Journal  February 5, 1953 (Jane)
Alarm didn’t go off this morning because I didn’t wind it last night. We left Bobbie’s at about 10:15 am. Stopped for lunch along the road – ate in the trailer. We were both delighted to have our home right with us when we stopped. Baltimore wasn’t as bad to go through as we had expected. About 6:30 pm we decided we’d better stop for the night at a gas station.

There was a little boy named Allen there. He came in the trailer to play with Les. I was opening a can of roast beef and he said,
“I know what that is – it’s old chopped up horse.”
I hope he was wrong.
Put the children to bed. We fell asleep during the evening – woke up – did the dishes and fell asleep again. This time in bed. We all slept like logs.

Journal  February 6, 1953
Woke up late again. We got ready and had breakfast in the restaurant in the gas station – a big stack of pancakes each. Finally got underway at 10:15 am. We drove until 1:15 pm. Stopped in a pine grove for lunch. Drove on until 4 – had a Dairy Delite around 5 pm. We stopped in Lucama, North Carolina for gas at a Shell station. We drove on but almost to the top of the first hill we were stuck. Roland tried to keep the car going to the top of the hill but the engine stopped. Consequently, we were stuck in the middle of the road. I got out to guide so Roland could roll it back off the road but the trailer wheel went to the edge of a big ditch. We had to stop with the car still in the road. Although we were tying up traffic in both directions no southerner would stop to help us “ yankees.”

In desperation Roland decided to prime the carburetor with gas. He told me to get in the car and start the engine to pull it off the road. As I stepped on the accelerator the carburetor burst into flames. Roland dropped the can of gas and lunged for the trailer to get the fire extinguisher. I grabbed the children from the car and waited on the side of the road with them until Roland put out the fire.

Finally a man from the gas station stopped in his car and told us he was sending someone to help. Soon a big tractor (without the trailer) arrived to tow us back to the station. The driver attached a chain (about six feet long) to the front of our car and to the back of his truck. We all got back in the car and he started off, immediately taking a turn down a very narrow dirt road with big ditches on each side. The truck took wide corners and went very fast. If he had stepped on the brake we would have smashed into him.

When we reached the gas station they told us they had sold us gas with water in it. We stayed at the gas station that night while they fixed the car. They had it ready about 7 am. The people there gave me the willies the way they looked at me. I locked all the doors.

Journal  February 7, 1953
We got started from Lucama at 8:45 am. Because Roland had said, “C’mon, it’s 10:15” we dashed out with hair uncombed, shoes untied, and took our places in the car. We had trouble all day with the car and the rain. It poured. The trailer swayed on the bumpy roads and driving was very difficult. The engine kept skipping from water left in the gas. At noon we parked in a drive-in movie for lunch. About 4 pm Roland had to drain water from the gas tank. He lay under the car in the rain while I put nighties on the children. Then we ate supper by candlelight on a slant with passing trucks rocking us. We called Miss Harmon in Charleston. (where we would stay that night). We arrived in Charleston about 9 pm. Exhausted!

Journal  February 2, 1953 (Jane)

Getting in the car to take off for California

We’re on the road. Roland is driving. First lesson for drivers towing a trailer. If you have to stop,  put the trailer brakes on FIRST, then the car brakes. That’s so you won’t jackknife. The trailer brake is a big handle on the floor that you have to pull. It’s installed on the right side of the car pedals and gear shift. 

Note: There were mirrors on both the drivers side and the passengers side so that the driver could use the mirrors to see both sides of the trailer. In 1953 there were no car air conditioners. Roland had made a playpen area for Sandy in the passenger seat behind the driver. Lesley had the rear seat with all her toys. There were no seat belts back then.

Lesley and Sandy in the car

We were a happy family, rolling along on our new adventure; two children, two parents and a dog. Our plan was to drive to our old neighborhood in Connecticut to say goodbye to friends the first night.

Journal (cont.)

Left Braintree at 2:20pm, mileage 29570. A few tears when we left but everyone tells us that they are coming to California. We were pilot and co-pilot from Boston to Connecticut, Roland looking in his mirror to see if he can pass, and me looking in my mirror to see if he can pull back into line. Arrived in Connecticut about 5:30. Had dinner with Russ and his family and said goodbye to neighborhood friends.

Journal  February 3, 1953

Off in the morning around noon. Stopped and ate lunch in the trailer just before New Haven. It was snowing and slush was on the road. However, all was clear by the time we finished lunch. Going through New Haven we missed the turn on the map and took the road right through the shopping center. Tried to console Roland, telling him it was shorter. But the road was barely wide enough to squeeze through. Roland would shut his eyes each time we met a big truck.

Hit New York at 6 pm!!! We went flying up and down hills, trying to make the green lights going up. Met everything – red lights, reckless drivers, cobblestones, stops on hills. We were so tired by the time we reached the New Jersey Turnpike that we had to stop and snooze. Reached my friend Bobbie’s house in Erlton, NJ, at 11:30 pm.

Journal  February 4, 1953

Stayed with Bobbie and her family all day while Roland worked on the trailer, shifting weight toward the rear-left. He also put wedges in the booster springs.

