Travel Story 3-14-21
Detours Along the Way
Life is a funny thing, don’t you think? I have been thinking on this topic of road trip and had a few starts and stops along the way. But i think I finally settled on one.
I got home from my mission at the end of October and right away started attending the singles ward in Moses Lake. On the second Sunday there I had the chance to do a mission report talk, and there was one other return missionary set to talk on the same day. My talk went well and then I sat down and listen to the return elder speak. There was something about him that made me want to get to know him better.
At the next activity, bowling he was in the group at the same lane as me. We had a good time talking and bowling and stuff. After the bowling was over, my friend, Melissa and I were going to go to Baskin Robbins for ice cream and on a whim I asked if he would want to join us...that was a pretty bold move for me! He said sure and off we headed to the ice cream place.
After enjoying said ice cream when we went to leave I panicked. We were saying good by and i had no idea how to do that do i hug him? Do I wave? Indecision caused me to go into missionary mode! I thrust out my hand and shook his while very hurriedly saying, “thank you for coming to ice cream with us!” Then I ran to my car and left.
I felt like such a dork. Over the next couple of week i told my friend that I sort of liked that guy, but i wasn’t sure how to talk to him and I was going to be leaving on a trip to Montana for a baby blessing and then I would be moving to Las Vegas to live with my sister, so I had no idea if I would ever see him again. Again, on a whim, I gave her a note, I know very 7th grade of me, to give to him on the following Sunday.
Well, we got on the road to Montana on a windy, snowy day. Da was driving and I know for sure Mum was there...probably Megan was in the car too. This road trip was going well, until we got close to Ritzville. There was white out conditions and for some reason da decided to pass a semi who was crawling down the road. As we went to pass the truck crossed the center line and da swerved to miss him. With the roads covered in snow and ice and we went slipping and sliding and spun through the median and ended up facing west on the west bound lanes of the freeway. To say we were all shook up would be one of the greatest understatements of my life. Da took that as a sign that maybe we should just head back home and not brave the rest of the snowy roads to Frenchtown. We carefully, and very slowly made our way back home to Ephrata.
Now I had a dilemma, I had given that silly note to Melissa to pass on to that cute boy at church...what was I going to do? I called her and told her that our trip to Montana didn’t work out and that she could just tear up that note and not worry about it. She assured me she would get rid of it. I thought that took care of that...until Sunday, when I picked her up for church and she pulled it our of her pocket! I begged her to tear it up and throw it away. She refused! When we pulled into the church parking lot I was still pleading with her to destroy my sophomoric note, but she continued to refuse. I chased her into the building, but she found him first! I wanted to crawl into a hole and die!
Well, that boy was Aaron and as you can tell, it worked out rather well. The road trip was aborted early, and we missed out on that baby blessing. We were all bummed and I know the Holmquists were as well, but because of that I was able to get to know this pretty spectacular guy. As we head out on the roads of life, sometimes the Lord puts detours in the paths that we have so very carefully set out on, and if we are willing to take the paths He provides, we may just find we are in for the ride of our lives!
-- Ryanne Leavitt
Most of my childhood family road trip stories and experiences involve bickering, sleeping and puking and so I figured we could just as well by-pass that genre—of which there were many many many. We got to drink lots of our throw-up cures: 7-Up and pepto-bismol (this accounts for my dislike to-this-day of wintergreen flavors and scents. Ugh!)
One memorable trip that my siblings talk about to this day happened in 1979. My three-years-younger brother Chris was getting ready to leave on his mission to Virginia and we all figured this would be the last time we would be together for a trip. As it was, my sister Sharman could not make it on the trip as her full-time summer job would not release her for the amount of time needed.
We had about three days to visit old favorite tourist stops in Montana and others that not everyone had been to yet.
So, my parents and four siblings piled into Chris’ Sebring Satellite car that was almost as big as a van and started out, bouncing through southwestern Montana in late June. We stopped along a few places, including the Big Hole National Battlefield, Virginia City, Nevada City and finally Lewis and Clark Caverns.
We teased each other, reminisced about trips when we were kids and very much appreciated being grown up enough not to deal with serial car sickness.
And, it turned out to be the last trip we ever had like that. A couple years ago we came close on a reunion trip to Yellowstone, but our parents were not with us, my mother having passed away several years before and the youngest sibling not making it a priority—his loss.
