A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....08-30-05....How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Billie, Diver Dave | Diver Dave

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

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~ Billie, Mama_Bear, Dutchess, Aquamarine, DollyCali ~

by Diver Dave
Design by Billie

Okay, class. Summer vacation is over and Autumn has arrived. Your assignment today is to tell the class about your summer vacation. You may make it as long or as short as you wish.

Now to get things started, I’ll go first. My story however has a little different twist to it.

Long before Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA”, our family began a summer vacation that has since always been referred to as, “The Trip.”

"See the USA in your Chevrolet"

Hopefully, some will remember that tune from the Dinah Shore television show from the fabulous fifties. As that tune has now re-entered your mind and kindled memories of days of old, it sets the stage for what follows.

A few short years before that tune made its way into the living rooms of America, our family did just that. We loaded up the old ’47 Chevy and started our journey from our home in Spokane, WA. Our primary destination would take us over the rivers and through lots of woods to Grandma’s house in Foley, Alabama. Who knows, perhaps we inspired the words of the song in the commercial?

Diver Dave on his mom's lap,with sisters Elice, Helen,
and Ruth.  Dave's twin brother Dan is on his dad's lap.
The family pet, a copper-colored Cocker Spaniel, is named Rusty.

The year was 1951. Don and I had just graduated from kindergarten. Dad, Mom and our three older sisters began our journey on “The Trip.”

Dad made a special carrier that mounted on the roof of the car. It held luggage, a large tent, sleeping bags for all, and camping gear. With a brand new DeJur 8mm movie camera, “The Trip” would be recorded for many years of enjoyment.

Dad had 4 brothers and 8 sisters and plans were made to visit all of them save Uncle Harry who passed away a few years earlier. Dad once told a young boy at church that there were 5 boys in his family and each one of them had 8 sisters. It must have impressed him, because he commented, “WOW! 40 kids.”

“The Trip” would take us through 26 of the 48 states plus the District of Columbia. Join with me if you would as we travel through time and present a tour of America through the eyes of a 6 year-old. We will travel from sea to shining sea, through those amber waves of grain. We’ll see the purple mountains’ majesty and cross the fruited plain. Keep in mind, this is a few years before the interstate highway program started, so a lot of the roads are going to be narrow two-lane highways. This trip will last 2 ½ months. No ozone-killing Freon air- conditioning in this car. The air conditioning in this care was either 4 windows down or the round cylinder thingy mounted on the passenger side window. Ice would be placed inside the cylinder and as the air flowed through the openings, cool air filled the car. We had no tape-player or CD. The radio is an old tube type AM- only radio with one speaker buried in the dashboard. Oldest sister Helen became the family choir director and led us in songs to pass the time and provide some entertainment.

It was too early in history to count slug-bugs, so we would play “I Spy” games. Spotting and naming license plates was one of the games, and Dad came up with another game. Whenever anyone spotted a white horse along the route, they would holler out “Slopski.” Don’t ask how that name got attached to white horses, but it did manage to pass the time on “The Trip.”

First stop on the agenda will be Seattle. The 300 mile trip to Seattle always means a visit to the Woodland Park Zoo. Also we will stop by the Ballard Locks to watch the boats and ships pass through the locks from Puget Sound to Lake Washington.

On the road again, we head down old 99 and stop to tour the capitol grounds in Olympia. Back in those days, the capitol and dome were white. This visit to Olympia will set a precedent. As routing permits, we will visit many state capitols.

Next stop, Salem, capitol of Oregon. Overnight camping along a riverbank in Oregon.

Back on the road, we stop to visit Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox at the Trees of Mystery in Northern California. Giant redwoods as big around as a car and tall enough to tickle the clouds. With a Trees of Mystery sign attached to the bumper, we head south on Highway 101 to visit more family in Pittsburg, CA.

