A Honeymoon at last. The time frame was in October of 1991’ We were married in February 1948. It was on a Sunday and I had to go back to work on the following day which was a Monday. We had a really small apartment with no bathroom and one could hardly turn around in it. It would have to do until we could locate a bigger apartment or small house that we could afford.
I worked as a laborer at the Home Stake Gold Mine in Lead, SD. As a laborer, one did not earn much money. But we were just starting married life and expected that the times would be tough. For the next forty six years, we struggled to make ends meet, moved a number of time and had changed jobs more times than I can remember. During those years we had six children, first came two very pretty young ladies and than four handsome young men
In all that time we had not had a real vacation or a honeymoon to speak of. Once, we did get away for a week end, but didn’t have any money to rent a room or buy a meal. In those later years I had retired for a job that I had for twenty five years and went to work as a building consultant for a well known motel chain. The day came when my health turned bad and a heart condition had developed. We made one more move to a small home in Rapid City, which belongs to our daughter. We are still living there today.
In 1993 I had gone back to work, part time, as a security guard for a company here in Rapid City, My health had deteriorated to a point where earning a living had to be put aside and start drawing my social security pension . Peggy had been working at one of the larger motels here as a head housekeeper and she also had to stop working and start drawing her social security.
Our kids had all got together and decided to give us a retirement party and at this party they gave us a treasure chest full of money. Let me tell you, Peg and I couldn’t believe our eyes, there was more than enough money for us to take a long vacation, rent rooms and eat like kings. We could go first class all the way. We had purchased a new car a few years before so we had the transportation to make a journey to where ever.
Now this lays the ground work for the story I am about to tell you. Be sure you read the second to the last paragraph at the end........
I worked as a laborer at the Home Stake Gold Mine in Lead, SD. As a laborer, one did not earn much money. But we were just starting married life and expected that the times would be tough. For the next forty six years, we struggled to make ends meet, moved a number of time and had changed jobs more times than I can remember. During those years we had six children, first came two very pretty young ladies and than four handsome young men
In all that time we had not had a real vacation or a honeymoon to speak of. Once, we did get away for a week end, but didn’t have any money to rent a room or buy a meal. In those later years I had retired for a job that I had for twenty five years and went to work as a building consultant for a well known motel chain. The day came when my health turned bad and a heart condition had developed. We made one more move to a small home in Rapid City, which belongs to our daughter. We are still living there today.
In 1993 I had gone back to work, part time, as a security guard for a company here in Rapid City, My health had deteriorated to a point where earning a living had to be put aside and start drawing my social security pension . Peggy had been working at one of the larger motels here as a head housekeeper and she also had to stop working and start drawing her social security.
Our kids had all got together and decided to give us a retirement party and at this party they gave us a treasure chest full of money. Let me tell you, Peg and I couldn’t believe our eyes, there was more than enough money for us to take a long vacation, rent rooms and eat like kings. We could go first class all the way. We had purchased a new car a few years before so we had the transportation to make a journey to where ever.
Now this lays the ground work for the story I am about to tell you. Be sure you read the second to the last paragraph at the end........
The date, late summer of 1994, We had made a plan and had packed and unpacked so many times our clothing had been worn out and a number of new items had to be purchased before leaving town. A pair of shoes and some socks for me and everything from the inside out and top to bottom for the lady. The day arrived when we loaded the car and started our journey, We had all the time in the world and had planned to make a few side trips. We spent the first night in Casper Wyoming with a cousin. The following day we drove to Jackson Hole. Wyo. a resort high up in the mountains south of Yellow Stone Park.
We looked at all points of interests as we followed the Yellow Stone river down and west to Idaho Falls, Idaho. Taking our time and enjoying every mile of scenery. Then on to Mountain Home, Idaho to spend a night with more family of mine. My old Aunt Kate lived there and I would never go past Mt. Home without stopping to see her. Then on to Ontario, Oregon where we had friends that had relocated to there. That night we spent in Baker City Oregon and the next day we drove down along side of the Columbia river and into Portland Oregon and on down the river to St. Helens, a township by the river.
