1940 - 46 Handwritten Trip Diary East To West Coast US Gaspe Peninsula Canada RARE
Item History & Price
WELCOMETO SALLY’S DIARIES: Upfor auction today is an exceptional US/Canada travel diaryrepresenting three different trips; 1940, 1941 and 1946. There are106 handwritten pages and the first two trips take up 25 of thosepages with the last trip taking up the majority. The first trip hasdifferent handwriting than the following two trips and it onlyconsists of three pages visiting the Winchester Virginia area. I’vescanned two of those pages instead of quoting from them. The secondtri...p is to the Gaspe Peninsula in Canada and takes up 21 pages. Thelast trip, in the summer of 1946, is an East to West Coast vacationvisiting California, Oregon, Washington State, Idaho, Nevada andmore. There are some incredible descriptions with these last twotrips, especially the West coast trip. Theauthor is such a wonderful writer and I especially loved when theyvisited Lake Tahoe and stay at the Lake Tahoe Tavern. I also lovedwhen they visit Virginia City Nevada. It’s one of my favorite townsin the US and at the time our author visits it, it is a ghost town, very different than what it looks like today. The photos above arejust ones I copied off the web of these two places to give you anidea of what they looked like at the time this diary was written. It’sthose entries and so much more as you will see in the followingexample quotes…….
1941“June18th, Saco Maine to Bar Harbor. The trip through this part of Maine was onewhich we particularly enjoyed. The coast here is so beautiful withall the caves and harbors and there are so many nice towns withlovely homes and estates all along the way. We lunched at a roadsideplace where there was particularly good food; especially fresh crabsalad. The drive all around Bar Harbor is beautiful. We stayed downby the water.” (They enter Canada the next day by Calais Maineto St. John’s New Brunswick.)“June21st, Left at 8:45. Mileage 320. Very poor hotel but best they have. Wentto the shore in the morning to see the “hore”. This is a wall ofwater which flows in at low tide ____ the whole change of current atonce. Rode through huckleberry country. Very poor. French Canadiantoward the Gaspe. Picked up a soldier on the road at Joquet River.Took him 50 miles. He was on the way to Quebec. An American in theCan. Army. Had dinner at the Restigouche Hotel at Matapedia. Fairfood. Drove after dinner to Matane. Lovely scenic drive. The hotel atMatane was the Belle Plaza outside of the town. It was very clean andattractive, right on the St. Lawrence. The river is 40 miles wide atthat point. Excellent food.” (Next day they drive all along theSt. Lawrence River. Arrived at Perce where they stopped for thenight. Next day they take a boat out to Bonaventure Island. Then onto New Richmond where they went to the Indian Reservation andpurchased some things. They are making their way to Quebec.)“June25th, ….North of Quebec we found the shop of Eugene Leclercwho is a well known model boat builder (models). He had the mostbeautiful models, all made by hand. Had twelve children. Bought aboat for Lee and one for Bruce. It is between Montmagny and Berthier.Stayed at the Chateau Frontenac; went around the city with a guide asthat the boys could see it. Had dinner at the hotel. A goodrestaurant is Kurhulu. Walked the promenade at the hotel along theSt. Lawrence and went to bed early.” Thenext day they travel from Quebec to Montreal and this portion of thediary ends with them getting ready to cross the boarder on the 26thof June. Now the next trip…..1946Theyleave Crestwood NY, drive through the stateof New York and on to Niagara Falls staying on the Canadian side. “August4th, Niagara Falls. Left at 10:20. Rose at 6:30. The bathroom door lockjammed with Craig inside. Had to get hotel workmen to release him, which delayed us. Breakfasted on the hotel roof, Rainbow deck, overlooking the falls. Very lovely. The broad new highway calledQueens Way, reminded Bruce of the autobahn; rode straight acrossCanada through farmland, fruit country, peaches, plums, grapes, alsotomatoes. Found a good place for dinner, fairly new, not far from thetown of London, Ontario at a road turn off; called the Knotty PineInn. Nice food (filet mignon, good relishes and soup, goodpie)…..Crossed back into the states from Sarnia to PortHuron…..Drove across Michigan through pretty farm country to Flint.Our horn decided to blow off itself at odd times causing acuteembarrassment. The boys managed to fix it at a gas station. Flint hasa long, six lane main street……” “August5th, ……..Stayedat the Delta Hotel in Escanaba, very high ceilinged rooms with bigeasy chairs. Had a 2 ½ hr. wait for the ferry tocross from Mackinaw City to St. Ignace. It was hot. It is a 45 minuteride across Lake Michigan on the biggest ferry boat holding 200 cars.A cool beautiful ride.”