Next stop, Long Beach, and Orange, CA to visit more family. Imagine if you would, Orange, CA without all the houses. Grove after grove of orange trees. The trees of Long Beach looked rather peculiar as I remember. Derricks and oil wells all over the place. No trip to Southern California would be complete without going to the beach. Swimming in the ocean for the first time and finding out how salty that water tastes - yuk. Hard to imagine a trip to California without visiting Disneyland or Dodger Stadium. ‘Fraid it was too early in history for that.

Next up, the most boring part of the trip. ("HEYYYYY! Watch it!" ~ Billie LOL) Hundreds and hundreds of miles of desert, cactus, sand, rocks and sagebrush as we head east to Beaumont, TX. The oil fields of California were nothing compared to what we saw in Texas. Could this be the official state tree of Texas? Driving late at night we could see the flames coming from the smoke stacks of the oil refineries in East Texas. We were about to receive a taste of that famous southern hospitality as we arrived at our destination in Beaumont. At a family picnic, we got our first taste of fricassee chicken.

Time to load up the car and hit the road again as we drive through Louisiana and cross the mighty Mississippi enroute to Grandma’s house near the Gulf Coast of Alabama. We spent 2-3 weeks at Grandma’s with side trips to Mobile, Fort Morgan, and day trip over to Pensacola. Shrimp boats cruise by us in the canal while we were catfishing. That prompted sister Helen to break out in song - “Shrimp Boats Are Coming Their Sails Are In Sight….” A day at the beach in the Gulf created some fears for this little critter. As I looked down in the water, I saw a crab crawling on the bottom near my feet. I was sure my toes were gonna be his next meal. A quick exit to the safety of the beach brought tears of laughter from everyone but me.

Evenings became pretty special for these kids from the northwest. We had never before seen fireflies. Many a night we would run around trying to catch them in a jar that Grandma gave us. Sisters Ruth and Elice took their jar to bed with them to see if the lightnin’ bugs would light up the bedroom at night.

We say our good-byes to the Deep South and we make our way towards Portsmouth, VA. We do the tourist thing along the way as we pass by cotton fields and large tobacco farms. Large statues and monuments to early American heroes seem to be everywhere. The Great Smoky Mountains prompt the singing of “On Top of Old Smokey.” A trip to Virginia Beach meant we had the opportunity to swim and play in the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico.

We visit our nations capitol, Washington DC and a lot of the many surrounding sites. A trip to the Capitol brings out a new version of “On Top of Old Smokey” from my sister. With what would normally amount to a good mouth washing with soap from Mom, it created too many laughs for any punishment. Her new version…

"On Top of Old Smokey,
All covered with Grass.
There sat Harry Truman,
A scratchin’ his ..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even at my young age, it was exciting to see the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. We ventured to Mount Vernon to see the home of the Father of our Country, George Washington. Nice digs, but I’d sure hate to have to mow that lawn.

We leave the greater Washington DC area and make our way towards Oshkosh and Neenah, Wisconsin. Neenah was the home of a sweater manufacturing business started by my Great-Grandfather in the late 1800’s and it was cool to see the building with our last name painted on the side. While in Oshkosh, we see an old horse drawn milk wagon making its way through the residential neighborhoods.

We’re on the road once again to visit family in Peoria, Rockford and Chicago.

After our brief time in Illinois, it’s off to Minnesota. We arrive at harvest time and it was pretty neat to see all the farmers helping one another. There was a threshing machine set up in the field and the farmers would bring in trailer after trailer loaded with Cherrios in the rough. Big old John Deere tractors pulling the trailers and one hooked up to the threshing machine. It had a large long belt stretching from the tractor to the thresher. Once they finished with the harvest at my uncle’s place, the moved everything down the road to the next farm. As luck would have it, my uncle’s tractor broke down. No problem. He just brought out his team of horses and off he went to spend the day in the fields.

After visiting family in Minnesota, we set out on our long journey home. We do the tourist thing and visit Mt. Rushmore. A trip to Yellowstone National Park was exciting as we saw the deer and bears near the roadway. The bears had no fear of these people in the cars. They just knew that they had food for them. I think we saw Yogi sticking his head in the window of a car ahead of us. We didn’t have to wait long to see Old Faithful send forth her geyser of steam.

