CHAPTER 10 - MAZATLAN VACATION TRIPS In 1971 Kandy and husband Rod were living in Berwyn, Illinois, just outside Chicago, with Rod attending Loyola University working for his DDS degree. DeVonne and I were invited to go back to visit them. In addition, Reggie was due to receive his PhD degree in English Literature at the University of Washington in Seattle in June of the same year. DeVonne has never been too crazy about our long trips via the car, especially when I would drive the complete distance without stopping over night in a motel. This time I promised her I would limit the miles per day to about 400 as best as possible and that we would stay in first class motels all the way. In addition, to make her trip more pleasant I purchased several little gifts so that each night before she went to bed she would find one on her pillow. I was able to keep the idea a secret until we started the trip and it became a part of the bribe to get her to enjoy the trip. We timed our trip to Chicago and then back to Seattle to make the graduation exercises. At the time we had a 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix that was in good condition. We left home on 27 May 1971 and drove to Flagstaff, Arizona for the first day. DeVonne rated all the motels we stayed in on our trip and we spent the first night in a Travelodge that she rated 3 star. The next day we traveled north, via US 164 through Tuba City and into Hopi Indian Reservation country. We turned off at Teec Nos Pos to reach Four Corners where the Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico borders join at one point. From there we drove on through Cortez, Colorado and on to Mesa Verde National Park. We spent some time in the museum and then visited some cliff dwellings located in the park. From the park we drove through Durango to Pagosa Springs where we stayed at the San Juan Motel for the night. DeVonne gave it a 2 star rating. The third day we crossed the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Pass, elevation 10,860 feet. Finally reached Walsenberg, Colorado and headed north on Interstate 25 for Denver. We drove through Pueblo and Colorado Springs to the Air Force Academy which comprises 18,000 acres. We visited the famous Chapel. The main floor contains the large Protestant, or non-sectarian, chapel. Downstairs is the Catholic and Jewish worship areas. Drove past the Eisenhower golf course and exited the North Gate to Interstate 25 again. We drove on through Denver to Fort Morgan and spent the night in a Best Western Motel, rated 4 star. Next day we drove along the South Fork of the Platte River passed Sterling, Colorado (across the river) where my Uncle Arthur and family had made their home for many years. On to North Platte, Nebraska where the North and South Forks come together. It was Sunday and we expected to make Lincoln, Nebraska in time for Sacrament Meeting. The speed limit in the open spaces in Nebraska was 100 miles per hour. At Lincoln we found out that dedicatory services were to be held the next day for a new Visitors Center in Independence, Missouri with Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith to be there. We decided to go to the services. The fifth day we drove to Omaha and arrived at DeVonne's Uncle Bob's home about 9:00 AM. He was expecting us, but not so early. We told him of our intent to see the Visitors Center dedicated so he and his wife hurried and took us in their car to see the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery of the Winter of 1846-47. Then we saw the bluffs where the pioneer saints dug caves to protect themselves from the cold and wet. A new bridge named "Mormon Bridge" crosses the Missouri River at the spot the saints crossed on the ice when they were forced westward. Bob and Birdin (second wife - his first wife, Ellen, who died, was DeVonne's aunt.) took us to lunch at the Royal Executive Inn Restaurant where we could visit for about an hour and then we were on the road again. We crossed the Missouri River into Council Bluffs, Iowa and headed south toward Kansas City. From Kansas City we drove east to Independence. We drove past the Truman Library but lacked time to stop. We arrived at the Visitors Center at 5:00 PM and already the crowd was beginning to gather. We found a Howard Johnson Inn about 5 miles away and got a room and then returned to the Center. It was a hot sticky afternoon with threat of thunder showers to the west moving our way. Between 4 and 5 thousand people had gathered for the event, which was held outdoors on the lawn in front of the building. Spencer W. Kimball, acting President of the Council of Twelve, conducted the meeting. The opening prayer was offered by Elder Mark E. Petersen of the Council of Twelve (who ordained me a Bishop in 1956). He entreated the Lord to stay the elements (rain) until the program was over. Joseph Fielding Smith, President and Prophet of the Church, addressed the gathering and in the middle of his speech a great bolt of lightning struck close by, lighting up the sky and was accompanied by instantaneous thunder. The Prophet stopped and said: "I didn't know I was going to have to fight the Devil too." After the program was over, DeVonne and I headed for our car that was about 200 yards away. We no sooner got into the car and started the engine when the heavens turned loose. Rain came down in buckets and within a few minutes most the people were drenched and running for any shelter at all. The Howard Johnson Motel in Independence was probably the most luxurious motel we enjoyed on the entire trip. DeVonne gave it five stars. The following day we returned to the Visitors Center and the patron gave us a private tour of the building just ahead of the first group of tourists. Then we drove north about 20 miles to Liberty Jail in Liberty, Missouri, where the Prophet