We sent out from San Francisco bright and early on the homestretch of our rather impromptu trip to California and now we were to have no more time for visit, side trips, or sightseeing for David was headed for home like a hungry horse at the end of a hard day, or to put it more poetically "he was the sworn companion of the wind". What we saw would be observed strictly from the road as we sped along, filled out by the memory of what geography and history we could bring to mind. This time we crossed the Bay bridge and wild through Berkeley and other cities that fringe the Eastern shore, then struck out north east for Sacramento. That was about the last place we noticed much tropical vegetation. No more palms and eucalyptus, Acacia and pepper trees, but as we said before, while it was wonderful to see those exotic things. It really seemed comfortable and nice to look once more good old, maples, oaks, and evergreens.
It began to rain before we were far out of Sacramento and then began to snow. When we went through Donner Pass, a thin blanket of white already lay over the mountains, and the stormy aspect really made the passage more impressive, but we couldn't help but think back to those days of old when that brave little party of pioneers met their tragic end at this place, starving freezing, and betrayed. We wondered how they had the audacity to seek a way through the mountains. It was bleak enough for us on that good smooth road with humans and machines within call if we had trouble, with a heater in the car and food available whenever we wanted it. Such a far cry from the situation then. And still with all our modern advantages the weather can still be a master, for right here only last year two crack trains were stalled for days in the snow.
By the time we got to Reno, people really looked almost blue with cold and the gas man told us they expected a foot of snow by morning. The temperature dropped suddenly just the day before. The rain would stop and start again from time to time it would snow or sleet or hail. Once in a while, the sun came out. We went over the plains and through the mountains, and finally as the rain got heavier, we pulled up at Lovelock for supper. Margie and I assumed that was the end of the day travel. But no, not with David at the wheel. On we went with ominous mountains drawing close, and then receding from us, and a heavy black cloud hanging over the orange strip of sunset sky behind us. We passed Battle Mountain, but haven't any idea what battle it was named for – probably some Indian affair. We went through Emigrant Pass in complete darkness, and maybe it was just as well – no telling what damage our nerves might've suffered in daylight.
Finally, we pulled into Elko and called it a day. David did the room scouting for us on the way home and in this place he secured a palatial suite at a huge motel, three big rooms and bath. Sometimes you hear of exorbitant prices for tourist accommodations but we didn't find any. This was the most expensive anywhere and it cost four dollars each. It might be that we could've bedded down as many people as we liked for the same price. With three double beds and a big Davenport seven would've been quite comfortable. We only regretted that we got the in so late for if we had arrived early and if we had known anybody to invite, we could've held quite a large reception in our apartment.
The cheapest rooms we had a couple of nights near our home cost us only $7.50 for the three; but is it as it was quite late and the hostess was about a sleepy as we were. we are inclined to think she made a mistake. Most places we paid three or three and one half dollars each. At Riverside California the charge was only $2.50 each, and that was the place where they gave free orange juice when we arrived and offered free coffee and rolls before we left. Most of the places have about the same accommodations; all the hot and cold water you want, ice water to drink if you want it, always a shower and sometimes the tub besides, air-conditioning if needed and heating arrangements, very comfortable beds, clean and attractive furniture. Usually there is a good café within inconvenient distance and what we appreciated was that there was usually one open early enough in the morning to accommodate us. Some places have carport alongside but oftener the cars are just parked around the patio in front of the rooms. Back in Texas and some of those mild southwestern states we noticed several times the folks just pulled off the road (the shoulders are wide down there) and arranged sleeping quarters in the car. We thought that a young couple trying to economize could do very well and save quite a bit of cash by doing that. Several times we saw carloads of young fellows just getting up in the morning with a mirror hung somewhere in the car, shaving and getting freshened up for the day.
But to get on with our story, we started from Elko about seven and the weather had cheered up considerably. It was still cold and windy, but the sun was out. As we drove on into Utah, we thought it first a lot more snow had fallen than we realized, for the plain was white and crystallized as far as we could see, and with that the pale blue sky and bright sun, we thought for a minute we were looking out on a typical winter snow scene. Of course, it was just the great salt flats, and off in the distance we could begin to see the blue waters of the Great Salt Lake. We reached Salt Lake City at noon, and there we made a call on a friend who lived at the University of Illinois with her two little boys while her husband finished school there. Now they have four boys. We intended just to say hello, take a swing through the city, and go on. But she insisted on joining the family for lunch and then she went sightseeing with us. This was a great adventure, for she had been born and raised here, and was herself a Mormon, in fact, a great granddaughter of Brigham Young, so she could give us many more interesting and intimate details than most guides. We saw the monument where their leader first said, "This is the place", and, of course the temple and the tabernacle and the sea gull monument and the Pioneer museum, as well as the lion House with its 20 gables where Brigham Young's many wives lived well in harmony together. Our friend pointed out the gable to the apartment of her great grandmother. Even with this much sightseeing, we would've been on our way sooner except we got into one of the conducted parties on the temple Square and followed along and listened to the excellent guide to explaining her peoples history and beliefs. The Mormons are truly a very kindly, generous, tolerant people. Although they suffered much persecution themselves, they never retaliated, but invited other sects to come into their valley and settle there. They got along better with the Indians than many pioneers, because they won them with kindness.
