LA, Baby!

After dressing for Sunday, the Daughters Courageous headed out on their first trip in LA - Forest Lawn Memorial Park - which they described as "the most beautiful and the most life inspiring park that could ever be created."  There are not any good pictures of the cemetary in my Grandma's book, but they describe seeing the Little Church of the Flowers, the Kirk of the Heather and Memorial Court, where they saw a stained glass replica of daVinci's The Last Supper.  Apparently at sunset, the disciples disappear from view in the Last Supper, and all that is left is the faint outline of the face of Christ.  The girls were unable to see that window on Sunday, but bought tickets for a return trip on Monday morning at 8:00 am to see the window in an artificial sunset produced with shutters.


Of course, all this sight seeing made the girls hungry, so the next stop was Louis' French Cafe in Hollywood, where they drank coffee from glasses and described everything as "beautiful".  Of course, no trip to Hollywood would be at all complete without a tour of the stars' homes, which they describe as mostly fences and rooftops!  The Hollywood sign then was a bit different than it is now - still saying "Hollywoodland" instead of the shorter version we see today.


Evening took the Daughters Courageous to what was then the oldest street in LA, Olvera Street, sometimes called Mexican Street, which would have looked something like this in 1939:

There they window shopped, and, of course, had their handwriting analyzed by Mr. C.E. Bower.  The journal says that "Peaches" was determined to be "precise, meticulous and domestic."  He couldn't have described my Grandma better!

Following their return trip to Forest Lawn, the girls donned their swim wear and went to Long Beach for a swim in the Pacific.  They describe being thrilled to swim in the Pacific, but not enjoying the salt water at all.  One can only assume that this was the first time any of them had been to the ocean, all being from the Western New York area.  They spent the day there basking in the sun, and then got cleaned up and ready for dinner with some of my grandmother's friends, the Greiners, which will be saved for another day!

Again, no letters home, and not many pictures, even of Hollywood.  While going through this book, I have to keep reminding myself that people really didn't take as many pictures as we do in the digital age.  You waited and found something you really had to capture, and then took the photo.  I am gathering that my Grandmother wasn't overly impressed by this part of the trip, as there are no souvenir cards or brochures or anything from this part of the trip, as there are from places like the Grand Canyon, or other particularly interesting restaurants or stops along the way.  But, there's more to come!

California here we come!

    It seems that the girls were a bit tired after two nights of dancing and sightseeing at the Grand Canyon, and it also seems that they were in need of making good time across the desert and into California.  So, on their next leg of the journey, the stopped in Kingman, Arizona for gas, water, and other necessities for a drive across the desert and set out on their journey west towards Los Angeles.  They left Kingman at dark, and drove through the desert all night, with the car thermometer reading 104.  Before leaving, Grandma took a minute to write home for the first time in a day or two (and it would be another four days before she wrote home again!):

Sat. 6:30


Dear Folks:
   
   We left Grand Canyon about 2:30 this afternoon.  We just had supper here in Kingman, Ariz.  We are now going to cross the desert.  It is about 96 here now. Love, Alberta. 




     There's not much excitement in this part of the trip . . . . crossing the desert at night doesn't lend itself to much, I guess.  I myself, have never driven across the desert for any length of time, but can only imagine the stuffy feeling of four people in a car overnight, and I still marvel at four young women making this trip at that time. They describe their arrival at the state line of California, and how they had to stop at the Port of Entry for an inspection.  This is an interesting concept to me, as there's obviously none of that anymore, but they welcomed the chance to get out of the car and get a cold drink.


    Their trip through the desert ended about 4:00 am, with their arrival in San Bernadino, California, where they pulled over to take a nap and find breakfast.  Between San Bernadino and Los Angeles, they describe seeing lime, grapefruit and orange trees for the first time.  They bought dates from a vendor along the way, which none of the girls had ever tried fresh before.  Once in Los Angeles, they settled in at the Rex Auto Court Apartments and got themselves cleaned up and dressed for Sunday.


    As soon as they were cleaned up and ready to go, it was off to explore LA, baby - first stop on that trip was Forest Lawn Memorial Park.  That's right, a cemetary.  We'll save this exciting day and the rest of their time in the LA area for the next installment - don't worry, it gets more exciting from here!

What does a girl do when she's done riding a Mule to the bottom of the Grand Canyon? Why, Dance, of course!

