This is the first time since the Big Horns we have been out of the mountains. We got our gas for 29 cents a gallon at 2:30.
At 4:30 we entered the Columbia River Valley. It is a beautiful valley, with canyons and mountains on both side..
For the first time since we started we are having a good old talk about women.
Lyle just remarked that we are now 2,000 miles from home and about 80 miles from willies folks. We now discovered that we have been in Oregon for the last half hour. Besides that we are disappointed in the Columbia River Valley.
We got our next gas at 29cents a gallon and Dig took over the driving We have seen the first Sand Dunes which are off to our left. We also have not seen a fair sized tree since the state of Idaho.
The Columbia river is now swift rapids that could upset the Queen Mary. Donald Duck (Lyle) is in the back seat saying, "I'm homesick". We stopped for the night at a state park on the western side of Nosier, which was a good little berg. The park was back in the trees and it had a little brook, picnic tables, tall timber, out-houses and a beautiful 200 ft. waterfall.
JUNE 24, Wednesday
We are now traveling along the Columbia River Valley on a new, beautiful highway. We can see clouds lower than the tops of the mountains.
David saw a waterfall and went up a trail to take a picture of it David and Lyle are now in the back seat with their pants off to dry because they fell in up to their knees. Maurice ran a stick in his hand an inch and is now cutting loose a piece of hide off with the fingernail clippers.
I got the hand fixed by a homely, skinny beetle in an oil station .We are running into a lot of traffic and beetle drivers. They even drive busses in this berg.
Water, Water, Everywhere
And all the boards did shrink
Water, Water Everywhere
And not a drop to drink.
This little verse was put here to signify that at last we are right next to the ocean. At 10:00 Wednesday we reached the ocean We were 221(1 miles from Savanna, when we first saw the ocean.
David just said we saw some "peterfried wood." He can't say petrified.
At 11:15 we drove through a valley and saw over a thousand head of cattle.
It was 2PM Pacific Coast time when we stopped for dinner and ate fried potatoes. David and Lyle tried to get wet by walking in the ocean in their big, heavy overalls. And they succeeded pretty good. One hour later we pulled out and went our merry way.
At Wailport we got some high-priced gas for 33.5 cents a gallon.
We now have Lyle's overalls hanging out the window to dry. The compass points south as we are going down the coast of Great Pacific Ocean. Dig and Lyle agree on the ocean being the moat beautiful sight they have ever seen. I think I'll agree with Dave on the mountains being the prettiest, but I like the ocean too.
Lyle tried to climb part of the cliff above the ocean. Now a rock came off a truck and broke the windshield right in front of Lyle and scared all of us.
We saw some idiot kids from Michigan in a Model T Ford. JUNE 25, Thursday
We left camp bright and early Thursday morning at 8:45, woke up at 4:21 on the beach in front of the ocean.
We are now entering Sam Sebastian State Park. It is in the midst of a redwood forest and is a beautiful drive.
We just slipped by some California policeman and the inspection place.
We just saw a giant redwood forest. One tree was 18 steps around the bottom and 250 feet tall. Dig took our pictures beside it.
We just stopped for gas and bought $5.00 worth in a dinky little berg
David is not feeling well because of a gut ache. Lyle and I did not feel too well, but we are okay now I guess.
Just got through with dinner, so we are going to try to make it to San Francisco.
We saw the tree chimney and the house tree and took pictures at the drive-in-tree. It was supposed to cost a quarter to get in, but we got ours back.
We just set our eyes on our first orange trees.
After eating supper we went to a jolly good show, "Young Bess."
JUNE 26, Friday
When we got up from camping all night, we were on our way to San Francisco by 5:40 am.
We stopped at Cloven Dale and got some cut rate gas. After eating breakfast we went to San Francisco.
While crusing along at 55, entering San Francisco we were passed by a little bitty car named a Lassare.
We just saw one of the most beautiful sights on our trip - The Golden Gate Bridge. The spirits are high as we drive to LA to stay for a few days.
We have just put 3000 miles on the little Plymouth.
Going through San Louise there was a cop that stopped us just for general principles. He gave us all the once over. It was a good thing that Dig was driving because David's license had expired one month now. However, he did not ask for Dig's license, but took a look at Lyle's registration card and license. After asking us a few questions he let us go on our merry way.
