IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER 54

I would like to tell you of our trip to Colorado Springs in the 1990’s. I was reminded of this by a phone call from my daughter this evening. I mentioned before we traveled quite a bit. Carl wanted to just travel all the time in fact he was like the person in Willie Nelson’s song “On The Road Again”. I held him back because I wanted roots somewhere. We did agree that when we got back East we would find a place.

The main reason I did not want to travel was in the early years of being a diabetic the equipment was syringes made of  glass and had to be sterilized. That made traveling a hardship for me. To travel anywhere overnight I had to have clean syringes and insulin on hand. Motels were not equipped to handle people with special needs like they are now. So I hated to travel. You should see me now. They have improved insulin and made disposable syringes with needles attached. It is as different as night and day and I ready do go on a moments notice.

Getting back to Colorado Springs where my daughter called me from she remember me telling her of our trip and about the different things to see. The Lord sculptured the rocks like no other place. Pikes Peak is in Colorado Springs It is 12,000 feet high and the first women to climb the peak was Julia Archibald Homes on foot. My girls took the tram up and back. Pioneers they are not.

There is so much to see as a tourist. The  United State Air Force Academy plus the Olympic Complex that gives a panoramic view of the entire area is there. The Dare  Bridge at Royal George is breathtaking to see even at a distance. My mined cannot comprehend how they completed building that expanse. When we went to Colorado Springs it was for  seminar for learning how to live with diabetics that was held at the conference center called Glen Erie Castle there that is owned by the Navigators a Christian based organization that owns it. They rent rooms out to tourists and people attending the conferences. The the picture of the Castle graced the cover of their monthly magazine for many years.

The Valley Of The Gods is open for tours. If you like the outdoors it is a must place to visit. There are many places you can take your car for a short distance. Camera buffs have  helped Kodak improve their business.

The most popular place to visit for people with children is Focus On The Family, a radio ministry started by Dr. Dobson who counseled families with their children. His most famous book is The Strong Willed Child and I think every family has at least one. Dr. Dobson spoke in down to earth English all mothers could understand.   I know I needed the help raising my three.

We decided if we were going to be on the road we needed to get a vehicle that was more comfortable and  could cut some of our expenses. Carl traded up to a large paneled van with large windows on both sides. It had two front passenger doors and on the passenger side it also had a double door making it easy to pack and live out of. It was a navy blue Vanguard. We put on many miles of pleasure driving it. We definitely were “van” people.

We could just drive until we were tired and stop rest areas, parks or truck stops and set up the Coleman stove , chairs and table and eat. Years before I had purchased a steeled framed masonite   top table for picnicking that carried like a suitcase. When it opened flat like a suitcase the legs had to unfolded down from the benc h seat so that when it was turned upright you had a table top with a bench on either side that had legs. I had never seen any like the one  we had. I purchased it at an Navy Exchange store but can’t remember where. We used this table many many years.

When we traveled we sang old songs like Pack Up Your Old Kit Bag, You are my Sunshine, Clementine, Good Night Irene, Smile Awhile  and Carl’s favorite was Deep In The Heart of Texas. The Kids always joined in and had some ditties of their own they sang. When we drove through Texas you really can see the array of stars at night. It is breathtaking to see such clear skies, Carl and I both came from coastal places that were always cloudy and misty and very seldom saw clear skies.

Backing up a little in my story before the van trek. I needed to tell you car buying was always designated to Carl who would keep me abreast of his decision. When we were in El Centro, California and were making plans to come back East Carl knew we needed something better than we had to drive. He traded our little car for a blue Roadmaster Buick that had more bells and whistles on it than we had ever seen.  This picture looks like it except for color.  Ours was blue.  It was huge compared to the little Ford we traded in. The back seat was so large and plush and comfortable. We didn’t hear the usual bickering like stay on your own side and mom he’s touching me for a dew days. We did hear it’s my turn to sit up front.

We kept a blanket in the car for stops so we could spread out on the grass and let the kids run around for exercise. This helped a great deal because they knew we would stop. The closer we got to the East Coast we had to fight rain because that rob us of letting the kids outside. Traveling with the kids was challenging for us but we made out because of Carl’s easy disposition while driving. I would said the hardest thing about traveling with kids were the bathroom stops making them realize if you didn’t go now you had a long wait. They learned quickly because when Carl stopped and said bathroom break they ran because we did stop many times just for exercise.

I have enjoyed sharing another part of our life with you. Thank you for stopping to read my story,  This is a good place to say until next time I am, Immigrant Daughter