Road trips in England don’t really compare to what I think of as ‘road trips’. We have spent time going places in the car, stopping over-night then going on to somewhere else and sight seeing but it doesn’t compare to being in a convertible, driving down Route 66! But, I do hark back to the (rail)road trip we took when I was 12.

In 1955 my mother decided to divorce my step-father – with the blessing of all her daughters who were fed up with his drunken ways. The quickest way to get a divorce was to go to Reno, “The Biggest Little City In Thé World”, so we set off by train from Ohio to Nevada.

We went, first, to Chicago where we had to change trains. We were met by my god-father, Spencer, who took us all out to eat before we left Chicago on the next leg of the journey. I will never forget one part of that meal – the corn fritters. I had never before had them and I haven’t had them since – but I loved them! (I suppose I could make some!) I was also glad to see Spencer whom I rarely saw but I did remember that at some time before this he had sent me a birthday present of a scarab bracelet. I had no idea what a scarab was but was very pleased with the bracelet and only wish I still had it.

We set off in the evening on the Super Chief from Chicago. We didn’t sit in normal train seats – we had a “drawing room” for the four of us. During the day it was a room with seats and a table but in the evening the conductor turned it into a bedroom, with a bed for each of us! Looking back I can’t remember being annoyed with having to sit and look out the window for several days. I think there was a lot to see out of those windows and also we had books and our record player. Yes, there was a socket to plug in to and we could listen to whatever records we had taken with us. I do forget, however, whether it was popular music or classical we listened to.

One place on our cross-country train ride that I do remember was a station where there were lots of Native Americans in the station where we made a stop, standing outside, who, I suppose were selling things. It was exciting to see real Indians, as we called them in those days.

I also remember that the train crossed the Great Salt Lake. Whether there was a bridge across it or we were travelling next to it, I haven’t a clue, but I do remember being quite fearful that we (the train) might fall in! (I still have this type of fear from time to time!)

In a few days, we arrived in Reno and stayed overnight in a hotel where we had donuts for breakfast in the morning. We then went to the guest ranch where we stayed for the next few months and there were no further donuts for breakfast🥺

(There is at least one post of mine describing our time at the Whitney Guest Ranch, if you want to find out more about the divorce etc. Just go back and have a look at earlier posts. 😄