Alberta Kleinfelder Neilans wasn't, in my lifetime, anyone that you could ever imagine letting loose and cutting the rug.  She owned a radio, a small one, which sat on her kitchen table, and was perpetually tuned to talk radio. There was rarely music in her home.  When she was someplace that music was playing, she never appeared to be particularly stirred by it.  In fact, in thirty eight years of my life, I don't remember her even tapping a toe.  I have one picture of her dancing the obligatory dance with one of her sons at his wedding, and she was barely smiling. Church was the only place that she seemed to enjoy or embrace music at all, singing loudly to her favorite hymns, "The Old Rugged Cross" and "In the Garden".


So, then I read this journal, and discovered that, after a long day of mule riding at the Grand Canyon, the Daughters Courageous cleaned themselves up and put on their dancing shoes.  I thought maybe for a moment that Grandma just went along, but maybe stayed on the sidelines, but, no, she was right out there, dancing with a guy nicknamed Texas.  By the end of the night, Texas was calling her Peaches, and they were planning another evening of dancing the following night.


According to the journal, the girls returned from the mule ride, "dressed in their best bibs and tuckers" and headed to the Bright Angel Lodge for a dance.  Their mule ride added to their "appeal", and they quickly all found dancing partners.  Once the band at the Lodge finished playing at 10:30, the girls took their guys, Texas, Ralph and Herm, and headed to the "Well", which sounds like the local watering hole.  There they taught the boys the Beer Barrel Polka.  The following day they describe as a day of catching up on sleep and laundry, and preparing for their next evening of "tripping the light fantasic" again at the Well.


The group got a late start on the following morning, heading away from the Grand Canyon, but only after "Dr. Texas" helped remove some cactus needles from Miggles' foot.  The Daughters Courageous were on the road again.


There are no pictures in the journal of this day of the trip (hence no pictures on this entry), and Grandma didn't write home to tell her parents of her night of dancing.  No pictures of the guys they danced with, or matchbooks from the Well.  I wish I could have seen my Grandma having what sounds like so much fun.


I have to admit that I enjoy knowing these things about my Grandma.  She always seemed old and wise and stoic, and I always thought she must not have had very much fun in her life.  It's fun to picture her as a pretty, vivacious young woman, letting loose with her girl friends, meeting new people and enjoying herself.  I once asked her if she left any broken hearts along her way during this trip, to which I got the customary "Humph, I don't think so".  Somehow I suspect there was something she wasn't telling me!

Back on the trail

It has been nearly a year since I did any posting here . . . . a year ago I left The Trail of the Gypsy Wagon for the campaign trail.  I managed an unsuccessful but really good for a first try campaign for District Attorney here in Cayuga County.  It was one of those experiences that couldn't help but be a good one, even though the outcome wasn't what we wanted.  After election day, I have taken almost six months to get caught up on projects at home and at work, and am now ready to resume and finish up this project.


In case you have all forgot, I started this blog to go along with the book which contains the journal of my grandmother's trip across America in 1939.  I am hopeful that the book will be ready for publication in the next few months, and plan to pick up the blog posts at the Grand Canyon later this week.  


Thank you all again for reading and following my blog and this journey!  More to come. . . .

Through the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest and on to the Grand Canyon

After a brief hiatus, I am back to blogging . . . This is, admittedly, my favorite part of their story, mainly because I have been to these areas myself.  As I might have mentioned before, some of these places are pretty desolate now, I really can't imagine what they were like when these four girls took this trip.  That said . . . 


When we last left the Daughters Courageous, they had made it to the Painted Desert, and planned to get up early the following morning to see the sunrise there.  They describe waking very early, being a bit drowsy, but the majestic colors of the sunrise waking them up.  Following the sunrise, they drove on to the Petrified Forest where they spent a few hours exploring the trails and listening to lectures there.

Then it was on to the Grand Canyon. . . this is truly the part of the trip the earned them the name "the Daughters Courageous".  Route 66 carried the girls through Winslow, Arizona, where they stopped for some souvenir shopping, then took them on to the Canyon.  After arriving, settling in their cabin and getting their first view of the Grand Canyon, they decided to check out the evening entertainment.  Cowboys showed off their roping skills, and a movie about the mule rides down the canyon topped off the evening.  The movie gave the girls the idea that the mule ride would be fun, so the following morning, they saddled up for a guided tour down the canyon on Missouri Mules.