Our journey comes to an end while driving through the panhandle of Idaho. The call sign, “This is KXLY - Spokane” heard over the radio brings cheers from the back seat of the car. One of the last views on the home movies is a sunset taken from our backyard. Ahhh, Home again but the memories linger a lifetime.

Over the 2 ½ month journey, we logged over 10,000 miles. The radiator over-heated once with no damage, and we suffered only one flat tire. Mom managed to catch the eye of a state trooper somewhere along the way when she got a warning ticket for driving a small few MPH over the limit. Oh, the horrors.

On “The Trip,” we drove though many of the wildwoods of this country and on Sunday would often attend services at “The Little Brown Church In the Glens.”

I will always be grateful for the introduction to these great United States at such a young age. Home movies have preserved “The Trip” for even more lasting memories. We got to meet all of our cousins, aunts, uncles, and of course, Grandma. Grandma passed away the following year.

As the words of that song stated, “…America’s the Greatest Land of All…” we can only add, “Amen!”

Diver Dave's grandsons, left to right, Logan and Christian

06-28-05 ~ Hall of Fame #12

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-29-05 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[Billie]

[Billie]

The year was 1951. Don and I had just graduated from kindergarten. Dad, Mom and our three older sisters began our journey on “The Trip.” ~ Diver Dave

If you missed this when I posted it two years ago, it's a must-read for you today! Dave is one of our most entertaining writers, and you'll feel like you were on this trip with him. :)

[GailA]

Good morning, we got soaked by Katrina last night, some power outages, lots of debree down, but no major damage that I know of in Memphis.

[Pippin]

I smell an assignment!

Be back later with my story!

[Billie]

Morning, Gail. So glad you had no major damage there. Have been watching the news and seeing the destruction in Mississippi and Louisiana caused by Katrina. My heart aches for them - the lives lost, the homes and businesses destroyed, the debris and flooding everywhere. It is so sad.

[Billie]

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to

Billie; Mama_Bear; Dutchess; Aquamarine; The Mayor; DollyCali,
and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

gator girl........................husband severa............husband, brother Maigrey............................cousin mystery-ak.............son, husband Gogrammy...................grandson Inspectorette.......................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew Diver Dave.......niece, nephew ConspiracyGuy........2 nephews Pippin............niece's husband sneakers..............................son weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw jamaly.................brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon.............grandson WaterDragon...........son-in-law BeforeISleep...................son kimmie7......................brother Armymarinemom............3 sons american_ranger.............son LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.......................nephew ValerieUSA....................2 sons Lakeside........................2 sons LakeLady......................nephew Spruce.........................daughter Leofl......................................son chena......................................son Hope and Glory..................son Philman_36..............2 nephews bjcintennessee.......son, niece TheMayor...............friends'son homeschoolmama...........nephew mhking.........................cousin visualops..........................cousin auboy.............................cousin Ladysmith..nephew, friend's son tina07......soninlaw & his friend MontanaCowgirlCop.......brother Colorado Slim................nephew Tapatio....................2 nephews ProudAFDad............................son Alouette................................son Katydidnt..............................son Q6-God...................twin brother Q6-God.....................active duty Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells....................active duty LongCut....................active duty cjk...........................active duty Trish.........................active duty ODC-GIRL.................active duty AF_Blue...................active duty Notwithstanding.......active duty thumperusn..............active duty Veloxherc.................active duty Don Simmons...........active duty wingnutx...................active duty Old Sarge.................active duty CGblue.....................active duty bigghurtt...................active duty frankiep....................active duty veeceeque................active duty JRios1968...............active duty