Peggy had a couple of old aunts and some cousins that lived there. I also had some old family friends that lived there from back in the mid forties. This is the place that Peggy was born in 1931 and I also lived there with my family when I was young. No, I did not know Peggy or any of her family at that time.
The next day I was missing and it was thought that I had drowned in the river and was carried down river and out to sea. Now that is not true, I just wanted to see if you were reading this story or just skipping over it! Actually, I was in the old outhouse waiting for some toilet paper that the old girl had forgotten to bring to me.
After a day or two, we were on our way again, back to Portland and going south. Our next stop was at Salem Oregon, where a childhood friend of my older sister was living. We spent a day and a half with Kathy and her husband Bob. They drove us around and we saw many of the sights in the area. We told each other many childhood stories and when we were starting to tell them over for the third time, we knew it was time to leave. We said goodbye; and that was the last time we saw Kathy as she passed away some time after that.
Peggy’s brother, his wife and one of their daughters lived at a place called Sunny Valley, north of Grants Pass, Oregon We spent a couple of weeks visiting them, before we headed north back to Portland again. More relatives of mine were living there, Another old aunt, the youngest of my mother’s two sisters and my cousins Harry and Kenneth were living in the Portland area. We visited for the rest of the day and got away late in the evening, driving up alongside the Colombia river to a where we had a reservation at a motel in the Dells. Then on to Mountain Home, Idaho again for another few days. From there, we drove to Yellow Stone and all around through the Park and on home to Rapid City. We had been gone from home for six weeks, had visited old friends and enjoyed every moment of the vacation, but we were tired and wanted to go home.
That ends the first half of this story, Now comes the second half of the story, so pay attention! I was talking on the telephone with my brother Walt, who lives in Ansonia, Conn., and he was telling me how much they enjoyed a place called Fox Wood, a gambling casino in eastern Conn. He laid it on so thick, that we talked about it and decided we had to go there and see it for ourselves. Peggy had always wanted to go to DC and see the Smithsonian as this was one the places that her Father always wanted to see, but never got to.
Within a few weeks, we were once again going on a trip, this time it was east all the way. First to St. Louis, Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky, across West Virginia and into Amherst Virginia then up the Appalachian Trail and north to Front Royal before heading on to Washington DC. We by-passed DC and went to Bethesda, Maryland, where we would meet up with my brother and his wife. Settled into a hotel and found a good place to eat and got a good night’s rest. Walt had rented a car in Connecticut and drove it to Bethesda, where he dropped it off and we used my car for the rest of the trip.
The next day we took the underground train into Washington DC’s Union Station. Bought a pass on one of the tour buses which was good for all day of riding, and proceeded to see the Smithsonian. We didn’t get to see everything as one would need at least three days to see it all. Back to the hotel in Bethesda for the night and the next day we were on our way to the Board Walk in Atlantic City. New Jersey. Spent the day there, walked the Boardwalk from one end to the other and went into several casinos. They all looked hard up so we passed out some of our money.
From there we drove on to Ansonia Connecticut, where Walt and his wife lived. After a couple of days, he drove us back down south to New York City and around the city. He told us he was born to be a cab driver in that City and after a number of narrow misses, I believe he was telling the truth.
The next week we were in and out of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and had viewed most things of interest. States are so small, you never know when you leave one and enter the next. At New London Conn. We visited a Naval submarine base and went aboard
The Nautilus, the first Atomic submarine. Let me tell you that I could hardly pass through some of the passage ways on that sub. We visited a place call Mystic harbor where there was a number of old tall ships’ and an old museum of the history of tall ships. In New Port, Rhode Island we drove around and saw all the mansion’s of the filthy rich. We took a tour of one called, The Breaker’s Mansion, built by the Vanderbilt’s.