After we ate supper we tried to find a good show. After 15 minutes we found a drive-in and watched the Titanic and the Lone Hand. After the ball was over, we tried to find the main section of L.A. After trying for an hour and a half we ended up on a dead end, so we slept in the car.
JUNE 27, Saturday
At 7:45 AM we took off and are now trying to find a jug of water. No luck so far. We ate breakfast at 8am and went into Los Angeles. We tried to get into some studios, but found it was next to impossible. We tried Warner's first, then went to Columbia and from there to UI. None of them were shooting today so there was no chance of getting a Job to get in.
We left Los Angeles and went toward Mexico. We went to a town right next to the border named Tijuana. The prices of souvenirs were cheap. We are going to eat supper.
We have oranges and olives that we bought and some other food. all of us have salt on us from swimming in the ocean. After eating the last meal of the day and stealing some lemons from a lemon grove, we went into San Diego and saw another 3D movie. (Sangaree)
June 28 Sunday
After eating breakfast at 8 am Sunday we headed the Mayflower's compass north toward the Grand Canyon.
We bought some bananas at a fruit stand and ate them for dinner then headed across the Mojave Desert, which was terribly hot. While driving through the desert the engine started boiling. We just made it to a place to get water and cool it down.
We crossed the Nevada line at 4:15 and drove through La. Vegas and bought some groceries outside and went on our way to Hoover Dam.
We saw Hoover Dam at 6 pm and it was a beautiful and massive sight. Now we are going to eat supper at 6:45.
We stopped for gas late and then killed two jack rabbits and cut off their ears and threw them in the trunk.
We stopped for Dairy Queens then kept on driving until we reached the Grand Canyon National Park at 12:15 AM.
JUNE 29, Monday
This morning we went to some view points to see the canyon after breakfast. We saw six beetles in shorts in about three minutes. We learned that the canyon is about 22 miles long and 5000 feet deep. It only looks about five miles across and 1 mile deep.
Alter buying groceries and changing oil in a little berg, we crossed the state line and went from Arizona to Utah. In some little berg in Utah we fixed up the brakes and greased the little Plymouth, then we went on a 30 mile goose chase to find a movie location. We had no luck.
JUNE 30, Tuesday
We did not stop for supper last night but drove all night. At 11 am we found ourselves in Colorado. We only made two stops for Dig and David drove most of the night. At 4:15 we stopped at a truck stop and got gas and coffee, then Lyle started driving.
Lyle went to sleep in Utah and woke up in Colorado. Lyle expressed his sentiments by saying "Thats the last shit eating at raw.
JULY 1 , Wednesday
At 9 am. rocky Mountain time, we stopped at Sulfur Springs(after buying groceries at Kremling) and ate breakfast, bought some gasoline and changed clothes. We are now 95 miles from Denver and everybody is feeling wonderful and in gay spirits as It is a beautiful day in Denver. Driving through Denver we saw the Capital building and some very good looking women. Lyle says we will be in Savanna by noon tomorrow.
We crossed the Kansas state line at 3 pm and had to set our watches ahead to 4 because of the time belt.
We gassed up at Atwood at 6 o'clock and Maurice took over the driving. This is the flat wheat lands we are in and we have seen more combines than we knew existed. The wind is really blowing from the southeast. Dig and Lyle are in the back seat; Lyle is sleeping but is waiting for nightfall because David and he are going to drive from then till morning. We expect to get home by II am tomorrow with money in our jeans.
Crossing the Nebraska line we found the highways a lot better. It was 5:15 pm when we went over the state line and Dig, who was driving said the road was as smooth as glass.
JULY 2. Thursday
It was 12:15 when we crossed the line and entered Iowa. When we gassed up at 3 and we ate a hamburger. Lyle was driving when we gassed up and when we stopped for gas again in Cedar Rapids he was still driving. We ate breakfast at Marian which is only 75 miles from Savanna.
We pulled into Sheldon's with a total of 1000 miles on the little Mayflower.
We surprized everybody with our excellent time.
This completes our westward expedition from Savanna. Illinois to the West Coast and back. We all had the time of our lives and it is a trip we will remember in many years to come.