(On their way to Duluth Michigan the next day and then Bismark NorthDakota and Montana)“August8th, …..IntoMontana. Grand cattle country, lots of horses and cows on the openrange. Had to watch out for them, no habitations in some places. Astock pen, and cabins for the men. The town of Glendale was very wellbuilt, quite different. A junior college there. Two places wherethere were especially attractive cabins and a motel, bath fine. MilesCity is a clean compact little place, 152 miles from Billings. Weadmired it as we went through……”(The next day they arrive in Billings then dinner in Bozeman and onto Missoula)“August9th(late)….We decidedthen to go on to Missoula and makeup the time we hadlost. It was a bright moonlight night but really in the far west, practically no one on the road, much of it through the mountains;there was some construction. We arrived in Missoula at 2:35. It isthe most modern and most attractive hotel I have ever seen. A galleryruns around the lobby where there is a beautiful painting of the mts.The rooms were beautiful with pastel colored baths. The HotelFlorence. We had breakfast in the handsome coffee ship called, “TheChief.” Outstanding Indian paintings were on the walls……”(They finally reach Washington State, cross the Columbia River)“August10th, …..Wecrossed the Columbia River and it was beautiful Directly after thatdesert stretch with towns no less than 50 miles apart, we came toirrigated farm land growing vegetables and fruit. We begin to noticeIndians about. Everywhere in the West there is an abundance of carswith trailers, auto courts and trailer camps. Suddenly as I lookedahead there was Rainier standing out boldly. It was a thrill. Another thrill was driving into the town of Ellensburg, Washington.It is a sparkling town, completely modern looking as though it hadbeen recently built to order. On the outskirts is the CentralWashington College for education, good looking, most attractiveapartment houses, pretty private houses, then the brilliantly lightedbusiness district with dozen of modern gas stations and attractiveeating places as well as nice shops.It was an astonishing town to find in between long rides where therewas nothing. We had a good dinner at the New York Café recommendedby Duncan Hines. Steak again. We had to drive after dark again to getto Seattle, 107 miles. It was through the magnificent mountains inthe moonlight. Seattle at 11:45.” “August11th, The Olympic Hotel was excellent. The lobby was another one with amezzanine gallery. At one end of the lobby up a beautiful widestairway was the dinning room, at the other end was a beautifullounge. Breakfast in the large coffee shop, very attractive. I wentout to walk around Seattle. It’s a snappy town, wide avenues, handsome shops. I wish New York was as clean and up to date. Left at12 o’clock for Vancouver. Driving out of Seattle there are manyauto courts along the road, army disposal buildings, many fruitstands, with peaches, apricots, cherries, , tomatoes and quantities ofmelons for sale……”(On to Vancouver BC. Then they board a boat and head to Victoria andstay at the Empress Hotel. From there another boat to Port Angelesand then to Tacoma Washington.) “August14th, ……Weleft quarter to nine to go see Paradise Inn on Mt. Rainier. It is abeautiful ride and the trip up the mountain was unsurpassed forbeauty. The Inn is attractive with cedar pillars and beams everywhereand rustic furniture, large fireplaces at both ends of a the big roomand in the dining room…….”