Sam & ceil: “every machine that passed us offered their help.”

September 9, 1921. Started at 8:30 and were making splendid time when one mile east of Nelson we broke a hub. When this happens the machine cannot go. We were on a small hill with nothing around us but wilderness. The whole wheel has to be replaced when a hub is stripped; this happening to us for the third time on this trip. Nelson was a very small town, just a few houses. I had to walk back to the town, send a wire to the Ford agency in Kingman to send a new wheel by rail. This arrived the next day around noon. Every mschine that passed us offered their help. All we needed was some water, which everyone carried on these trips.

Sam & Ceil: moving on

September 8, 1921. We started out at six in the morning and reached Needles at noon. Needles is said to be the hottest place in the country. I did not find it as hot as other places. It is near Death Valley. Left Needles as soon as we got gas, etc and went as far as Topock, Arizona, had lunch and continued on to Kingman, where we camped for the night.

Sam & Ceil: “I did not sleep a wink it was so hot.”

September 7, 1921. Started out real early and soon hit the Mojave desert. It was terribly hot but we kept on going until we reached Amboy, where we camped for the night. I did not sleep a wink it was so hot. The road across the desert was nothing more than a track in the loose sand made by the last machine or wagon that passed. If anyone came in the opposite direction, you had to pull over to let him pass. If you pulled over too far, you got stuck in the loose sand and had a hard time getting back into the track.

Sam & ceil: 8/31 and 9/1

August 31, 1921. Started for Los Angeles at nine o'clock but we had not gone very far when that same tire blew out on us. So we turned back and bought a Fisk Tire and went as far as Ventura campgrounds.

September 1, 1921. 10 a.m. We get started for Los Angeles and arrived there at about two o'clock. Around Ventura we were very much impressed with the oil wells out in the ocean. In Los Angeles we were very much disappointed when we found out that all the mail was sent back to the senders. Had a nice time here, staying at Bess Perlman's all the time. Visited Ocean Park, Santa Monica, and Pasadena.

Sam & Ceil: car Trouble

August 29, 1921. Decided to have the car attended to. We took the car in at about nine o'clock and never had it fixed until about four-thirty. We started for King City, only 48 miles away. We thought we heard a knock in the engine and decided to return to the garage in Salinas. On the way back, we did not hear any knock at all. We slept again at the campground in Salinas.

Sam & ceil: “Sunday is a hard luck day for us…”

August 28, 1921. Being Sunday, we slept late and by the time we got all fixed up and wrote about 20 cards and had lunch it was 1:30. Sunday is a hard luck day for us, as for the past Sundays, things happened that cost us heavy. Everything went fine until we were within a few miles of Salinas when we heard a noise that we thought had something to do with the teverse, but the next morning it proved to be in the rear. The scenery was nothing to talk of, mostly valley and a few hills. We camped at Salinas.

Sam & Ceil: san Francisco

August 27, 1921. Reached Frisco via Oakland, crossing the bay in a ferryboat. We took in Golden Gate Park, the old Fair Grounds and Chinatown. It was so cold near the bay that we were glad to get into town. Slept at Colma, only 5 miles south of Frisco.

Sam & Ceil: Another night at Camp Curry

August 25, 1921. Washed a few pieces, went to Mirror Lake and Happy Isles and ate early and spent the night again at Camp Curry bonfire. First an entertainment, then the greeting to Glacier, only a few more words were added “All is well and we did all the talking to Glacier. While the lights were out and we were all looking at the fire fall, someone sang “It's a long long road" and then the music struck up The Star Spangled Banner, everyone singing that, of course, and at the end the flag was pictured on the screen. Then we heard a lecture on fishing and hunting and did not get to bed until real late.

SAM & CEIL: “…it was wonderful, thrilling and the most impressive sight we saw.”

August 24, 1921. We started early for the valley and while the roads were bad still we stalled only once and finally at about 12 we hit the valley. We had lunch and then went up to Camp Curry where we both took a much needed bath and then made our bed, ate and went to the campfire at Camp Curry. First there was an entertainment and then Camp Curry yelled up to Glacier Point, an elevation of 3200 feet, and we heard the reply. Forester Curry yells, “Hello Glacier,” and then we hear “Hello Curry,” and the Forester Curry yelled, “Let her go, Gallagher,” and we saw a fountain of red-hot coals or burning wood. It looked like a golden waterfall. I tell you it was wonderful, thrilling and the most impressive sight we saw. We got to bed rather late that night.

Official proof that Sam & Ceil were there.

Sam & ceil: “…Only made about 55 miles the entire day,…”

August 23, 1921. Tuesday morning we started for the Yosemite Valley, about 61 miles from Lake Tenaya. We certainly hit some terrible roads and only made about 55 miles the entire day, most of the time I was pushing, from behind, to go up the grades. We had to get out of the park to enter it at another end to get to the Valley and the roads were fine. As soon as we entered the boundary line of the park, our grief began. The roads were very, very steep but to make a long story short, after loads of grief we finally hit the control at Crane Flat and camped there for the night.