My brother also took us to this big gambling casino on an Indian reservation, It was called “Fox Wood”, and it was really neat and we bought a Tee Pee, a few Canoes, Moccasins and paid their utility bill for the month, Peggy was trying play a twenty five dollar machine with quarters and alarms were going off, Security guards came a running with guns in hand and they accused her of tampering with the slot machines. We powwowed with the chief’s and they let her go, but we had to remove her from the casino!
In a week or two, we were on the road again. Went to Spencer, New York to visit Peggy’s cousin for a day, then off to Niagara Falls and on into Canada. Viewing the Falls from the Canadian side is the best viewing. Then back to the US side and we went looking for a room to spend the night. As anyone knows, Niagra Falls is the Honey Moon capitol of the USA. Every other building is a motel which cater to the newly married. We enquired at a couple of places and they were asking over two hundred dollars a night. The rooms had everything of a sexual nature in them. But we couldn’t afford that luxury!
There was a path alongside the river covered with bushes and trees and grassy areas. awe found an isolated place and spread our jackets on the grass and sat and watched the water go by, Soon we were holding hands, then our arms were around each other. We were hugging, than a kiss and it wasn't before arms were thrash about. Now I am a lot older and nothing works like it once did. I tried and I tried hard, but she fought like a tiger and I had scratches all over and she bit me a number of times. I was the strongest of the two, but I still couldn’t get her into that damn barrel and over the falls……..
Yeah, the Honeymoon was over and we drove silently down along side of Lake Erie, on our way to Marion, Indiana to see our son, his wife and our grand-daughter. We spent a week visiting and had the best time with grand-daughter Janna. We had been gone from home for seven weeks this time, was tired and looking forward to getting home. That was fifteen years ago and we haven’t been anywhere since and have no desire to travel anywhere.
Ben R. 1/12/09
We looked at all points of interests as we followed the Yellow Stone river down and west to Idaho Falls, Idaho. Taking our time and enjoying every mile of scenery. Then on to Mountain Home, Idaho to spend a night with more family of mine. My old Aunt Kate lived there and I would never go past Mt. Home without stopping to see her. Then on to Ontario, Oregon where we had friends that had relocated to there. That night we spent in Baker City Oregon and the next day we drove down along side of the Columbia river and into Portland Oregon and on down the river to St. Helens, a township by the river.
Peggy had a couple of old aunts and some cousins that lived there. I also had some old family friends that lived there from back in the mid forties. This is the place that Peggy was born in 1931 and I also lived there with my family when I was young. No, I did not know Peggy or any of her family at that time.
The next day I was missing and it was thought that I had drowned in the river and was carried down river and out to sea. Now that is not true, I just wanted to see if you were reading this story or just skipping over it! Actually, I was in the old outhouse waiting for some toilet paper that the old girl had forgotten to bring to me.
After a day or two, we were on our way again, back to Portland and going south. Our next stop was at Salem Oregon, where a childhood friend of my older sister was living. We spent a day and a half with Kathy and her husband Bob. They drove us around and we saw many of the sights in the area. We told each other many childhood stories and when we were starting to tell them over for the third time, we knew it was time to leave. We said goodbye; and that was the last time we saw Kathy as she passed away some time after that.
Peggy’s brother, his wife and one of their daughters lived at a place called Sunny Valley, north of Grants Pass, Oregon We spent a couple of weeks visiting them, before we headed north back to Portland again. More relatives of mine were living there, Another old aunt, the youngest of my mother’s two sisters and my cousins Harry and Kenneth were living in the Portland area. We visited for the rest of the day and got away late in the evening, driving up alongside the Colombia river to a where we had a reservation at a motel in the Dells. Then on to Mountain Home, Idaho again for another few days. From there, we drove to Yellow Stone and all around through the Park and on home to Rapid City. We had been gone from home for six weeks, had visited old friends and enjoyed every moment of the vacation, but we were tired and wanted to go home.
