1947 TRIP TO SALT LAKE CITY
from Binghamton, NY
This is a trip by car with pictures and expenses for twelve days and, I was there. (For those who do not know, I am Punky)
(from written diary of Bernard L. Carr, Sr.)
Sunday – June 22. Started out at 6:45AM. Was very hot and lonesome driving. Drove about 600 miles. Stopped in Cleveland by Lake Erie and let Punky see boats. Took a couple of pictures. Drove on thru to Savana, Ill. Couldn’t get cabins so late, so we stayed in car. Ate supper in Aurora.
Monday 23 Started out about 7:00. Drove to Independence, Iowa and had breakfast. Reports on radio said Route 20 & 14 closed west of Fort Dodge, so I only planned on getting there today, but they let people thru so we went on to Sioux City, Iowa. We took it quite easy today and only drove about 300 miles. Expect to see the city tomorrow again. Some of these cities are really beautiful, all clean. The first dirty place is where we are now in South Sioux City in Nebraska. Punky has finely seen the river I had been telling him about. We took some pictures of the flood in Fort Dodge and Correctionville. We’ve had 3 beautiful days to drive in so far. No rain, except early this morning for about an hour. Hope to find a good place by a lake pretty soon so we can camp for awhile. Punky is really good company.
Tues 24 – In morning we went down to city again and bought some film and things. Had trouble with motor heating up so stopped in Sioux Falls and took out thermostat. Went on, but motor still heated up. Stopped in some town and had fellow blow the bugs out of radiator and it seemed to help a lot. Driving through Ill at night I went through them.(bugs) We stopped at Chamberlain and got information on the Black Hills and drove about another 50 miles to the cabin we now have.
Wed 25 – Only got to see the Badlands today. Car heated up again and had to stop and get water quite often. Stayed in cabin east of Vivian last night. Stopped in Wall S.D. last night and had to drive back east to see Badlands. Came in to Rapid City and had fellow check motor. Got radiator flushed out. Hope that fixes it, because I hope to see some of the sights tomorrow and head toward Yellowstone tomorrow afternoon. Punky has cough. The Indians here are really black. Took Punky through small museum here. Sent telegram.
Thurs 26 – Took Punky through Nameless Cave. He was scared but quite interested just the same. We drove through Black Hills and down what they call Needle road. (87) We drove up to Mt. Rushmore and saw the faces and stopped to the Reptile Gardens where they have lots of snakes. Then I drove till about 8:30 into Wyoming where we are now. I think the name of this place is Gillette. (it is) I will find out tomorrow. Expect to reach Yellowstone tomorrow.
Fri 27 – Drove from Gillette to edge of Yellowstone today. Car is working beautiful now and seems to be OK. We drove through Big Horn Mountains and it really is beautiful. On the turns you meet yourself coming back and if anything ever happened to your car, there would be quite awhile to think things over before you hit bottom. One place they were constructing it was really bad. I started to slide towards the canyon and I was beginning to wonder for a minute. The mountains here are indescribable in words. We had the most rain today we had, which wasn’t very much. We are now in the Red Star Lodge and it’s cold right now.
Sat 28 – Saw Yellowstone today and went as far as Kemmerer
today toward Great Salt Lake. Yellowstone is really wonderful to see, Especially the deep canyon with about every kind of color in it. We got snowstorms
there, but it was a sun shiny day most of the time. Got a few pictures of the bears and hot springs and Old Faithful. Will plan where else to go from Salt
Lake City.
