesday – July 16th: “We started off this morning for Cheyenne on a route which the AAA representative here advised us to take. To our horror we discovered that we had to ascent Iron Mountain – a tremendous thing, The road was filled with curves and was very steep. Betty drove and was shaking like a leaf. We finally got down and much to our surprise found it was two o’clock-- we had been driving for four hours and only covered fifty-two miles.
Sunday – July 21th: “It continued to be hot all day, and we took turns riding in the back seat where there was a hot breeze circulating around. When we had left Salt Lake City we had bought a hunk of dry ice which we set on the floor in the front of the car. It proved to be of no use whatever and served only to keep our ankles cold and it reminded us so much of a luscious brick ice cream that it made our mouths water during the entire trip. Finally it melted to a little ice cube and we threw it out.”
Monday – July 22nd: “We reached Zion and Zion Lodge in time for lunch. It is an attractive rustic lodge with cabins for guests surrounding it . It is owned, however, by the Union Pacific railroad and is used for a stopover for busloads of sightseers to this section. This day the place was teeming with old maid school teachers on their annual vacation tour. In the dining room we were placed at a table with three of them. They were busily engaged exchanging remarks about what they had seen on the trip. We had an awful meal and just nibbled at it. The school teachers seemed to enjoy theirs for thy scraped their plates.”
Thursday – July 25th: “Today we were up early and set out for Albuquerque, New Mexico. We had a very interesting drive through very Mexican looking country – rather a cross between hot prairie land and colorful desert. We passed several villages of Indians pueblos. Along the road there were many make-shift pueblos where Indian girls were displaying pottery and rugs. They were all dressed in old Indian costumes – much jewelry and long hair – even the men.”
A really well done combination diary/scrapbook with emphasis on the personal aspects and experiences of three women. Vg cond.