Years later when I visited the Grand Canyon, I saw the mule riders on their trip back up the canyon while I was perusing the trail down the canyon.  It looked terrifying to me, as the trail is narrow and any misstep by the mule could be disasterous.  I sent a post card home to my Grandma telling her that I couldn't believe she had done that, and how I am not nearly as brave as she was.  Turns out that she was not a fan of the mule ride, that she was terrified too, and hated the mule, but she did it for the experience and to say she rode a mule to the bottom of the Grand Canyon!

In contrast to my post card, the one that my Grandma sent home from the Grand Canyon didn't mention the mule ride: "Dear Folks, We came into the Grand Canyon yesterday afternoon about 4:30.  Before coming here we went to the Petrified Forest.  Nothing I have ever seen can compare in beauty to Grand Canyon.  We spent all day here today.  Expect to leave for Boulder Dam and Los Angeles tomorrow.  Alberta."


Back to the Mules . . . The Mule tour took the Daughters Courageous zig zagging down the side of the Canyon to the Colorado River Bed.  Once at the bottom of the Canyon, the girls were so moved that they began to sing a verse of "God Bless America" to which the others in the party joined in.  Thinking of what that moment must have been like gives me chills.  They returned to the Canyon Rim about 5:30 and prepared for their evening out . . . which will have to be saved for another installment!

The Gypsy Wagon Heads South . . . towards the Grand Canyon

Following the "world class" tour of Denver and its surroundings by their trusted guide, Davie, the four Jolly Dutchmen piled again into the Gypsy Wagon to head south through Colorado and New Mexico towards the Petrified Forest and the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon.  


First stop on their way was Colorado Springs, where the ladies did some interesting sight seeing.  Their stops included the Garden of the Gods, and the Cave of the Winds, which is described as "most interesting".  The girls visited the Old Maid's Kitchen, where legend had it that if a girl left a hairpin there, she would be happily married within a year.  Those that returned after a year and were happily married left a safety pin as a token.  None of the girls fessed up to leaving a hairpin behind, but I do know that if my Grandma did, the legend didn't quite work for her, as it was several years later before she was married.  They described the weather that day as sort of rainy, so they could not see Pike's Peak, and, after a picnic at Manitou Springs, the Gypsy Wagon hit the road once more to head to New Mexico.

The back of this post card reads: "Dear Folks:  We just went through the Cave of the Winds.  It certainly is beautiful.  Coming up here we drove through these Narrows.  There is only room enough for the car.  It is awfully cold today.  About 58.  We have on coats and sweaters.  Love, Alberta."


Soup and ice cream was dinner that evening in Walsenburg, Colorado.  It was here that the girls changed their group name from the Jolly Dutchmen to the "Daughters Courageous".  They must have figured out by then that they were really on an adventure, and the Jolly Dutchmen didn't fit so well!  After crossing the New Mexico border, they stopped for the night in Raton, at the Green and White Tourist Camp.

After suffering a night so cold that their teeth chattered, the Daughters Courageous were up and ready to travel across New Mexico with the goal of reaching the Painted Desert by sunset.  They had to drive one hundred miles just to find breakfast to Las Vegas, New Mexico, and describe driving through "mud villages" where they paid Indian children a penny to take their pictures.  They took the Santa Fe Trail through New Mexico,  and described how, the further west they drove, the more meager the Indian homes were, and the more traditional dress they saw.   

Having been to this area myself, seventy years later, I can say that this area is still pretty barren, and many of the native american people still live a very simple, traditional life.  Along the way the ladies did stop to take a swim in the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, and enjoyed another picnic on it's shores.


The card sent home from Las Vegas, New Mexico, reads:  "Dear Folks: We just had breakfast here in Las Vegas.  We stayed all night about 100 miles from here in Raton.  We slept in a very nice cabin.  It had two bedroom and a private bath for .75 each.  We are having a grand time and the car is still going strong.  In 1500 miles we only have had to add one quart of oil.  Then we had it changed in denver.  Guess we's better get on our way.  Love, Alberta."

Unfortunately, the Daughters Courageous did not make it to the Painted Desert by sundown, so they decided to stop for the night about fifteen miles outside of the park and see the sun rise over the Painted Desert instead. . . more to come . . .

