Page 143 - REALLY What A time Book IX

REALLY SO WHAT
What A Time

THE GREAT WEST

THE GREAT WEST:

By 1945 and the end of the war, many workers had accrued
hours and even days of overtime work and vacation time. My
Dad had weeks, even months. In 1946 they decided to use
most of that time and take a long vacation. We would go
across the country to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

We packed the Pontiac in the usual manner. Joe and I in back,
with all the heavy camping gear and extra stuff. Mom and Pop
shared the driving trying for better distances than we did to
Sherando Lake, 200 to 250 miles a travel day. In back we had
plenty of comics to read. Our daily run would begin around 9
in the morning and end by 3 in the afternoon. There were no
four lane highways. We traveled the two lane US routes, and
occasionally lesser paved roads.

Day’s never started at 9 am . We usually rose with the sun and
hit the hay as it set. Most travel days were long because of the
chores everyone had. Pitching the tent. The Dickey Bird was
st
ten times heaver than today’s 21 century tents, and took two
or more to raise it. The more the better. It was canvas,
treated with water proofing.
We each had our jobs setting up camp. Mom would do the
kitchen, food, stove, and gear on the picnic table. It would
always be covered with a small canvas tarp. Sometimes, we
stayed for a couple of days and another tarp would be hung
over the picnic table. We were then protected from the rain
and could play games, cards, or sit without getting wet.

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