July 29, 1926 (Thursday)
We had the usual breakfast with everyone feeling fine. We were soon in desert country proper, looking like old times so much that I begged for two good pictures and got them, I hope. [I don't think the photos turned out. I couldn't find them.] We saw our first live jackrabbit but the highway is dotted with dead ones. It got very hot in the p.m. on the desert. We passed through New Plymouth, Middleton, Caldwell, Nampa, Meridian, Boise, Regina, Sunnyside, Cleft, Mountain Home. At Caldwell Shirley exchanged her glasses for a lavender-tinted pair which she liked better. Caldwell is in the Boise Valley and nice, Middleton small, Nampa fine. Through the valley was lovely but we seemed to be dodging out occasionally into desert country. In the suburbs of Boise, Irl had to tinker with the car so we ate lunch side of the road under shade of big trees. We had bread and butter, some minced ham, “relish spread,” pork and beans, lettuce and mayonnaise. We passed through Boise about noon and managed to see the capital building. It is beautiful but its only resemblance to the town of 43 years ago is its wide streets and shade trees. I couldn’t tell which way our old camp was but the country looked familiar. We drove out at 12:20 and were in for our hottest p.m. Finally we came to Sunnyside, a service station and small store. Here we went in and drank some kind of bottled cool drink which was very refreshing but we looked like anything but the ads you see of people drinking Coca Cola.
Just before reaching this place there was a sign which said, “Speed limit 100 per hour.” Shirley says Sunnyside reminds her of “Desert Edge” – no – “Date City.” It was just a building – old, dirty, dilapidated – but some caged in young trees showed they had hopes. The man hauled his water from a distant well. Oh! It was desert all right. I found I could pin my duster to the frame so as to shut out the sun pretty well, but oh! Girls! My hair!!! I tried to keep it on by wrapping auto veil around it but the veil would slip off and hair go all directions. Well the heat was fierce, but we grimly endured it and presently came to Mountain Home. We passed through Cleft but it was too small to notice. Mountain Home was a nice little place and here we decided to come by Pocatello instead of the shorter, harder route. We passed through Hammet but I have no recollection of it. [Probably because she was too busy writing.] The next place was Glen’s Ferry. Two cowgirls came in and Vance by merely looking at them got a smile which spread all over their faces. Here Dad purchased the hamburger which proved bad and forgot the butter. This p.m. we passed what is called the “1000 Springs Ranch” on the Snake. From a bluff across the river numerous waterfalls descended apparently coming out of a rimrock. We were not on the desert all p.m. but occasionally dropped into the river valley, then it was nice and big trees and green fields.
We had the usual breakfast with everyone feeling fine. We were soon in desert country proper, looking like old times so much that I begged for two good pictures and got them, I hope. [I don't think the photos turned out. I couldn't find them.] We saw our first live jackrabbit but the highway is dotted with dead ones. It got very hot in the p.m. on the desert. We passed through New Plymouth, Middleton, Caldwell, Nampa, Meridian, Boise, Regina, Sunnyside, Cleft, Mountain Home. At Caldwell Shirley exchanged her glasses for a lavender-tinted pair which she liked better. Caldwell is in the Boise Valley and nice, Middleton small, Nampa fine. Through the valley was lovely but we seemed to be dodging out occasionally into desert country. In the suburbs of Boise, Irl had to tinker with the car so we ate lunch side of the road under shade of big trees. We had bread and butter, some minced ham, “relish spread,” pork and beans, lettuce and mayonnaise. We passed through Boise about noon and managed to see the capital building. It is beautiful but its only resemblance to the town of 43 years ago is its wide streets and shade trees. I couldn’t tell which way our old camp was but the country looked familiar. We drove out at 12:20 and were in for our hottest p.m. Finally we came to Sunnyside, a service station and small store. Here we went in and drank some kind of bottled cool drink which was very refreshing but we looked like anything but the ads you see of people drinking Coca Cola.
Just before reaching this place there was a sign which said, “Speed limit 100 per hour.” Shirley says Sunnyside reminds her of “Desert Edge” – no – “Date City.” It was just a building – old, dirty, dilapidated – but some caged in young trees showed they had hopes. The man hauled his water from a distant well. Oh! It was desert all right. I found I could pin my duster to the frame so as to shut out the sun pretty well, but oh! Girls! My hair!!! I tried to keep it on by wrapping auto veil around it but the veil would slip off and hair go all directions. Well the heat was fierce, but we grimly endured it and presently came to Mountain Home. We passed through Cleft but it was too small to notice. Mountain Home was a nice little place and here we decided to come by Pocatello instead of the shorter, harder route. We passed through Hammet but I have no recollection of it. [Probably because she was too busy writing.] The next place was Glen’s Ferry. Two cowgirls came in and Vance by merely looking at them got a smile which spread all over their faces. Here Dad purchased the hamburger which proved bad and forgot the butter. This p.m. we passed what is called the “1000 Springs Ranch” on the Snake. From a bluff across the river numerous waterfalls descended apparently coming out of a rimrock. We were not on the desert all p.m. but occasionally dropped into the river valley, then it was nice and big trees and green fields.
[I hope you can appreciate the above pencil sketch which appears in this letter. I don't know if Ina sketched it or someone else. I had a lot of trouble scanning it -- the paper has yellowed and the lead is faded. It shows a man pumping a tire and is captioned, "Most familiar scene on Hiway."]
No comments:
Post a Comment