Denver with Davie

The Gypsy Wagon rolled into Denver at about 11:30 pm, and the traveller's took up residence at Mrs. Corman's Tourist Home.  

The following morning, they were up an ready to see the City, so they enlisted the services of "Davie", who they described as "the human talking machine".  The group was picked up at 8:00 am by their guide driving a "roofless Pierce", and were shown Denver in all its glory.  Below is a picture of the group, along with Davie, their guide.

When they returned to their Tourist Home, Mrs. Corman told them about a Rodeo in Estes Park.  The girls piled in the Gypsy Wagon and drove the 67 miles to Estes Park to see a real western Rodeo.  The highlight of that trip was one of the riders being taken away in an ambulance!  Following the Rodeo, they did some shopping in Estes Park, where Grandma bought the scrapbook, and had their fortunes told by a palm reader - all four determined that 1940 would be a very good year.

The following morning, the open air Pierce with Davie at the wheel arrived at Mrs. Corman's Tourist Home for another day of sightseeing.  Today's sights included Buffalo Bill's grave on Lookout Mountain, where the Jolly Dutchmen tossed coins as a donation at the monument of his favorite horse, and visited a museum established by his adopted son, Johnny Baker, and run by Mrs. Johnny Baker.


After paying their respects to Buffalo Bill, the Pierce drove on and took the Dutchmen to Mt. Evans, where they climbed to the summit at 14,260 feet (all in dresses, might I add!).  They described it being so cold while they were driving up Mt. Evans that the four of them huddled in the back seat of the car until Davie rolled up the roof and closed the windows to keep the snow out . . . the girls were amazed that they were driving in snow on August 6!

Once finished with Mt. Evans, they stopped for lunch at Echo Lake Lodge, where they ate, warmed up, and learned to dance the Beer Barrel Polka under the guidance again of Davie, who apparently doubled as a dance teacher as well!


Next stop was the first Gold Mine discovered in Colorado, then on to Denver Mountain Park, where they viewed the red rocks, and met a "thoroughbred Sioux Indian".  He let one of the girls wear his headdress, allowed his picture to be taken, and then charged the girls a dime for the privilege.


On the way back to Mrs. Corman, they stopped again to Polka in Evergreen, and viewed Dinosaur foot prints on the side of a rock.  


Following their first day of sightseeing, my Grandma wrote a long letter home:


"Dear Folks:


I've thought a lot about you today wondering how you made out on Saturday with all the extra order. (Note - her father owned a bakery, so they must have had something extra going on that day).


We have had a pretty busy day.  Stayed in Denver last night and are staying in the same place tonight.  We have a grand big room with two double beds with inner spring mattresses.  It really is the nicest room we have had so far, and it costs only .75 a piece.  We got up about 8:00 am and took a sightseeing tour of Denver.  Got back to the house about 12:30 and took the car and drove about 67 miles to Estes Park, through the mountains to see a real western rodeo.  Today we saw the mountains for the first time, some of them are snow capped.


We are now one mile above sea level (we're kind of getting up in the world don't you think?).


Tomorrow (Sunday) we are going to take an all day trip through the Rocky Mountain National Parks and to Mount Evans which is higher than Pikes Peak.  We think we will stay in Denver again tomorrow night because it will be almost dark by the time we get back from our mountain trip.


Last night (Fri) we got into Denver about 11:00 pm.  We drove about 640 miles yesterday.  We crossed the plains and was it hot!!  That is why we came all the way through - it cooled off beautifully in the evening and there isn't anything to see crossing the plains.  We drove one stretch of about 30 mi. in which there wasn't even the slightest turn in the road - and we think Transit Road is straight!


The scenery is really very beautiful around here now, but it was very monotonous when we crossed the plains - there weren't even any trees.  Nothing but fields and sun.


I hope you've been getting some mail each day.  I've sent something every night.


Well, I guess I'd better get to bed because I'm tired and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.


Love - Alberta"


I am finding that I am truly enjoying this project - I have almost finished the text of the journal which I will put together as a book, and will be available soon ( shameless self promotion - I know!), and I feel like I have learned so much - not only about what our country was once like, but about what my Grandma was like as a young lady, just getting started in her life.  I have often told my own daughter that she had a very strong, independent and adventurous Great Grandma, but I am getting the feeling that I only know a part of that story!