Chester Chatter: Vacationing in the car with kids

By Ruthie Douglas
©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC

When planning our two-week summer vacation, we would do so around some historic place. Don liked big cars, such as a Chrysler New Yorker.

It took us — me and the two girls — a couple of days to pack and get ready to go. The back seat held pillows, blankets, crayons, coloring books, board games and plenty of snacks. It could easily be turned into a bedroom as needed.

Those were the days before seat belts and air conditioning. The car’s huge trunk was also full with suitcases.

We spent time traveling the Skyline Drive and onto Colonial Williamsburg, Gettysburg, Mount Vernon and several days in Washington, D.C. When we stopped to eat, we tried our best to eat grits, southern style fried chicken and boiled peanuts.

We drove through the countryside and visited plantations. Yet another vacation took us on the Bluenose Ferry from Ellsworth, Maine, to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

We stopped at Peggy’s Cove, where the survivors from the Titanic had ended up. We traveled over the Cabot Trail to a lobster festival that included Scottish bagpipes.

Years later, when I ask Jeanie what she remembers about our trips, she really doesn’t know because from the back seat of that big car, all she had seen were tree tops and roofs.

I then realized we could have easier checked into a local Howard Johnson, used the pool, watched TV and ordered room service.

Scene and heard

Sixty years ago, The Flintstones cartoon premiered on television.

More U.S. presidents were born in October than in any other month: John Adams, Rutherford Hayes, Chester Arthur, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter.

A fond farewell to my roommate at Springfield Health and Rehab, Anita Wilbur, who died recently. Sometimes at 2 in the morning, we would crank up the country western tunes and sing.  I am so glad to have known her.

Dolly Moore also died recently. She lived for more than 70 years in Chester. From her post at the Country Girl Diner, everyone knew her and enjoyed her laughter.

October is the month of the blue moon, one of which will be on Halloween night. It will be the last time that will happen until 2039.