Iowa
Old Press
Spirit Lake Beacon
Spirit Lake, Dickinson Co. Iowa
November 15, 1928
Muriel Zenor Writes of California Trip
Santa Cruz, Calif., October 19, 1928
Terril Dept. of Spirit Lake Beacon
Spirit Lake, Iowa
Dear Friends:
Before leaving Terril I promised some of my friends that I would
try and write and article for the paper of our trip to
California. I will endeavor to keep my promise and do the best I
can.
Oct. 2nd - at 5:30 in the morning I left Terril in my Ford coupe
for Spencer, where Miss Josephine Joynt of this place accompanied
me on my trip.
We started out on highway 71 by the way of Storm Lake and on
South thru the state. Everything went on very nicely until 5 pm.,
had a punctured tire. I walked a half a mile to call up the
American Auto Association and they sent a man out in a very short
time and repaired the tire.
After having driven all day we stopped over night at Braddyville,
Iowa, which was a block and a half from the Missouri line.
Oct. 3rd - We got a real early start in the morning thru
Missouri. Hadn't gone over the line far until we found the road
getting rougher and ruttier and in the midst of this for
excitement had a blow out. A man who happened to pass by helped
us out of our difficulties. At a small town we stopped for gas.
The service station man was an old man with long red whiskers and
in conversation with him he asked us where we were going. We told
him to California. He just shook his head and said nothing. We
realized immediately that he would have to be shown if we ever
saw, California.
At 4 p.m we arrived in Kansas City, just at the heavy traffic
time, as all the schools were dismissing for the day. Altho it
was our first experience in traffic driving, we got along fine.
Oct. 4 - As the state of Oklahoma was next in line, it's
beginning to get quite warm and so dry and dusty. In different
stopping places we heard so many people complaining of it being
so dry, everything needed rain so badly and it certainly looked
like it. Just before arriving at Tulsa, we were held up by a
terrible electrical storm, followed with a downpour of rain.
After the rain it was much cooler and much more pleasant to
travel.
Oct. 5th- Around Weatherford the roads were very rough and rutty.
It didn't look very prosperous over the country, their buildings
look so dilapidated and everything else run down in general. This
part of the county is in the heart of the cotton district, which
is the crop of this state. The Negroes were busy working in the
fields in all of this hot weather, where a northern person
couldn't hardly exist.
We pulled in early this evening, so as to have our car greased,
oiled and the brakes tightened up so we'd have everything in
readiness the next day.
Oct. 6- Started out at 5:30 in the morning over into Texas. The
soil here I nothing but sand and it certainly was hot. While
speeding alone rapidly we stopped very suddenly. Another puncture
caused by running a nail in the tire. An old Mexican patched it
up in fine shape. We pulled in for the night around 4:30 p.m. as
we were so tired, but in the morning, never would have known that
we had driven a mile.
Oct. 7th - At Amarillo we have put up at our first tourist camp,
and everything was nice and clean. There was quite a crowd in
here. We met people from Charles City, Iowa. They were headed for
Arizona.
Oct. 8th - Now traveling on into New Mexico, we found the road
full of large rocks and holes. A person couldn't make much
headway in a day over such highways, as you would have to take it
slow and easy.
We climbed mountains for the first time today.
In a small town gang of horse traders were held up and on ahead
we noticed the sign "Toll bridge," We paid $1.00 to
cross an old rickety bridge, but the horse traders were trying to
dispose of some of their horses to cut down their toll.
Traveling on into Arizona, it was so hot we quit driving at 4:45
p.m. and stopped for the night at Winslow and while here we had
the car oiled, greased, etc. so as to get an early start in the
morning.
Oct. 9th - The farther we went the worse the roads were. They
were of a wash board type and our Ford never missed a bump.
In traveling in this desert country we would go a 75 mile stretch
and never see a living thing. Just a road behind you and a road
in front of you as far as eyes can see. One day we ran into a
sandstorm, had to leave the lights on so no one would run into
us, or we run into some one.
Oct. 10th - Just before starting up the Yute chain of mountains,
we noticed a sign "Last Chance for Water, do not waste
it."
We got everything in readiness and so proceeded on our way. After
going up a steady incline for 8 miles and a decline of 12 miles
we had no brakes left, so was held up 2 hours, getting these
brakes relined. This mountain climbing is a thriller for sure.
Oct. 11- Tonight we landed at Kingman, which is about 60 miles
from California line. We stayed at a hotel as the tourist camps
are not very clean unless you happen to strike a good one. It's
so hot and dusty and we got so tired driving all day, would be
glad to stop at a hotel and rest up. We were so tanned , looked
more like Indians than a white person.
Oct. 12 - As we arrived at Barstow, Calif., our luggage had to be
inspected. They try to keep out diseased fruit, thru this
inspection method. We also received a permit to drive our car in
the State of California, until January 1st on Iowa numbers.
Oct. 12- Today while going over some mountains at San Bernardino,
got into a big snowstorm, 4 to6 inches of snow fell. We were so
cool we were almost frozen.
Oct 13th - Stopped over night at Orange and started out early the
next morning at 1 p.m. pop went another tire. It soon was
replaced with a new one. We went thru Los Angeles, how? Well, we
hardly know.
Anyway, we took the highways and byways and every other way and
it took us two hours to get thru and for once our car did not
give us any trouble.
Oct. 14th - We arrived at Santa Cruz at 1:30 p.m. and are nicely
located at 50- 2nd street, Beach Hill, Calif. Will be glad to see
or hear from any of our friends at any time.
Respectfully,
MURIEL ZENOR
[transcribed by C.J.L., September 2009]