Bonus story:
In 1972, my family was making a vacation of returning from my father’s bomb-tech training in Maryland by visiting family along the east coast before heading across the country back to Montana. On the way to visit my mother’s uncle in Pittsburg, we went through Philadelphia first and we all wanted to see the Liberty Bell.
After passing through endless outskirts, we stopped at a gas station and my Dad asked the crusty old gas station attend how to find the Liberty Bell. Heading on on way we went on and on and on and figured out we were getting further away from the city center where we were sure the Liberty Bell would be at Independence Hall.
Finally we stopped and asked for directions again and were told to go back the way we had come. The new direction giver had laughed when he heard our first directions and said the fellow was sending us to the Liberty Bell—Racetrack!
—Cary Holmquist in Frenchtown, Montana.
Road Trip Story
What road trip do I write about? One we took when I was a kid? One I took with Mom, Ryanne, Cody and Shantel? One I took with just my big girls? One I took with just my kids? One I took with just Troy? Hummm
End of July first part of August 2014 Shantel, Savanna, Rez and I decided to make a quick trip to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for the baptism of a friend and classmate of Shantel’s, Kory Wiseman. I just really felt we needed to be there, but it’s quite the jaunt, 1,163 miles if you drive through South Dakota or 1,187 miles if you go across North Dakota and down the edge of South Dakota. as usual we were strapped for cash. Shantel and I pooled our resources and figured we could just do it if we camped along the way. We packed the trunk of Shantel’s red Mercury with the tent, our bags, Rez’s kennel, food and water dishes, food for both us and the dog and set off pretty early in hopes of making it a good distance into South Dakota. Savanna took the first leg of driving. We decided to make the most of our quick trip with pit stops to take pictures by as many state signs as possible. We figured we could make good time without having to stop since there were three drivers. We stopped outside of Bismark to make sandwiches and let Rez out. Shantel took over driving after lunch. After a little ride on the rumble strips, we learned that Rez is not a fan of them especially when he’s been asleep! He may have dug his nails into Savanna’s leg. We made another pit stop in Faro so the girls could do a little shopping. Rez and I hung out in the parking lot in the shade. I drove after we left Bismark and headed south down the edge of South Dakota. By the time we reached the Sioux Falls areaway were getting tired and found a campground, Big Sioux Recreation Area, pulled in and set up the tent in the dark. The next morning, we got up and all had a shower as the campground had nice free showers. Rez got free of his tie out and took himself and us on a run. We were yelled at for having a loose dog, like we weren’t trying to catch the crazy thing!.
It was Savanna’s turn to drive again, she took us into Iowa and got some experience driving in construction in Sioux City. Shantel took the wheel next and right into Missouri. We needed to get some gas as we were arriving in the Kansas City area. We took an exit thinking we were going to get gas in Missouri and ended up in the “good hood” Kansas City, Kansas! We were instructed on how to return to the freeway and advised to not get gas there. After getting headed to the right side of the river and getting gas, we continued on our way. We ended up taking a scenic route because of our little detour. It is very pretty, we enjoyed the beauty and sang to the music. We stopped in Waynesville, Missouri and spent about an hour trying to find the campground. Finally we found it and once again put the tent up in the dark. This camping area was a lot more primitive— only outhouses. We decided that for the next night we would try to find a different place to stay.
The next morning we packed it up and searched the web for a new campground. We found one that looked nice and attempted to find it on our own. Not very successfully though. We went to the local grocery store and i asked the cashier if she was familiar with Indian Hills Campground> she was and gave us much better directions, we were able to find it. Very nice little place near a river with cute little cabins. Shantel and Savanna decided that it would be much nicer if we rented a cabin. The campground owners allowed us to have Rez in the cabin even though they normally don’t allow dogs in them. It was a nice cabin that slept 6, had a kitchenette, 3/4 bath and A/C! I must agree it was so nice to stay in the cabin with air!. We explored the Campground. There’s a cave and a bunch of tea light candles all over. We chatted with the recent new owners and they said they the previous owners had allowed a sorority to use it, but they were not going to continue that tradition. Out was very strange.