(On to Oregon, first Salem, the state capital and then on to SouthernOregon; Roseburg and Medford then by the 15ththey are near Mt. Shasta)“August15th, ……Wesettled down to the drive into San Francisco. As soon as we left thevalley it began to be cool. It gave us a thrill to see the lights ofthe town, to pass all the beautiful looking motels and to cross thelong Bay Bridge. The city was ablaze with neon and the St. FrancisHotel at Post and Geary Sts. looked good to us. Our rooms were notready, so for the night, we had what we had used once long ago inMaine, two sample rooms. They were enormous……”(On the 18ththey take off for Lake Tahoe.)“August18th, ……LakeTahoe Tavern is a luxurious place and very large. It fits into thewoods beautifully, being built of dark brown logs. There are verywide lawns and many lovely flowers. It is surrounded by huge cedarsand pines. Lovely wild things grow all around and the spaciouslobbies were all decorated with nice arrangements of the nativethings. The wide lawns and steps were furnished with bright coloredchairs and swings. The dining room is very large and wood paneled.Lots of flowers around. At the Tavern is right on the lake, the viewis always beautiful. The lake is ringed with the Sierras and thelights on it all changes constantly. There is a swimming in front ofthe hotel with a terrace around it, filled with comfortable chairs.Beyond that is the big casino for movies, dancing, shops, etc.The food was good and the rooms comfortable. A long dock runs outinto the lake and there are many beautiful Chris Craftsthere. There are swimming floats out there too. We stayed two nightsand one day and it was a rest.”(On to Nevada) “August20th, …..Thecapital of Nevada, Carson City, was in the center of the desert, adrab looking town and hot. Went high into the mountains to VirginiaCity, a ghost town. Signs of the silver and gold mining, home of theComstock Lode. There were many abandon buildings; the old OperaHouse, wooden sidewalks, each building with a cover over thesidewalk. Many bars with the old crystal chandeliers and squarepianos, organs. Once had 45, 000 population, now has 1, 000. On throughthe mountains; finally saw a valley below. Came out and drove throughthat and it was very hot. Into Reno, full of neon and combinationgambling resorts and bars. A crowded place, many women in slacks onthe street……” Onthrough the Nevada Mountains, driving for some time before getting toIdaho following the Snake River heading into Wyoming where they stayat the Jackson Lake Lodge. On the 24ththey arrive in Yellowstone National Park. There is so much more, toomuch for me to quote. I particularly love her entry about the“cowboy” town of Gilette Wyoming. They then head to the BlackHills of the Dakotas and Mt. Rushmore. Then Rapid City S.D. and SiouxCity Iowa before her last entry while they are in Aurora Illinois. Thereis so much more than what I’ve quoted here. As for the condition itis poor. The worn cover has fallen completely off of the binding butis accounted for. Binding is still good but one page is loose. Thediary measures about 4”x 6 1/4”.
1941“June18th, Saco Maine to Bar Harbor. The trip through this part of Maine was onewhich we particularly enjoyed. The coast here is so beautiful withall the caves and harbors and there are so many nice towns withlovely homes and estates all along the way. We lunched at a roadsideplace where there was particularly good food; especially fresh crabsalad. The drive all around Bar Harbor is beautiful. We stayed downby the water.” (They enter Canada the next day by Calais Maineto St. John’s New Brunswick.)“June21st, Left at 8:45. Mileage 320. Very poor hotel but best they have. Wentto the shore in the morning to see the “hore”. This is a wall ofwater which flows in at low tide ____ the whole change of current atonce. Rode through huckleberry country. Very poor. French Canadiantoward the Gaspe. Picked up a soldier on the road at Joquet River.Took him 50 miles. He was on the way to Quebec. An American in theCan. Army. Had dinner at the Restigouche Hotel at Matapedia. Fairfood. Drove after dinner to Matane. Lovely scenic drive. The hotel atMatane was the Belle Plaza outside of the town. It was very clean andattractive, right on the St. Lawrence. The river is 40 miles wide atthat point. Excellent food.” (Next day they drive all along theSt. Lawrence River. Arrived at Perce where they stopped for thenight. Next day they take a boat out to Bonaventure Island. Then onto New Richmond where they went to the Indian Reservation andpurchased some things. They are making their way to Quebec.)