An Early Diary

 

The diary/journal that I kept for our family's "grand adventure" isn't terribly complete, but I'm positive that what is there is accurate. Sometimes it's good to keep old papers. However, since our grandchildren don't live close to us, and since we now have greater technological opportunities, I figured it was about time to record this in another format. So, here you go!

I started off with a very detailed entry and ended half-way through our trip with blank pages; however, something is better than nothing, don't you agree?

 Saturday, June 29, 1974

This morning we woke up at about 4:30 AM and got into the mini-motor home. At 6:00 AM when my dad woke up we started our trip. Between 7:00 and 8:00 we all got dressed and ate breakfast.

At around 10:30 AM we got to the entrance of Camp Ritchie and picked up Tony.

At around 11:00 we got to Tragedy Spring and ran around. At 12:00 we ate lunch and we left Tragedy Spring at 12:30.

We got to Carson River at around 2:00 and ran around for about 10 minutes.

We entered Nevada around 3:00 PM. I don’t know for sure because I was asleep.

My dad was looking around for propane but I don’t think he found any until we got to Hawthorne at 6:00 PM but then he only got 5 gallons.

We had dinner at a little rest place at 7:00

We got to Uncle Kraig’s at 7:20 PM.

I went to bed at around 10:00 PM. The girls slept in the so-called house (a house trailer).

Sunday, June 30, 1974

I woke up at 6:00 AM but I fell back asleep.

I ate breakfast at around 9 and then I got dressed.

We went to Uncle Kraig’s church at 10:30. When we got home around 1:30 we had dinner.

We played until supper.

After I washed the dishes I took a bath.

I went to bed at 8:30 PM.

Monday, July 1, 1974

I woke up at 6:45 and got dressed. Then I cooked the pancakes for breakfast.

We left Uncle Kraig’s at 8:25 and went to get propane. We left Hawthorne at 8:55 AM.

We stopped at Ely and got a soda pop.

Between Ely and Wendover we were in a rainstorm.

We entered Utah at 5:30 PM.

When we got to Grandma’s around 10 PM we had homemade ice cream Aunt Dora brought.

I went to bed at 11:45

Tuesday, July 2, 1974

I woke up at 6:45.

We left Grandma’s at 7:15 AM.

We left Ogden at 8:30 AM.

It rained until 9:45.

We entered Wyoming at 10:05 AM.

It rained almost all day.

At 1:30 PM we stopped to fix the car and eat lunch. We left at 3:45 PM.

We got in Cheyenne at 8:45.

I took a shower and went to bed at 10:45 PM.

Wednesday, July 3, 1974

I woke up at 6:20 and when my mom started driving at 6:30 AM I fell back to sleep.

We entered Nebraska at 7:00 AM.

I woke up and got dressed at 8:30. We stopped and ate breakfast at 9:00 AM.

We stopped at a Pony Express Station and I bought a necklace. We ate lunch.

MY BIRTHDAY

Thursday, July 4, 1974

Today was Independence Day!!!

During last night our motor home got stuck in a muddy road because of the rain. It was the driveway to a campground in Missouri. I spent my birthday morning hauling rocks to put around the tires so we could get the vehicle to start moving. Because of the delay we missed the Independence Day activities in Hannibal, Missouri where we finally arrived after dinner.

As I look back, it was a very memorable birthday. [written 9/23/1979 Becky]

FAST SUNDAY

Sunday, July 7, 1974

We got to Uncle Sam and Aunt Jean’s church house in time for Priesthood Meeting. We went to Sunday School and Fast Meeting there. Afterwards we went to Uncle Sam’s apartment for dinner and visiting. [They lived in Chicago, Illinois.]

At around 7:00 we left for Chambers. 20 miles away from the service station we ran out of gas.

Tuesday, July 9, 1974

NIAGARA

Wednesday, July 10, 1974

This morning I woke up and went over to the playground near Lake Darius [most likely Darien Lakes State Park].

Afterward we went swimming there and we were the first ones.

Louise and I later rented a paddleboat.

We ate breakfast and lunch at the same time. When the dishes were done we left.

At 5:00 PM we visited the Joseph Smith home, Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah and Peter Whitmer’s home.

We ate dinner at midnight and traveled all night.

Thursday, July 11, 1974

This morning we were stopped by 2 police cars because there was a robbery in California at an Army place and they took 5 hand grenades and the police thought we were them.

We ate breakfast at 10:30 at a place by Lake George in New York.

We visited Fort Ticonderoga at lunchtime and saw them firing the cannon and some other artillery thing.

In Vermont we saw Joseph Smith’s birthplace and ate dinner at the camping place nearby.

At 9:15 we entered New Hampshire.

I think we are going to drive all night.

Saturday, July 13, 1974

LEXINGTON & CONCORD

Sunday, July 14, 1974

CHURCH

Monday, July 15, 1974

BOSTON

Tuesday, July 16, 1974

We woke up and ate breakfast. Then we started to look for gas but we couldn’t find any! So on our way to Plymouth we ran out. Mom, George and Louise started walking to the nearest town. The rest of us just waited for 2 hours.

Finally the propane truck came and filled us up. Then we went and picked up Louise and George and paid the men.

We got to Plimouth Plantation at lunchtime so we ate a little snack.

Then we went in and saw 3 movies – They Knew They Were Pilgrims, Mayflower II and Colonial 6. Then we went and looked at the fort and some of the houses.

We saw another movie – Thatching. I think that one was the best. Then we finished the village and went to the gift shop.

After that we did the laundry.

Then we went and saw Mayflower II and hurried to the bus stop to pick up Daddy.

Then we went to our campground.

Wednesday, July 17, 1974

RELATIVES (in Connecticut)

Friday, July 19, 1974

Celebrate Ida’s birthday at a park in Washington D.C. Visit Smithsonian Museum and Presidential Memorials.

Sunday, July 21, 1974

Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. Visit Candland and Fox families.

That's the last of my diary entries. We took about ten days to drive back west across the country to California, taking the northern route. I can't remember whether we went through North Dakota or South Dakota, but Google's current first route choice went through Fargo, North Dakota, and that town rings a bell, so maybe that's the route we took! Along the way we dealt with a mechanical failure in the borrowed motorhome, stopped for a picnic in Yellowstone National Park, drove through my grandfather's boyhood town (Shelley, Idaho), and visited my dad's cousins in Boise.

Note to my posterity: If you have any questions or want clarification on anything, just ask! You have until my memory is gone or I die, whichever comes first.

For example, Tony - mentioned in the first entry and pictured here in 1972 (back row, left) - is George, Ida and Benjamin's older half-brother. My parents were going to adopt him as well, but after a couple of years of living with us, he decided to go back to his biological family and live near/with his older sister.