Sam & Ceil: “The roads were so terrible that the government should pay you the cost of a set of tires instead.”

Started early and went back to the sign that misled us and went on to Mono Lake. The two mechanics were there and worked on the car while we washed, breakfasted and fooled around and about twelve o'clock we were again on our way. The roads to Tioga Pass were not so bad but we certainly had some tall climbing to do. In some instances was afraid to look down, the distance below was so great. Some places there was one way traffic, machines going up for one hour and then pulling to one side where the road was cut a little wider so the machines for the next hour could pass. The road was just wide enough for one machine. The scenery here was just wonderful and as most of the roads are around curves, one did not know what to expect next. Then about two miles from the summit, we hit Lake Tioga and as that is the last thing one expects to see at such an altitude, we were surprised. It was beautiful and when we hit the summit, 9941 feet, we entered the park and reached the control about 3:30 where we parted with $5.00 for permission to go over the park roads. The roads were so terrible that the government should pay you the cost of a set of tires instead. The scenery, of course, was wonderful, but no more so than we had already seen. We camped at Lake Tenaya.

Sam & Ceil: Before GPS

Left Gardnerville 7:30 in the morning and while the roads in some places were bad, most of it was fair. Made Bridgeport by one o'clock passing Topaz Lake which was wonderful scenery. Left Bridgeport for Mono Lake, when six miles out we got stuck. The clutch would not work. So we turned back. Had to go the entire distance in low gear and when we got there found out they could do nothing for us. The motor support on one side was broken and so the motor hung down on that side and we were unable to get the car into high gear. Two mechanics from Mono Lake happened to be there and advised us to go to their place where they had a blacksmith shop and would make a new support for our motor. They used some wire to hold the motor up temporarily so we could run in high gear. We started out for Mono Lake about 4:00 P.M twenty-five miles away. Everything went fine and the scenery was just marvelous, especially the afterglow of the sunset on Mono Lake. It cannot be described, glorious hardly does it justice. About 4 3/4 miles from Mono Lake we misunderstood a sign and went in the wrong direction. The roads were awful and as it was getting really dark, it was very dangerous, our lights being rather poor. After going about 3 1/2 miles-most of the time I was running on behind the car to put a stone under the rear tire when the engine stalled, and every foot or so, it stalled. The grade was very steep. When we discovered our mistake, we decided to pitch our camp there and go to Mono Lake early the next morning.

SAM & CEIL: AT LAKE TAHOE

We all started for Lake Tahoe. We reached there about five o'clock in the evening. It was wonderful, said to be 16 miles in width to the Nevada shore and about 25 miles long. The water is very clear and is deeper than it seems. One must see the lake to appreciate it. Before getting to Lake Tahoe you must get to the summit of the Sierras 7100 feet, Lake Tahoe being 6225 feet. We also passed Donner Lake, worthwhile seeing.

SAM & CEIL: Helping out

Left Sacramento for Lake Tahoe about noon. The scenery for awhile was nothing but when we entered the Sierras, it was beautiful. Had quite a bit of climbing to do and therefore made poor time. Helped a man to get up a grade and so we stuck together. [In those days if anyone was stuck, every car would stop and offer help.] He paid for our night's camping at about four miles past Gold Run.

Sam & Ceil: a letter home

Awoke late and went down to Franklin Tire Company where we spent a great deal of time. Went to supper with the Malicksons. Mrs. Malikson allowed me to wash a few things in her home and to bathe. As the brakes needed relining we stayed in Sacramento overnight again.

Sacramento, Cal.

August 16, 1921

Dear Mother:

At last we have a chance to drop you a line. We tried to buy some postal cards along the line but could not get any.

We got into Sacramento last night. We have passed through some wonderful places so far. Both of us are feeling just fine and enjoying the trip very much.

We sleep very well in the car with plenty of covers and we are having good meals which Cel cooks on the gasoline stove. We get fruit and vegetables from the farmers along the road and get it pretty cheap too.

We expect to leave here Thursday morning and go to Yosemite National Park and from there to San Francisco and Los Angeles. From there we will pick some route East and expect to get home sometime around October 1st, so that we get there for the holidays.

No doubt you people think we are crazy for doing a thing like this, but if you lived out this way you would not think so because if there is one machine touring the country, there must be at least half a million. Every night we camp in a different camp and the camps are always filled. You see machines from every place in the country.

We are taking some pictures and as soon as we use up this roll and get the chance to develop it, we will send you copies.

We will do our best to drop you lines as we go. Lots of love and kisses to all

Sam & Cel