scubachick.....................husband OhioWfan................................son ladtx..................................2 sons Its_me_K.E.T.........................son Hostel............................cousin MozartLover...........son, nephew ak_daddoo........................nephew Dubya............................nephew LBGA (RIP)..........................son katykelly..............................son cookcounty.............................son SpookBrat........................nephew SpookBrat........................cousin Doug from Upland............soninlaw Himyar....................................son boxerblues........................2 sons the piper....................................son sheeza................................husband kemathen7.........................husband Tiffee4Bob..........................boyfriend deadhead.............................cousin JimRobinson...............2 nephews TexKat.......................son, step-son StarCMC.............................brother Consort........................2 daughters Consort.......................son-in-law Darheel...............................niece Donaeus...........................nephew dixie sass........................nephew BeAllYouCanBe........................son Repubmommy........................brother AgThorn................................2 sons kneezles.................................son RoseinRoseBear.....cousin's hubby Atomic Conspiracy......half-brother Atomic Conspiracy...........nephew Atomic Conspiracy..............niece Sunflowergal....................grandson mrstank..............................husband MrsMike31........................husband spotbust1............................husband campfollower............................fiance LUV W........................................son painter...................................nephew Misty4jc................................husband Bykrbayb........................................son SilentServiceCPOWife........husband Walkenfree................2 grandsons Walkenfree.................. 3 nephews Walkenfree..................granddaughter ariamne.........................2 cousins Zechariah_8_13.......brother-in-law Zechariah_8_13.......................cousin DirtyHarryY2K......................daughter DirtyHarryY2K................son-in-law nelibeli...................................nephew Skimask.....................................son El Gato...............................nephew Palladin...............................grandson MississippyMuddy...................sister MississippyMuddy.....2 nephews Kramster...............................stepson gonzo.........................friend's son Socratic.............................nephew jkphoto...............................nephew LoneRedRanger......brother-in-law Jemian...................................son freema....................nephew, son

[DollyCali]

Wow, what a tremendous thread!!!!! Billie, it is beautifully done.. the map matting & gold/silver accents and the great buff colored texture (yupper, gonna grab it)and the selection and use of pictures amazing. I love how you used the pledge pix of Dave's grandchildren. wonderful. We all know how much work it is to do these threads/HTML. I am so glad that you will be reposting them now & then. Lots of the old timers may have missed them & the newer folks weren't here.

Dave, I cannot remember much(if anything) from the age you are referring to . You are amazing. Prolly the videos your folks took helped to keep the things fresh. and what a wonderful trip. 2 and a half months.. and to me the most amazing thing is. I need to reread, as I quickly scanned the stops etc (funny about the first water fear..crabs and then you go on to be a diver)

Was your dad a teacher to be off in summer? wonder how much that trip cost then & the translation to today's money.

Your folks did a great thing with this trip in visiting family, sites in US & giving you all a great opportunity to bond & burn life long memories of fun/joy.

HOW DID YOU ALL FIT IN THE CAR & NOT SUFFOCATE.. No air conditioning, lots of people. Well, I guess one just made due. thank you for sharing the great tale with Billie so she could present it to us

[Billie]

Hi, Pip - that's great - we're going to hear about your vacation - in Canada this summer? :)

[dutchess]

Wonderful story dave and lovely presentation sistah billie. We did a 4 week cross country trip from Michigan to California when I was 11. Mom and her sister, my brother and two cousins, dad and my uncle were with us the first two weeks then returned home to work leaving my brother, then 14, the "man" of the family LOL! Your story dave brings back many special memories. Will try to stop back after work to "share"

Oh, one of the funniest stories, swimming in the Great Salt Lake and never thinking to "shower". Of course the salt on us "crystalized" and in the heat and no airconditioning we were pretty crabby kids by the time we got to our hotel that night!

[Billie]

This beautiful and peaceful setting in Louisiana and Mississippi no longer looks like that after Katrina ravaged it. :(

[Billie]

Dolly, thank you. You always say the nicest things and take note of the little things that each of us does with our presentations.

I had forgotten how *much* I enjoyed reading this opening, until I read it again this morning to repost!