Called the folks tonight. They were all at Braintree waiting to hear from us. We are going to get an early start for Richmond Virginia tomorrow morning.

Journal January 9, 1953 (Roland)
Had about a foot of snow last night and today. It seems to have turned to rain now. Poor Les will feel bad if it is all gone.
Jane’s mom is not going to the hospital until next Tuesday. Heard on the radio winds of 100 mph in Florida. Perhaps we’re lucky to be here.
The stove is still giving us trouble. The roof of the trailer looks like the city dump with our varied assortment of tin cans on the chimney.

Note: The stove was our heater, which stood in the corner by the door. It was run by kerosene. You had to turn it on to let the kerosene run in before lighting it, but not too much because it would flare up to burn up the extra kerosene. It smoked a bit because we were parked in the driveway, sheltered by the house and didn’t draw well.
We had a TV, a little Admiral 7”.

The picture on the TV set is getting worse. By laying on the floor and using several mirrors one can sometimes catch a glimpse of the picture as it goes by – too bad mother’s clothes pole is not higher.

Journal January 10, 1953  
Rained all day – good old New England sunshine. We can hardly wait to get going.
Lesley has been wonderful since her operation. It sure is good to see her back in top condition. Sandy has a runny nose – it may be her new teeth.
Spent lazy day yesterday. Must get started packing our stuff away.
Our parents were having dinner with us when Mom Pinel had a pain in her side and went off to Deaconess Hospital. Hope it was nothing serious.

Journal  January 19, 1953
Jane’s mom did not have an operation after all, neither did my mom. We’ll leave soon. Now we need to get organized. We have to move our furniture to Kincaides this Saturday morning if we can get everyone coordinated. We are talking about leaving for Florida the weekend from next Sunday????? The trailer has been very comfortable up to now. I think I’ll get new brakes on the car. I’m going to varnish it this weekend.

Journal  January 23, 1953
Stove plugged – was not getting oil.

Journal  January 24, 1953
Moved furniture all morning with help.

Journal  January 25, 1953
Varnish still sticky on the car.
Journal  January 26, 1953
Gave notice at work. Varnish still sticky.

Journal  January 29, 1953
Gave car another coat of varnish.

Journal  January 30, 1953
We hope to leave Monday on our trip. Jane, who is asleep on my shoulder, got our banking done today.

Journal  February 1, 1953
Jane’s birthday. Too many candles, twenty seven years old.

Journal  February 2, 1953
W’re off!!!! California here we come!

No sooner did Roland give up his job than our plans started to fall apart. Lesley was sick too often with colds.  The doctor said she needed her tonsils taken out. At the same time both our mothers became sick, one in the hospital possibly needing back surgery. Our trip needed to be delayed.

We took Lesley back up to our doctor in Massachusetts for surgery. She and her grandmother were in the same hospital.

Journal  (Roland)
Because  Lesley and her mom were in Massachusetts,  I was living alone in, what the boys at work called, “Pinel’s sardine can,” as I finished the last week of work.
On December 20th my friend, Russ, helped me hook up the trailer to the new trailer hitch on our Ford Station Wagon. The trip to Boston was uneventful except for the trailer riding a little low on the front end.

We had a nice Christmas. Lesley’s tonsils out just a week before.

Since we won’t be leaving for awhile I have been out looking for a job ever since Christmas. I hope I don’t have this much trouble in Florida finding a job (Will sure be glad when we get started). Money is a little bit of a problem right now. Too bad I don’t own a printing press.

“What?” exclaimed both girls as they read this. “You’re getting ready to drive across the country with us and money is a problem?”

Christmas picture of Lesley and Sandra

Journal January 1, 1953  (Roland)
We spent New Years Eve in Boston at a movie. We are now living in the trailer parked in my parent’s driveway in Quincy, Massachusetts.

I am still looking for work. I hope now that the New Year has come that I will have better luck.
There was a nice little snow fall last night, so we all went coasting this morning. The kids seem to be coming down with colds again (I hope not).
No news yet as to when Jane’s mom will go in for back surgery.

Journal January 2, 1953 (Jane)
Roland went job hunting again – no job. Bought himself a new hat for luck. Mother is feeling fine but doesn’t know her hospital date yet. Lesley shook her cold but the baby still has hers.
We went to see the Ice Capades tonight. They were beautiful even though we had to sit with our heads against the roof, but we didn’t mind.

January 5, 1953 (Roland)
Got up this morning after a good nights sleep and kept my appointment with Monitor Electric. Got the job as design draftsman , at $1.70 per hour. I hope I make out OK. I feel guilty as I don’t know how long I’ll be able to work for them before we leave. Spent the afternoon shopping with Jane. Her mom is to go into the hospital Friday, operation on Wednesday.

Journal January 6, 1953 (Roland)
Jane took me to work today at the new job. (I think the word she used was “fascinating”) – and how.
Les is getting very restless and irritable, slightly competitive with Sandy for attention. She is very anxious to start for “Talifornia.”