Sun 29 – Cooked own breakfast today. Have some hot dogs for dinner, but didn’t get a chance to eat along the road as we made it to Salt Lake City about 10:00 M.S.T. Stopped & got some film and went out to lake to a beach. I got Punky into a bathing suit and he went out in. I went back and put mine on and after awhile I went out to about my waist and leaned back in the water. It was the first time I had ever floated. As you dry off, the salt stays on your skin. After a couple hrs. we came back to the city and rented a place which they call a motel. $4 a night, but worth it once in a while. They’re clean with rugs on the floor, nice shower and toilet, with hot water so hot you cannot hold your hand under it. Don’t know what I will do tomorrow. Went to check up on southern route back, but do not know about Mississippi River. Would like to see Grand Canyon while I am out here
Mon 30 - Slept until about 8 o’clock MST. Went down to
Salt Lake and bought a few things. Took a sight seeing bus out to copper mine at Bingham. Went through a tunnel 7000 ft. long. After we got back I start
toward the East. Drove till about 12 o’clock and slept in car.
Wed July 2, 1947 - (44645)
Drove about 558 miles. Went out of our way at Garden City and started south. Lost about 32 miles. Drove to within 19 miles of Kansas City, slept in car. Got
Punky some fireworks Dodge City, Kansas.
Thur July 3, 1947 – Cooked our own breakfast and started
for St. Louis. Got to within 7 miles and rented a cabin. Traffic quite heavy near St. Lewis. Had car greased in Kansas, Gave it a shot of Resolone back in
some town. Made it act like new.
.EXPENSES (started with $568.00)
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Sat 21 $2.00 in Jamestown 8.5 gal – 41251 $1.65 in Geneva O. 7.8 gal - 41364 $3.65 “ “
“ Water Jug .80 Pertussin, Exlax. Notebook .60 beer .41 chocolate bar and ball 3.50 cabin .12 ice cream .55 hamburgers and drinks 13.28 Sun 22 - $.98 breakfast 14.9 gal $3.00 gas Napoleon Ohio .12 soft drink 13 gal 2.66 6.76 Mon 23 - 2.52 gas 13 gal 2.01 gas 10.6 gal full .81 guns .25 charcoal .61
groceries 1.18 telegram .60 bridge Sioux City 3.00
cabin 11.31 Tues 24 .25 gun .50 radiator 1.00 eats Sioux Falls .20 soft drinks 1.50 films .80 supper .50 having thermostat out 1.19 gas 2.95 gas .81 pictures .10 stone 2.00 cabin 11.80
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Wed 25 1.00 eats breakfast .46 ice creams soft drinks 1.05 dolls .75 knife 1.96 gas 4.00 cabin in Rapid City 1.00 flushing radiator .98 telegram .95 eats 13.05 Thurs 26 1.80 gas 2.88 radiator flushing 3.20 washed car .90 to go through
cave .25 pictures Punky
got 1.00 eats at Mt. Rushmore 3.06 Picture Scope 2.00 cabin 3.20 gas at
Gillette 1.38
film 19.67 Fri 27 3.35 gas 4.50 eats approx 2.50 pictures of Yellowstone, etc 1.00 misc. approx 3.50
cabin 14.85 .35 museum in
Cody, Wyo. Sat 28 3.00 park .50 eats 2.54 gas 9.2 gal 1.89 eats in Jackson .85 groceries 3.60
gas Jackson 12 gal 12.38
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Sun (29) 3.19 gas 12 gal 1.55 film .16 candy 1.00 gas 3.9 gal 1.66 cigarettes 4.00 cabin .50 swimming 1.20
dinner Salt Lake City 13.26 Mon (30) 1.00 breakfast 3.00 to Bingham Copper Mines 1.80
souvenirs 1.80
souvenirs 1.25 cap gun & caps 4.00 groceries 13.15 Tues July 1 2.00 gas
(44,157 started) .20 valve and caps 2.40 gas Grand Junction 1.00 Resolone 3.32 gas Canon 1.00
sandwiches 9.92 Wed July 2 1.26 groceries 2.79 gas 12.7 gal 1.90 gas 10 gal 1.33 gas 7.9 gal .55 gas 2.5 gal 1.00 fireworks 2.25 gas 13.2 gal 3.50
cabin
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Total for 12 days $156.51
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