Dave may not be here very much today, as he wasn't sure just when I would post this again.

[Billie]

Good morning, dutchess. Isn't it funny how we thought we didn't need to take a *bath* after swimming in the ocean or lake. Hey, that was water - surely we got clean! LOL

I remember family vacations on Padre Island and many "lake" vacations - we stayed in the water practically the whole time!

[DollyCali]

Yes, those scenes rather hit me in gut. I have spent a lot of time lurking on the Hurricane threads. When I lived in Houston, I got to Padre Island and loved it but preferred the rustic fishing community of Matagorda (less rules than one has in national park)..

I made the coastal trip via car often from Houston to meet my then significant other in Birmingham.. recall the wonderful beaches, towns along the way etc that are no longer there. any time I travel, I hug the beach instead of highways/interstates.

sigh.. prayers continue for those poor people.

We are getting the first stream from storm.. heavy mist/drizzle at this point

[DollyCali]

I forgot to mention that I had the same situation at the great salt lake. Fun to float, terrible to taste & I too, alas, did not shower & was itchy all day. I was 13 & did a more modest family trip with my family that summer

[Billie]

Yikes! I see a typo that I missed TWICE in posting the opening! :)

I wonder......will that skinny spelling police chief catch it? Hmmmmmmm?

[Texagirl4W]

This is an upbeat thread; I'm not trying to rain on anyone’s parade here.

Just a little tidbit about the devastation in Louisiana, West Jefferson Parish is west of the Mississippi River. I have family there and their house has no damage, but no electricity, lots of debris, no water in the house. East Jefferson Parish is east of the Mississippi River. That is where all the water is up to roof tops. I have family there also. Haven't heard from any of them. All circuits are busy.

If you are a praying person, pray.

[Mama_Bear]

Thanks for reposting this gem, Billie.

A wonderful collection of road trip memories, Dave. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again. Reminded me of our family's cross country trips during that same decade....not vacations, but military transfers from one coast to another. Not several weeks of vacation, but rather a 7 day trip, one state blending into another as we snaked our way across country. No air conditioning, or Game Boys, or DVD players to entertain us kids - we made up games and songs as we went along and dealt with the Texas heat as best we could. There was no time for sightseeing, we saw America through the car windows, but it was a great time for us kids.

On another note, I've been watching films this morning on FOX of the horrible devastation throughout the Gulf states. The need there is enormous and overwhelming and my prayers go out to the people and the rescue workers.

[DollyCali]

This thread is loaded with praying folks and you better believe that is why most aren't here.. we are following the events of the gulf tragedy, chocking back sobs, & praying feverishly for those victims & the rescue folks.

It will get worse IMHO.. as more and more of the info is out. Communications are very limited right now & the total damage/death/conditions are not known yet.

This is a marvelous thread reflecting the joys & beauty of people and america and I guess part of the perspective of life is that this vacation followed tragedies in the USA.. good things followed 911.. good things will follow this.

We will bury our dead and grieve them profoundly. We will give money, we can't afford, to help people we will never meet & who will prolly complain anyway. We will cry for the children who are orphans, the pets who were abandoned to fend for themselves & perished, the "things" people lost, which really weren't that important anyway.

{{{{ texagirl4W }}}}}}

{{{{ all Finest FRiends }}}}

[DollyCali]

The need there is enormous and overwhelming and my prayers go out to the people and the rescue workers.

yes Lori..I wish I were closer.. to do "whatever"... guess particularly my chaplain background might be useful..the pocketbooks are pretty empty & the back is pretty sore but there are so many ways to help. .. and so far away we feel so helpless.

You know after years of being away from the coast, I continually say I cannot wait to get back to the ocean(someday maybe?).. still feel the same. The ocean has a powerful draw.. for me.

[JustAmy]

Texasgirl4W, saying prayers for your family and all the folks in that devastated area of our beautiful country.

Pinging B-G to ping the Prayer Warriors.