That ends the first half of this story, Now comes the second half of the story, so pay attention! I was talking on the telephone with my brother Walt, who lives in Ansonia, Conn., and he was telling me how much they enjoyed a place called Fox Wood, a gambling casino in eastern Conn. He laid it on so thick, that we talked about it and decided we had to go there and see it for ourselves. Peggy had always wanted to go to DC and see the Smithsonian as this was one the places that her Father always wanted to see, but never got to.
Within a few weeks, we were once again going on a trip, this time it was east all the way. First to St. Louis, Louisville and Lexington in Kentucky, across West Virginia and into Amherst Virginia then up the Appalachian Trail and north to Front Royal before heading on to Washington DC. We by-passed DC and went to Bethesda, Maryland, where we would meet up with my brother and his wife. Settled into a hotel and found a good place to eat and got a good night’s rest. Walt had rented a car in Connecticut and drove it to Bethesda, where he dropped it off and we used my car for the rest of the trip.
The next day we took the underground train into Washington DC’s Union Station. Bought a pass on one of the tour buses which was good for all day of riding, and proceeded to see the Smithsonian. We didn’t get to see everything as one would need at least three days to see it all. Back to the hotel in Bethesda for the night and the next day we were on our way to the Board Walk in Atlantic City. New Jersey. Spent the day there, walked the Boardwalk from one end to the other and went into several casinos. They all looked hard up so we passed out some of our money.
From there we drove on to Ansonia Connecticut, where Walt and his wife lived. After a couple of days, he drove us back down south to New York City and around the city. He told us he was born to be a cab driver in that City and after a number of narrow misses, I believe he was telling the truth.
The next week we were in and out of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and had viewed most things of interest. States are so small, you never know when you leave one and enter the next. At New London Conn. We visited a Naval submarine base and went aboard
The Nautilus, the first Atomic submarine. Let me tell you that I could hardly pass through some of the passage ways on that sub. We visited a place call Mystic harbor where there was a number of old tall ships’ and an old museum of the history of tall ships. In New Port, Rhode Island we drove around and saw all the mansion’s of the filthy rich. We took a tour of one called, The Breaker’s Mansion, built by the Vanderbilt’s.
My brother also took us to this big gambling casino on an Indian reservation, It was called “Fox Wood”, and it was really neat and we bought a Tee Pee, a few Canoes, Moccasins and paid their utility bill for the month, Peggy was trying play a twenty five dollar machine with quarters and alarms were going off, Security guards came a running with guns in hand and they accused her of tampering with the slot machines. We powwowed with the chief’s and they let her go, but we had to remove her from the casino!
In a week or two, we were on the road again. Went to Spencer, New York to visit Peggy’s cousin for a day, then off to Niagara Falls and on into Canada. Viewing the Falls from the Canadian side is the best viewing. Then back to the US side and we went looking for a room to spend the night. As anyone knows, Niagra Falls is the Honey Moon capitol of the USA. Every other building is a motel which cater to the newly married. We enquired at a couple of places and they were asking over two hundred dollars a night. The rooms had everything of a sexual nature in them. But we couldn’t afford that luxury!
There was a path alongside the river covered with bushes and trees and grassy areas. awe found an isolated place and spread our jackets on the grass and sat and watched the water go by, Soon we were holding hands, then our arms were around each other. We were hugging, than a kiss and it wasn't before arms were thrash about. Now I am a lot older and nothing works like it once did. I tried and I tried hard, but she fought like a tiger and I had scratches all over and she bit me a number of times. I was the strongest of the two, but I still couldn’t get her into that damn barrel and over the falls……..
Yeah, the Honeymoon was over and we drove silently down along side of Lake Erie, on our way to Marion, Indiana to see our son, his wife and our grand-daughter. We spent a week visiting and had the best time with grand-daughter Janna. We had been gone from home for seven weeks this time, was tired and looking forward to getting home. That was fifteen years ago and we haven’t been anywhere since and have no desire to travel anywhere.
Ben R. 1/12/09
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