We headed into Fort Leonard Wood to find the fort and visit Kory. There’s a lot to see, its a huge base. Rez got to wander around (on a leash) and check out things too. He and I hung out in the parking lot while the girls went in with Kory and got some food. We had a nice dinner outside. We went to a store before the base and Rez and I hung out in the parking lot. (I think there was a theme of Rez and I chilling in parking lots.) We found the church and felt confident that we could make it back for the church services and baptisms the next morning.
The next morning we got all dressed and headed to church. We had a little issue of what to do with Rez. We set up his kennel and set out food and water and secured him to the vehicle with enough rope to reach the shade and kennel. Thankfully the chapel we were had a window that faced the car so i positioned myself so that I could see Rez. The service started and I noticed the MPs were standing near the car and got a little nervous about that. I ran out there and had a little chat with them. They said that we couldn’t leave the dog tied to the car and we couldn’t leave him in the car. I wasn’t sure what we were to do with him. I explained that we had driving all the way from Montana to attend church with our friend. The MPs told me that we had been all around that building and saw nowhere that prohibited dogs inside so today he was our Spiritual Guidance Dog! Rez attended church and he was pretty good, only once tried to jump into the “font”.
After church we had to head right back home. We planned to make the drive straight through. Savanna got to drive again and her favorite it was construction again! We were so close that we found a church in Independence Missouri. We changed our clothes and said hi to a few people. Grabbed lunch, and got back on the road. We took turns driving as had been our pattern. Shantel needed to sleep as she had to work when we retuned. I took the last leg from Fargo to Glendive. I was pretty tired by the time we arrived.
--Carrie Keiser
The Seven Days Saga of Six in a Cab-Over Semi
In August 1984, I came up with a brilliant plan to cram myself, and 4 of your children: Carrie (age 10), Ryanne (age 8), Clancy (age 5) and Megan (age 3) into our cab-over semi with Daren. I admonished the kids that they had to get along with each other, no fighting, no bickering- pointing out that they were going to be confined in the sleeper for hours at a time. They had to get along!!
I knew that this load was going to take him close to Nauvoo. It may be our only opportunity to make it there. So we were on our way--
Evening of the first day, we stopped at a rest area to sleep for the night. We were surprised to see glowing fireflies all around. We had never seen them before. The kids tried to catch some, I can not remember if they succeeded.
Having been poor folk, everyone had to sleep in the truck.Carrie, Ryanne and Clancy slept in the sleeper. Daren in the driver's seat, me in the passenger seat and Megan on the doghouse. (For those of you who do not know what the doghouse is, it is where the engine is.)
Day 2-- We arrive in Milan, Illinois where Daren unloaded.We proceed to Nauvoo. Bedtime comes and I come up with another brilliant idea, "let's drape the tarp over the trailer and make beds underneath!!" We do so, and minutes later we are frantically crawling out from under the trailer, grabbing the blankets and shaking them out. Biting bugs have attacked!! I think they were called sand fleas. Sleeping arrangements change. Carrie and Ryanne spread their blankets on top of the tarp on the flatbed, Megan, Clancy, Daren and I move into the truck. In the morning, Clancy and Megan look like they have the Chicken Pox, they have so many bites.
Day 3-- We begin our exploration of Nauvoo. We start by taking the wagon ride around the town. When that is over, we start walking to see all the different stores. There is an apothecary where they have samples of treats that the old-time residents enjoyed, such as horehound drops and sarsaparilla. Our kids were not impressed, I think they much prefer chocolate bars and soda pop of today. We went to the gun shop, the general store, furniture store, where there was the most unusual piano, donated by someone in NYC who had found it in their attic. There was a senior missionary there who helped restore it and he played it for us. We then continued to the outdoor ovens, where the bread and bakery items were baked. We learned that the ovens were heated until the temperature for baking bread was reached, then as the temperature dropped, other bakery items were baked. (I do not know if my kids were interested at the time, but almost all of them are ardent bakers now.)
Day 4-- We visited the coopers. They are barrel makers. Then to the brick makers, where we were given a newly made brick. Carrie begged to be the one to carry the brick, we got almost 50 steps away when she dropped it-- a corner was mashed, thus the brick became a family treasure, but now it can not be found. Next we moved to the blacksmith and watched him shape shoes. He made horseshoe nail rings for each of them.
