Back with Harry and Florence in Escondido we shared the news that we would be returning to New England. They didn’t seem surprised. Then we told Florence’s sister, Helen. No surprise there, either. Guess they were expecting us to go back home.

For the next several days Roland fixed some odds and ends in both houses. Helen’s screens and Florence’s kitchen counters. We drove to El Cajon to find a gift for Harry and Florence.
Finally we were ready.

Journal Sunday, July 11, 1953
The children were taken down to Helen’s to play with their cousins for the last time, while Roland and I prepared to leave. I cleaned the trailer and secured the loose objects, filled the water container and washed our clothes. Roland checked the car motor and put new tires on the trailer.

All the family came to Florence and Harry’s house for dinner. We had ice cream together for dessert and then we all said good bye. We planned to leave at midnight to get across the desert while it was cooler. Roland went to sleep in the trailer for a few hours to rest up for the trip. We put the children to sleep in their car beds.

When we were ready to leave Harry told us to go to Lakeside, California and take Route 80 straight to Phoenix where we would stay with Uncle Edwin for a day or two and say good bye to him. Harry said there was one big long hill between Ramona and Lakeside, then it was clear sailing to Phoenix. Well, we made it to Lakeside without any trouble, then we took Route 80 and started to climb – and climbed – and climbed – and climbed – put water in the radiator – and climbed some more. It was about the same as the Grapevine Grade. Finally we reached the top where it was lovely and cool. We were in Alpine, California.

Roland started to feel sleepy again so we looked for a place to pull off so he could have a little nap. However, we didn’t find a pull off place until we got down out of the mountain into the valley, then the heat just closed in on us and it was too hot to stop.

We finally reached El Centro and were driving through town when suddenly CRASH. I clapped my hands over my mouth and looked behind us just in time to see the trailer coming in for a landing like a flying fortress without any landing gear.

(continued tomorrow)

Morning came. The sun was out. It was a beautiful day. The children had breakfast. Lesley seemed to be in fine shape this morning. We didn’t move from the trailer park. Still in shock, I guess. The scare of losing Les the night before made us think deeply about what we were doing.

In the afternoon Sandy took a nap and Lesley sat at the table drawing pictures. Roland and I sat on the couch to talk.

”How do you feel about going on to San Francisco?” he said.

“I’m really feeling homesick.”

“Me too.

“I guess there are great opportunities here in California” he said.

“But it’s going to cost a lot more to live, buy land and start a business.”

Roland said, “The thing is, where do we want to be when all is said and done? Where do we want the children to grow up?

“Why would we take them so far away from their grandparents,” I added.

We spent all afternoon and part of the evening talking and thinking about this great move. We both missed New England and our families. By morning the next day we had decided. We would return to New England. We spent the day checking out the trailer and car, packing up, filling the water tank again, while letting the children play and rest.

Tomorrow we would head south in the morning, back down the Grapevine grade and the Ridge Route, back through Los Angeles, back to Florence and Harry’s ranch in Escondido, where we would tell  the family of our new plans.

Sounds easy. We had no idea what was ahead.

We had never heard of the Grapevine Grade. We blithley set off from Escondido, heading straight through all the towns surrounding Los Angeles. Near San Fernando we picked up Route 5 heading north. By the time we reached the town of Castaic the road began to climb. Signs on the side of the road warned of a 5% grade for the next five miles.  Roland stepped on the gas as the station wagon settled into pulling the load behind it. The road was curvy with steep drops on either side. As we climbed the engine labored and then abruptly stopped altogether. Roland put on both brakes and turned to me,

“Jump out and put the blocks under the trailer wheels in case the brakes don’t hold on this steep grade.”

I grabbed the wooden blocks we kept beside the front seat, dashed out of the car and placed them behind the trailer wheels. We were near the side of the road. Roland got out and checked under the hood.

“I think it’s another vapor lock.”

He walked back to the trailer and opened the door. Just inside we had left a large (probably 50 gallon) tank of water. He bailed out a pan full and poured it over the fuel pump. After a few minutes the motor started again. I removed the blocks and climbed back into the car and we proceeded along the windy, steep road.

“I’m thirsty, I want a drink of water,” said Lesley.