“June25th, ….North of Quebec we found the shop of Eugene Leclercwho is a well known model boat builder (models). He had the mostbeautiful models, all made by hand. Had twelve children. Bought aboat for Lee and one for Bruce. It is between Montmagny and Berthier.Stayed at the Chateau Frontenac; went around the city with a guide asthat the boys could see it. Had dinner at the hotel. A goodrestaurant is Kurhulu. Walked the promenade at the hotel along theSt. Lawrence and went to bed early.” Thenext day they travel from Quebec to Montreal and this portion of thediary ends with them getting ready to cross the boarder on the 26thof June. Now the next trip…..1946Theyleave Crestwood NY, drive through the stateof New York and on to Niagara Falls staying on the Canadian side. “August4th, Niagara Falls. Left at 10:20. Rose at 6:30. The bathroom door lockjammed with Craig inside. Had to get hotel workmen to release him, which delayed us. Breakfasted on the hotel roof, Rainbow deck, overlooking the falls. Very lovely. The broad new highway calledQueens Way, reminded Bruce of the autobahn; rode straight acrossCanada through farmland, fruit country, peaches, plums, grapes, alsotomatoes. Found a good place for dinner, fairly new, not far from thetown of London, Ontario at a road turn off; called the Knotty PineInn. Nice food (filet mignon, good relishes and soup, goodpie)…..Crossed back into the states from Sarnia to PortHuron…..Drove across Michigan through pretty farm country to Flint.Our horn decided to blow off itself at odd times causing acuteembarrassment. The boys managed to fix it at a gas station. Flint hasa long, six lane main street……” “August5th, ……..Stayedat the Delta Hotel in Escanaba, very high ceilinged rooms with bigeasy chairs. Had a 2 ½ hr. wait for the ferry tocross from Mackinaw City to St. Ignace. It was hot. It is a 45 minuteride across Lake Michigan on the biggest ferry boat holding 200 cars.A cool beautiful ride.”(On their way to Duluth Michigan the next day and then Bismark NorthDakota and Montana)“August8th, …..IntoMontana. Grand cattle country, lots of horses and cows on the openrange. Had to watch out for them, no habitations in some places. Astock pen, and cabins for the men. The town of Glendale was very wellbuilt, quite different. A junior college there. Two places wherethere were especially attractive cabins and a motel, bath fine. MilesCity is a clean compact little place, 152 miles from Billings. Weadmired it as we went through……”(The next day they arrive in Billings then dinner in Bozeman and onto Missoula)“August9th(late)….We decidedthen to go on to Missoula and makeup the time we hadlost. It was a bright moonlight night but really in the far west, practically no one on the road, much of it through the mountains;there was some construction. We arrived in Missoula at 2:35. It isthe most modern and most attractive hotel I have ever seen. A galleryruns around the lobby where there is a beautiful painting of the mts.The rooms were beautiful with pastel colored baths. The HotelFlorence. We had breakfast in the handsome coffee ship called, “TheChief.” Outstanding Indian paintings were on the walls……”(They finally reach Washington State, cross the Columbia River)“August10th, …..Wecrossed the Columbia River and it was beautiful Directly after thatdesert stretch with towns no less than 50 miles apart, we came toirrigated farm land growing vegetables and fruit. We begin to noticeIndians about. Everywhere in the West there is an abundance of carswith trailers, auto courts and trailer camps. Suddenly as I lookedahead there was Rainier standing out boldly. It was a thrill. Another thrill was driving into the town of Ellensburg, Washington.It is a sparkling town, completely modern looking as though it hadbeen recently built to order. On the outskirts is the CentralWashington College for education, good looking, most attractiveapartment houses, pretty private houses, then the brilliantly lightedbusiness district with dozen of modern gas stations and attractiveeating places as well as nice shops.It was an astonishing town to find in between long rides where therewas nothing. We had a good dinner at the New York Café recommendedby Duncan Hines. Steak again. We had to drive after