Journal   February 11, 1953 (Jane)
Off to a fairly early start, but the trailer was swinging behind us. At Jacksonville we discovered what was causing it (after I hung out the back window for miles watching the trailer hitch and the ground flying by). It was a low tire on the car. We stopped at Jacksonville and had it fixed.

I did some shopping. Then we drove on for a half hour and stopped in a grassy place for lunch. Lesley and Inky (the dog) played outside ‘till lunch was ready.

We stopped later in the afternoon to see a big alligator farm – then drove on to the Marine Studios. Both were worth seeing. We saw porpoises leap high in the air to get a fish, saw barracudas, sting rays, sharks. A diver went down to feed them. What a job!

Finally we stopped at a trailer park just north of Daytona Beach (Ormond Beach), $1.50 per night. We have a cement patio and are right next to the wash house. We can hear the waves crashing on the beach. I found a grocery store. The water here is very hard.

We called home tonight. Everyone is fine.

Journal  February 12, 1953 (Jane)
Lesley was up early swinging on the swings in the trailer park and playing with the other kids before breakfast. After breakfast Roland and Lesley went to the beach while I cleaned up the trailer. Then about 11 am we all went to the beach. Les and I took off our shoes and waded but she was so rambunctious we both got wet. The breakers were a good size and there was an undertow.

Lesley at the beach

Sandy fell asleep in the stroller with shade over her head and Roland’s undershirt for a pillow. Inky was standing in water looking toward shore when a big wave boosted her little black bottom right up on the shore.

All the cars can drive on the beach here. We drove down this afternoon to see the racers practicing for the big Daytona beach races this Saturday. We almost got into a race a couple of times.

The beach and the resorts are beautiful. We did a little shopping and fell asleep early. Sandy woke up at 3 am with diarrhea. She was quite miserable for an hour or so. I changed and washed her, rubbed on lotion and gave her medicine.

Journal   February 13, 1953 (Jane)
Quite cool today. Roland and Lesley went to the beach while I did a wash in the wash house. I caught clothes in the wringer twice. The second time Roland had to come home from the beach to fix it. Sandy was quite sick this morning but felt better this afternoon. After Les had her lunch on the patio we all got in the car and went to Daytona to watch the race again. It was quite cold. Les played with the other kids this evening. Sandy is feeling well again. We are planning to leave tomorrow morning and go further south.

Note: We are having quite a time walking into and backing into sharp, pointed desert plants. They seem to sting for a long time.