Travels of Bill and Ethel - 1946

Most of our readers know we travel a bit......ok, more than a little bit.  We come by some of our wanderlust naturally.  

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Dean's folks --- Bill and Ethel --- did some traveling before they started wintering in the Palm Springs area.
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One of their first trips was to New York for the Elks National Convention in 1946, the year Bill was Exalted Ruler of the Centralia Elks lodge.  Dean found their log in some of the material we collected after their deaths, stored in a small box in his closet.  Nostalgic reading --- from the "good old days".

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June of 1946 was less than a year after the end of World War II.  Gas was available after years of wartime rationing.  Hotels, restaurants and businesses were spending to refurbish after years of sparse maintenance or upgrading due to lack of materials and labor during the war.

Bill and Ethel left on June 24 for the Big Apple (probably wasn't called that then) in their 1938 Dodge 4-door sedan with 60,710 on the odometer.  They (as we do) took the long way around.  They covered 11,510 miles, passed through 29 states and one Canadian province, and six national parks in 50 days.  (That's a lot more than 50 miles per day!!)  Their ratty old Dodge used 691 gallons of gas (16.5 mpg).
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Fuel averaged 22.5 cents per gallon.  Motels didn't exist; they stayed mostly in "cabins" and a few hotels.  Their average per night cost was $3.68.  During the convention in New York City, they stayed four nights at a four-star hotel for a total of  $31.94, plus $6.75 to park/store the car for the four days. Costs for meals were not recorded, but they ate at Antoines (New Orleans), Sardi's and the Sportsman's Club in New York, Earl Carroll's and the Brown Derby in L.A.
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The trip was not without a few extra expenses.   They had the oil changed and the car greased six times.  (Remember --- In those days we were supposed to do that every 1000 miles.)  Charges ranged from $.75 to $1.30.  They had a fender welded in a place called Johnson Creek for 25 cents.  In Savannah, GA, it looks like they they got a grease job, oil change AND lodging for three bucks.  In Memphis, TX, they got a new fuel pump (installed) for $9.00.
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So what are WE complaining about?  Just because campgrounds are $45/night; hotels $250/night, and medium-scale restaurants will run around $40/person --- just what's our bitch, anyway?    After all, THEY didn't have air-conditioning either in their car, the cabins, or the hotel.  They didn't have cell phone robo-calls, e-mail spam or TV ads to keep them amused.
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WE should be happy with our life in the "modern" world.... I guess..... I mean ---  shouldn't we??

Mom and Dad - Ethel and Bill - the Adventurers

KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!

We love the northwest.  We often refer to our area as the Great Northwet.  

We don't get a lot of "rain".  But we get a lot of drizzle.  

Our temperatures are moderate with most of summer in the 60 and 70 degree range. 

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But this is a bit much! 

TG for AC for us wusses.

Arlington Fly-in - Another Airshow

Dean likes airplanes.  He likes airplane museums.  He likes airshows. 
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We spent a happy week at the Arlington "Fly-In".  An annual airshow in Arlington, WA, north of Seattle.  It's been nearly 20 years since we'd been there, so we thought it was time to check out how things might have changed over the years.  RV's are invited (for money) to park just off the taxiway to watch the shows, and hike around the multitude of private airplanes flown in to be a part of, or just watch, the show. 
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The aerial stunt shows have changed radically, with a number of aircraft capable of climbing straight up and "hanging on the prop" as they twirl around; others can tumble end for end and slide backwards in a way that would have torn apart the planes of a few years ago.

One of Dean's favorites, though, is a fellow named Bud Granley, who takes his 60-year-old  WWII  T-6 trainer through a number of neat maneuvers, including his trademark snap-roll on take-off.  Dean says he wet his pants the first time he saw Bud do that.  (Now he just hopes to not wet his pants on any given day.)  Dean was thrilled that we were parked within a hundred feed of Bud's T-6, and that he got to talk to Bud a couple of times. 

Bud Granley's T-6

Among the antiques was a Boeing 40, "restored" from a plane that crashed 80 years ago.  (I suppose if they can find the cockpit clock, they can build an airplane around it and call it a restoration).  Whatever, it was a beautiful aircraft, and it flew slowly and loudly past the crowd.  The Boeing 40 was a mail plane, but had a couple of tiny two-person cabins ahead of the pilot with side windows, but no windscreen or top opening.  No stewardess – no coffee --  no booze – no snacks or food – no bathroom.

Boeing Model 40

Another was a reproduction of one of the infamous Gee Bee racers.  I never realized how big they were.  This guy was LOUD, perhaps because the engine has over twice as much power as the ones in the racing versions.This reproduction has the cockpit moved forward several feet to make room for a second person.

Gee Bee Reproduction

There were two P-51's there, from two different organizations, and a B-25 from a third organization.  After the P-51's did their individual passes, and the B-25 was doing his, we noted that the P-51's had joined up a few miles from the field.  Sure enough, they arced down to, and caught up with, the B-25.  The announcer was screaming that this was not part of the scheduled show.  But three pilots, who had never met, joined up for some formation passes that had folks hollering and waving American flags.  Pretty cool.

All in all, a fun time, with lots to see and many proud owners glad to tell you about their particular airplane.   Next stop:  Abbotsford, B.C. for their big airshow.