dark again to getto Seattle, 107 miles. It was through the magnificent mountains inthe moonlight. Seattle at 11:45.” “August11th, The Olympic Hotel was excellent. The lobby was another one with amezzanine gallery. At one end of the lobby up a beautiful widestairway was the dinning room, at the other end was a beautifullounge. Breakfast in the large coffee shop, very attractive. I wentout to walk around Seattle. It’s a snappy town, wide avenues, handsome shops. I wish New York was as clean and up to date. Left at12 o’clock for Vancouver. Driving out of Seattle there are manyauto courts along the road, army disposal buildings, many fruitstands, with peaches, apricots, cherries, , tomatoes and quantities ofmelons for sale……”(On to Vancouver BC. Then they board a boat and head to Victoria andstay at the Empress Hotel. From there another boat to Port Angelesand then to Tacoma Washington.) “August14th, ……Weleft quarter to nine to go see Paradise Inn on Mt. Rainier. It is abeautiful ride and the trip up the mountain was unsurpassed forbeauty. The Inn is attractive with cedar pillars and beams everywhereand rustic furniture, large fireplaces at both ends of a the big roomand in the dining room…….”(On to Oregon, first Salem, the state capital and then on to SouthernOregon; Roseburg and Medford then by the 15ththey are near Mt. Shasta)“August15th, ……Wesettled down to the drive into San Francisco. As soon as we left thevalley it began to be cool. It gave us a thrill to see the lights ofthe town, to pass all the beautiful looking motels and to cross thelong Bay Bridge. The city was ablaze with neon and the St. FrancisHotel at Post and Geary Sts. looked good to us. Our rooms were notready, so for the night, we had what we had used once long ago inMaine, two sample rooms. They were enormous……”(On the 18ththey take off for Lake Tahoe.)“August18th, ……LakeTahoe Tavern is a luxurious place and very large. It fits into thewoods beautifully, being built of dark brown logs. There are verywide lawns and many lovely flowers. It is surrounded by huge cedarsand pines. Lovely wild things grow all around and the spaciouslobbies were all decorated with nice arrangements of the nativethings. The wide lawns and steps were furnished with bright coloredchairs and swings. The dining room is very large and wood paneled.Lots of flowers around. At the Tavern is right on the lake, the viewis always beautiful. The lake is ringed with the Sierras and thelights on it all changes constantly. There is a swimming in front ofthe hotel with a terrace around it, filled with comfortable chairs.Beyond that is the big casino for movies, dancing, shops, etc.The food was good and the rooms comfortable. A long dock runs outinto the lake and there are many beautiful Chris Craftsthere. There are swimming floats out there too. We stayed two nightsand one day and it was a rest.”(On to Nevada) “August20th, …..Thecapital of Nevada, Carson City, was in the center of the desert, adrab looking town and hot. Went high into the mountains to VirginiaCity, a ghost town. Signs of the silver and gold mining, home of theComstock Lode. There were many abandon buildings; the old OperaHouse, wooden sidewalks, each building with a cover over thesidewalk. Many bars with the old crystal chandeliers and squarepianos, organs. Once had 45, 000 population, now has 1, 000. On throughthe mountains; finally saw a valley below. Came out and drove throughthat and it was very hot. Into Reno, full of neon and combinationgambling resorts and bars. A crowded place, many women in slacks onthe street……” Onthrough the Nevada Mountains, driving for some time before getting toIdaho following the Snake River heading into Wyoming where they stayat the Jackson Lake Lodge. On the 24ththey arrive in Yellowstone National Park. There is so much more, toomuch for me to quote. I particularly love her entry about the“cowboy” town of Gilette Wyoming. They then head to the BlackHills of the Dakotas and Mt. Rushmore. Then Rapid City S.D. and SiouxCity Iowa before her last entry while they are in Aurora Illinois. Thereis so much more than what I’ve quoted here. As for the condition itis poor. The worn cover has fallen completely off of the binding butis accounted for. Binding is still good but one page is loose. Thediary measures about 4”x 6 1/4”.