That evening, we watched the dress rehearsal of the Nauvoo Pageant. (I thought at the time, that if we ever went on a senior mission, that would be a fun place to serve.)
Day 5-- Before we left the area, we stopped at Carthage to visit the jail and see the town where the martyrdom of Joesph and Hyrum took place. Then we headed on to Chicago where Daren was to get his load back to Montana.
We spent the day at Lake Michigan, where everyone, but me, got to swim. I had forgotten to pack my swimsuit. A goose, who obviously was someone's pet, followed us around all day. The kids wanted to take the goose home with us but in the morning, it was gone. Probably to follow some other family around.
Day 6-- Daren had to be where he was loading at 7 am. He thought we could have breakfast in the cafeteria because he and Clancy had eaten there, but the rules had changed and they did not allow non-employees to eat there anymore. While we waited to be loaded, the kids and I went looking for a place to eat that was close. We did not find one. The truck was loaded and we were headed homeward, thinking Daren would stop at a truck stop for breakfast. He just kept driving past them, saying when we stopped for fuel we would eat. Until them we ate every bit of snack food we still had. I think it was about 2 feel stops or more, and around midnight, that he finally stopped and we had a real meal.
Day 7-- Our load was for Malmstrom Air Base in Great Falls. Since no one was supposed to enter the base but the drivers, we hid the kids in the sleeper, warning them not to make even a peep. After we unloaded, we headed for Frenchtown, the kids could not any longer hold on to good behavior and the disagreeing started. I guess the last 150 miles was longer than they could keep it in. (They had probably lasted a little before, when they were not in our hearing.)
Now Ryanne and Carrie will you contribute what you remember that I missed?
-- Myrna Flynn
What I remember was that at the rest stop, Ryanne and I really wanted to sleep on top of the load, but mom wouldn't let us! At Nauvoo, I remember we attended church and Megan didn't want to sit with her class so I held her on my lap. I also remember running through the empty space where the Nauvoo temple stood (and now stands again) and being told we were being disrespectful by doing so. I just remember wanting to run when the prophet and all the saint had once been. I remember Ryanne having to wear slippers the rest of the trip after having lost her shoe at Lake Michigan.
-- Carrie
I remember losing my favorite red shoe on the beach and mom being mad at me and telling me to leave the other one behind, and having to wear her slippers the rest of the trip.
--Ryanne
The Road Trip
Daren Flynn
3-13-21
According to my sporadically kept journal, this road trip began from Frenchtown, Montana on April 13, 1985. It would not be completed until May 5. We, Myrna, Clancy, Megan and I, left homier my cab-over Kenworth with a load of lumber which was to be delivered in Hawleyville, Connecticut.
After unloading there we were unable to find a load to get us out of Connecticut for a few days, so we decided to talk a bus to New York City to see the sights of the Big Apple. When we entered the bus, Megan saw the woman driver and blurted out, "Is she going to drive this bus?" We followed our tour guide around the city and saw some interesting things including the Statue of Liberty. The only problem was that Miss Liberty was surrounded by scaffolding which limited our view. On the return trip from New York to Danville, Connecticut, we asked to be let off close to our truck but the driver said she could only stop at designated bus stops.
Megan to the rescue! She acted like she was going to throw up and the driver decided she could make an unauthorized stop. We therefore didn't have far to walk.
Our dispatcher finally found a load for us in Boulder, New Jersey to go to Cortez, Colorado. To get to Cortez we had to cross the Great Divide by way of Wolf Creek Pass, the inspiration for C. W. McCall's 1975 song by that name. It was also the inspiration for my poem, "Chains Required."
After unloading in Cortez, we dead-headed 150 miles to Olathe, Colorado to load waterboard to go to Phoenix, Arizona. I took the load in order to get somewhat close to Morenci, AZ where there were several short loads which paid well. After hauling one of those good paying loads, I discovered some serious problems with the trailer which had to be fixed. So the trailer was left at the repair shop and was there for about a week. We spent the weekend with Martin at his apartment in Phoenix, then on Monday we drove to Tucson by way of the Casa Grande River National Monument and "Old Tucson". Martin had decided to quit his job and move back to Missoula, so we now had him and his belongings in the cab-over along with the four of us.
Old Tucson inspired my poem entitles, "Megan".
