My First Trip “Out West”

The year was 1937. I was 9 years old and my brother, Harold, was 4. Dad had bought a new Terraplane car – made by Hudson Motor Co. and wanted to visit his brother in Idaho. An extended summer trip was planned. When school was out that spring, we loaded our things into the Terraplane and left on our western odyssey.

I remember taking extra precaution concerning water and gasoline before heading across the desert, where towns and service stations were far apart in those days. It seems we had a leather or fabric water bag that allowed water to slowly seep out to the fabric, where evaporation kept the water cool inside. Dad hung the bag of water in front of the car’s grill to help cool the engine while crossing the desert.

We arrived in California. I was amazed at my first view of the Pacific Ocean. We took a side trip to Tijuana, Mexico for a few hours. As a 9 year old kid, I was shocked at how dirty the food looked that was sold by street vendors. I wouldn’t eat anything while we were in Tijuana.

We arrived in San Francisco about the 3rd week of May and saw the Golden Gate Bridge - which links San Francisco with Marin County. I remember my parents telling me that the bridge was scheduled to open the following week, thus we were not able to cross it. “I had a real chronological problem with this. How could we leave home after school was out and arrive in San Francisco about the 3rd week of May? My cousin, Juanita Spurlin, clarified this for me. In 1937, Magnet Cove School, which I was attending at that time, had an 8-month academic year and school typically closed for the summer in April. The Golden Gate Bridge opened May 27, 1937. I believe we took the ferry to Marin County and visited the coastal redwood grove in Muir Woods.

I think we went through the Sequoia Nat’l Park with its giant sequoia trees and Kings Canyon. Later we visited some of the coastal redwood forests. I’m not sure, but I don’t believe we went through Yosemite Nat’l Park. We went up at least part of the coastal highway, with its spectacular view of plant life, cliffs, beaches and ocean. We crossed the Columbia River at some point into Washington State. I don’t remember if we went to Seattle or not.

We finally arrived at Uncle Flay’s and Aunt Hazel’s ranch/farm near Glenns Ferry, Idaho where we stayed for several days. One of the memorable events while there was a trout fishing trip to a nearby mountain stream. The water was swift, and the stream appeared to be too small for good fishing – but we caught a lot of trout!

Of course, the trip included a visit to Yellowstone Nat’l Park. We saw hot springs, geysers (including Old Faithful), buffaloes, bears, elk, and other sights while at the park.

We drove to the top of Pike’s Peak on a dirt/gravel road, as I recall. There was a real concern about the car over-heating on the way up, and of the brakes over-heating on the way down.

It was a nice extended vacation. I was told that we visited every western state except Nevada – although some visits were rather brief. It was a great trip!

This Tidbit in Time shared by the Hot Spring County Historical Society

The Heritage, Vol.32, p. 131-133

This Heritage, along with others, can be purchased from the HSC Historical Society