Mom’s 1934 Road Trip – Part 2

This is the second half of Mom’s diary from her road trip with Fran Duffey from Illinois to Washington DC and back in October 1934.  You can see the first part here.

Thursday Oct. 4
Got up at 8 o’clock and went down to A.A.A. Office and got a routing to Washington, D.C.  Went to Post Office and then left Asheville at 10.  Got off the road once but went only a mile before we inquired.  Ate dinner at Morganville.  Stopped at Madison for gas and talked to the man at the service station.  He [told] us about his experiences in Chicago.  Stopped at several places to look at cabins but drove until 7:30 before we found one we liked.  It is a few miles south of Roanoke, Va.  Ate supper and had a fight with a moth.  Wrote letters and went to bed at 10 o’clock.

Friday, October 5
Started this morning at 8:30.  Almost got up at sunrise because we were both awake but the bed felt too good.  It rained all day.  Stopped at Staunton, Va. for dinner.  Went through Shenandoah Valley and drove over the Blue Ridge Mountains partly above the clouds.  It was like driving through layers of heavy fog. Read to each other while we were riding and finished the book we started at the first of the trip.  It was “Invitation to Life.”  Tonite we are in a cabin about 55 miles from Washington.  We couldn’t make good time because of the mountains, rain, and poor roads.  We are stopping tonite at Mountain View Lodge. Our cabin has running water, electricity, heater, showers, and a separate kitchen. We stopped at 4:30 as were disgusted with the weather.  We’re in bed at 5 to 6.  Wrote letters and read magazines.

Saturday Oct. 6
Got up about seven this morning.  Fixed our breakfast and served it to each other in bed.  Started driving about 8:30 and it rained until noon.  Reached Washington D. C. and drove around looking at the buildings.  Had an awful time driving there.  It was slippery and they drove so crazy.  The streets run at such funny angles that it was hard to find a street and harder still to stay on it.  We went to the A.A.A. Office and got our routing home.  Ate dinner at Rockville, Md.  Went into Post Office and wrote cards.  Drove 110 miles consecutively over 4 of the Allegheny Mountains.  Have a cabin a few miles from Cumberland.  It’s on top of a mountain and the view around is gorgeous.  The cabin has a large bedroom with two double beds, also a kitchen with a stove, cupboards, a big table and sink.  It has a small porch in front and showers nearby.  Got supper and went to bed.  We were both a little homesick today.

Harriet on Danger sign

Sunday Oct. 7
Started driving at eight this morning.  Drove over the last mountains on our trip.  Stopped at Washington Pa. for dinner.  Drove all afternoon and stopped at Wooster, Ohio for malted milks.  Drove until nine and stopped at Bowen’s Cabins between Dolphus, O. and Van Wert, O.  We had run out of bread and went into the house to buy some.  The people were awfully nice.  They wouldn’t accept any money for the bread and sent out chicken legs, celery and pickles to have with our supper.  Ate supper, did the dishes, and went to bed.  Our cabin tonite is exceptionally clean.

THE END