Megan
In nineteen eighty-five, we were
In southern Arizona with time on
Our hands, so I took my wife and kids
To see "Old Tucson."
We walked the streets of the Old West Movie
Town, and witnessed an "OK Corral" type
Gunfight, and watched some bad guys
Die with their boots on.
We saw everything you'd expect to
Find in a frontier town: marshall's
Office and jail, livery, saloon
And general store.
There was a railroad depot, complete
With locomotive and water tower.
We saw a stage station, a bank,
A school and much more.
On the edge of town was a familiar
Ranch from a favorite TV show,
"High Chaparral," and we found an
Old mine tunnel, too
The mine was used for the movies and
TV shows, and was fixed up as an
Amusement ride, to give sightseers
Something to do.
It was a combination roller coaster and
Spook alley, with small mine carts on
Narrow-gauge rails running through
That dark old mine shaft.
The pitches were steep and fast and took
Your breath away. The curves were sharp
And made you hang on. It was pitch black
And there was a cold draft.
Illuminated skeletons and big hairy
Spiders and lots of cobwebs appeared
To jump out at you and made
Your hair stand on end.
It was a really scary ride, and people
In those carts, both in front and
Behind us, with their echoing screams
The darkness did rend.
Three-year-old Megan, was riding
In the last cart beside her mom,
And we all wondered why
From her we hear no cries.
Then, as she came out of the dark
Tunnel into the sunlight, Megan pulled
Her cap from before her face and said,
"I hided my eyes."
Clancy, according to my journal note, wanted to get off in the middle of the ride, but at the end said it was fun.
After our sight-seeing in southern Arizona, we paid the repair shop $739 ransom for the trailer and dead-headed to Holtville, California were we loaded seed wheat to go to Rexburg, Idaho. The bill of lading listed no address, only a man's name and phone number. After getting no answer several times, I looked up the man in the phonebook and got his address and drove there. There was no one home, so I left a note on the door snd we spent the night at a truck stop. The next morning at 6:30, I called the number again. This time I got him and he informed me his farm was located north at Hamer and that was where I was to unload. The unloading took all morning since there was no load that would take us home, we dead-headed and got home Friday night.
Family road trip summer 1973
By: Colleen Holmquist
This will be a short story—my specialty. I found this “Group Temple Recommend for Children” to illustrate my story. I also searched trough my many years of diaries looking for details. I was a little leary of opening those because I had some recollection of those years of silliness—crushes, disagreements with friends, school and church activities. I didn’t know what I would find.
I wasn’t even sure if I had written anything that long ago. As it turns out, the earliest diaries I found started late in 1972; followed by the early part of 1973 and then the paper trail ends for months. Which means that I left no written record of that family road trip and it is the only one that I have many recollections of.
And this is what I remember, Sean, Martin, Brandon and I were present and accounted for in the family. I don’t remember what other vehicle we had but I am guessing it was the Datsun from my earlier story. Whatever it was, apparently it wasn’t big enough for the family and the equipment for a family vacation. So, Dad constructed some kind of covering for the old blue Chevy pickup and loaded us and the gear in the back. I don’t recall if all four of us were in the back or if Brandon, who would have been about 5, rode in the cab with Mom and Dad. I’m fairly certain that this mode of transportation would be frowned upon by law enforcement these days.
I don’t know all the destinations of that trip but the highlight was to be Cardston, Alberta where Mom, Dad and I were going to go to the temple. It would be the first time for me to perform baptisms for the dead. I think Mom had prepared some family names for me to be proxy. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go. I don’t remember why but over the years Mom has informed me that I misbehaved badly enough that they felt I didn’t deserve—or wasn’t worthy— to go into the temple. I suppose I was unkind to my siblings or sassy to Mom and Dad.
And that’s all I know. I hope Mom and Dad will add some “thick description”
Remembrances two and three...
We used to have a big old car. I think it may have been a Cadillac and Lookout Pass used to be narrower and windier. And one time on our way home from Gramma and Grampa’s—near the top I think—a deer bounded or wandered out into the road and we hit it with that tank. As I recall, it spun the car around....End
Then there was the time we were headed up Sunset Hill(?) in Spokane—back before there was a freeway. Again we had a big old boat of a car and it was before seat belts. Sean and I were in the back seat, one of the doors burst open...yep that’s all I got.
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