It was interesting to think afterward about how close we had been to the heart of three great religions on this trip, and how genuinely generous all of them were; the San Francisco Padres of the California missions, the Mormons at Salt Lake, and the Methodists at Santa Barbara. And that reminds me that we copied down the words from two plaques in the church at Santa Barbara. One it seems to me was in the church school part of the ediface, and it said "Our courteous Lord willeth that we should be as homely with him as heart may think or soul may desire. But let us be aware that we take not so recklessly this homeliness as to leave courtesy". – Julian of Norwalk,
And the other was near the entrance of the church itself and said "This is the place where prayer is wont to be made, a house which Christ by his Sacramento presence has made a home".
It was after four when we prepared to leave Salt Lake, and we had hoped to get as far as rock Rock Springs, Wyoming by that night. Our hostess declared we couldn't get further than Evanston as the road was mountainous and winding and not in extra good condition. But she didn't know David. We found the road just as she said. And it begin to rain again besides. But now there was no stopping our driver now. At Evanston, we merely stopped for supper and went on. We didn't quit until nearly midnight, but we got to Rock Springs even though we had to wind around mountains in the dark. Back in 1940 or 1941 we had stopped at this town before coming down from Yellowstone past the Grand Tetons. It didn't exactly seem familiar because it was too dark to see anything, and we drove through and stopped in a motel on the other side where we could bound out early and dash east again in the morning. At Rock Springs we got another room apartment again with three rooms and a bath and an extra cot in the kitchen – and it cost $10 for the three of us.
Soon after 7 o'clock the next morning we were on the way again on a bright cold, very windy day, and for a while, it seemed to be an endless plain, hardly mountain to be seen even in the distance – and this we found later was the Great Divide basin. We stopped at Wamsutter, Wyoming, and there we had breakfast and mailed our last card – and beat them home by three days. We passed the Continental Divide, and soon ran into the mountains again through Rawlings and Laramie to Cheyenne. When we stopped at Cheyenne before it was July and the time of rodeos with many bright Cowboys on the streets. This time we saw something entirely different, namely, the Air Force Base named for Francis Warren. David had been stationed there for a while when the base still belonged to the army, and he wanted to take a few minutes to run through it again and show us where he lived. It is a huge place long established, and therefore like a real town. We were impressed by the large brick residences of the officers and the smaller but cheerful cottages for the men, new since David was there, but what impressed the most was the snappy saluting that David rated everywhere as he turned up. Up to now among all the aunts and girl cousins he was just our boy to park the car and run errands and carry bags in general look after us – very dear to us, but a little on the order of a porter we should be ashamed to admit. To be sure he was in uniform, but those captain's bars didn't mean anything to us civilians, but dear me when you get into a military environment, how they do count!
A Good Housekeeper Speaks
I was so busy as the days to the days are in.
I did not write that letter to my friend.
In her great need I had no time at all.
To return the neighbors friendly call?
The little child who passed my door went by
Without a smiling answer to her shy
Advancement and the begger at my door.
Went on still carrying the burden that he bore.
Even my nearest and my dearest knew.
I had no time to spare the long hours throughAnd now that tonight my house is clean and bright.
The window sills are scrubbed, my boards are white.
The beds are smooth, each dish neat on the shelf.
And pleased with it ... but not pleased with myself!
Dear God, if tomorrow may be mine.
Help me to make my spirit shine.
One should not be too spent at close of day
To read an old love book to kneel and pray.
– Grace Neil Cowell
MEMORY GEM
The best way to get along with a woman is to let her think she is having her own way. And the way to do that is to let her have it.
MEMORY GEM
I do the very best I can, and mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't come out to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, 10 angels, swearing I was right, would make no difference – Abe Lincoln.
MEMORY GEM
As badly off as I was, I had a feeling as soon as I got here that this was the place to be, poor or well fixed – Victor Borge, immigrant from Denmark to the USA.
MEMORY GEM
Too many of us are like wheelbarrows, useful only when pushed and easily upset.
MEMORY GEM
The sting of a bee carries conviction with it. It makes a man a bee-leaver at once.
MEMORY GEM
In flat country molehills look like mountains.