“I have fruit juice,” I offered from the thermos. She drank a little.

We had only traveled about three or four miles before the motor quit again. Right away  I jumped out with the blocks for the trailer wheels and Roland fetched more water from the trailer and poured it over the fuel pump. Every time Lesley saw the water go by she wanted water.

“Les, we need the water for the motor. Have a little more juice,”  I coaxed.

On we went, stopping every few miles to restart the struggling motor. After about five miles the highway became a little wider. We noticed a sign that said the altitude was 3000 feet.

Still struggling and stalling every few miles the station wagon soldiered on another 23 miles past Frazier Mountain to the highest point at an altitude of 4,183 feet. Continuing north past Fort Tejon (established in 1854)  we started downhill on a 6% grade; twisting, winding, swerving and clutching the seats while Roland bravely dealt with our trailer brakes and car brakes, always in the correct order, trailer brakes first, then car brakes. Finally the road leveled out. We reached Wheeler Ridge and followed the signs to Bakersfield.

It was with great relief that we found a trailer park in Bakersfield and settled down for the night. Roland hooked us up to electricity, water and sewage. I prepared supper. We fed the children and put them to bed. Finally falling exhausted into bed ourselves.

We had only just fallen into a deep sleep when I heard Les crying in a choking,  gasping way.

I leaped out of bed and rushed to their bedroom. Sandy was sound asleep but Lesley was standing beside her bed crying and choking. I picked her up and held her. She was making horrible rasping sounds as she tried to breathe. Suddenly she stopped breathing altogether. By now Roland was beside me. I threw Lesley into his arms screaming  “Do Something!”  He threw her back to me and rushed out of the trailer. Soon he was back saying he had called the hospital. They were sending a doctor to us. By now Lesley drew a breath now and then with a whistling, rasping sound; not even enough breath to cry.

She was scared and so were we. All we could do was hope the doctor came quickly. We didn’t know what else to do. By the time he finally knocked on the trailer door Les was a little better, breathing now, and had fallen asleep in her bed.

The doctor woke her up and examined her. “A case of croup,”  he said. “The air is dry plus the altitude. If she has another spell take her into the hot shower and let her breathe the steam.”

Lesley never did have another attack of croup but I had many attacks of guilt thinking about all the times she asked for water on that trip and we only offered her juice, saving the water for the car engine.

This experience solidified our future plans. It was in Bakersfield that we made a final decision on where to live and bring up our family. But not until we had breakfast in the morning and knew our precious girls we’re OK.

NOTE:  The road we traveled in 1953 was called The Ridge Route until it came to Fort Tejon, where the Grapevine Grade started. In 1947 this steep and curvy road was studied by surveyors and a new freeway was planned but it wasn’t completed until 1960. Today, this newer and better highway is used by tens of thousands of big-rig trucks carrying goods from Canada to Mexico and anywhere in between.   (See “Grapevine Grade” on google).

Once Roland finished building the house his job was finished. We decided it was time to travel around California, check out job opportunities, look at the availability of land and houses, and see how we felt about each area.

First we took day trips to Ramona, where Roland’s aunt Helen lived. Then to San Diego, Escondido and La Jolla. All were lovely areas. The flowers in La Jolla were magnificent. We traveled up the coast to see old Spanish missions:

The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of 21 religious outposts; established by Catholic priests of the Franciscan order between 1769 and 1833, to expand Christianity among the Native Americans northwards into what is today the U.S. state of California. (from Wikipedia).

We also took the children to Knott’s Berry Farm.

It would be two years later, July in 1955, before Disneyworld would open in California. It was the only Disney Park that was supervised by Walt Disney as it was being built.

We also looked at land around Los Angeles. We finally decided it was too expensive for us at $10,000 an acre. However,  it would be worth millions today.

After viewing all the sites and real estate within a days drive of our parked trailer we finally decided to hitch up the trailer again and head north toward San Francisco.

It took a day or two to shop and get the car and trailer ready to go, as well as the children and us ready. Early one  morning Roland hooked up the trailer to the station wagon, we climbed into the car and took off after breakfast with Florence and Harry. We headed up Route #5. First stop would be Bakersfield.

Wait ’till you hear how that went!!