Joseph Smith was incarcerated for 4 months during the bitter winter of 1838-39, with his brother, Hyrum, and others. From Liberty we backtracked to Independence and caught Interstate 70 east to St. Louis. Missouri is a beautiful state, with green rolling hills, farm land, and with many trees. I would have liked to have spent more time in the state, particularly to have visited the Lake of the Ozarks area. We drove into St. Louis right up to the Gateway Arch. The Arch is 630 feet high with an equilateral triangular cross-section. Within the legs is a special capsule transporter that takes visitors to the top of the arch. At the top there is an observation room with windows on each side to provide direct views east and west. We could see Busch Stadium, Home of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Old Courthouse, and the Old Cathedral and Museum that is the oldest church in St. Louis. On the east side we could see river boats on the levee, including the Robert E. Lee, Huck Finn, Becky Thatcher and Showboat. Down from the Arch we drove back along the river and finally got on US 61 to go north to Hannibal, Missouri. Stayed at a Holiday Inn south of town, rated 4 stars. The next day (7th) we drove into Hannibal, past Mark Twain's boyhood home and to the foot of Cardiff Hill where DeVonne took my picture with the statue of the immortal Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. We drove south for about 2 miles to the Mark Twain Cave, where Injun Joe died and where Tom and Becky were lost. Our guide was a young college boy who had his spiel down pat and made the tour, which lasted about a half hour, very interesting. From Hannibal we drove north to Keokuk, Iowa and crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois, then east about 12 miles to Carthage, where the Prophet Joseph Smith was murdered. The Church has restored the jail house where the murder occurred. There are life size figures of Joseph, Hyrum and John Taylor in the upper room. The figure of Willard Richards was being reworked at the time of our visit and the guide allowed me to step into the roped off section of the room where I stood beside the prophet while DeVonne got the picture of the four of us with me filling in for Willard Richards. From Carthage we drove to Nauvoo, Illinois, which, today, is a sleepy little town tucked away in an obscure nook in western Illinois on the bank of the Mississippi River. To the Mormons is has a spiritual and historical significance. The swamp lands that were purchased by Joseph Smith in 1839 were drained and homes, shops, schools, a newspaper and the magnificent temple were built. Soon the city blossomed into a prosperous community of about 12,000 people. It was the largest in Illinois at the time. Farms and orchards sprang up and compliment its name, "Nauvoo the Beautiful." Nauvoo was visited by Col. Thomas L. Kane, a US Army Officer, who recorded the following in 1846 of his impressions of the frontier city: "Ascending the upper Mississippi in the autumn, when the waters were low, I was compelled to travel by land past the region of the Rapids . . . My eye wearied to see everywhere sordid, vagabond and idle settlers, a country marred without being improved, by their careless hands. I was descending the last hillside upon my journey when a landscape in delightful contrast broke upon my view. Half encircled by a bend in the river, a beautiful city lay glittering in the fresh morning sun; its bright, new dwellings, set in cool green gardens, ranging up around a stately dome-shaped hill, which was covered by a noble edifice, whose high tapering spire was radiant with white and gold. The city appeared to cover several miles; and beyond it, in the background, there rolled off a fair country, chequered by the careful lines of fruitful industry, enterprise and educated wealth everywhere, made the scene one of singular and most striking beauty." We visited the Information Center and viewed the film depicting the historical period of the days of Nauvoo. Outside we stood beside the temple site. When the Saints abandoned the city in 1846 they placed two custodians in care of the temple to preserve it from vandals. On 9 October 1849, an unidentified incendiary set fire to the temple. Nothing remained except the stone walls. On 27 May 1850 a cyclone blew down the north wall which so weakened the remaining structure that it was razed. The site then became a quarry for cut and polished stone. Many present day structures in and around the area were constructed from the temple stones. Leaving Nauvoo we drove north, crossing the Mississippi River again at Fort Madison, Iowa. North on US 61 we passed Burlington, crossing the Iowa River at Wapello and on to Muscatine, Iowa. Here we recrossed the Mississippi River again into Illinois and followed State Highway 92 into Moline. We drove on through Princeton to Peru. Just before we reached Joliet we turned north on US 66 and cruised into the suburbs of Chicago, arriving at Berwyn, Illinois and our daughter's home about 6:00 PM. Kandy and Rod gave us their bed and they slept with Rodzy and Jason in their bunk beds. Although their apartment didn't compare with the plush motels we had been staying in, being with our children and grandchildren - and the price was right - made it 5 star plus. The 8th & 9th day of our trip we stayed at Kandy's. We took Rodzy into Chicago with us and went to the 96th floor of the John Hancock building. At that level we were 1030 feet above ground. It is a 100 storied building and the world's tallest all-electric office, commercial and residential building with the main structure 1107 feet high. Twin 349-foot antennas give the building a total height of 1456 feet - more that a quarter of a mile. Fifty elevators and five escalators can carry about 12,000 passengers a day. The 3 observatory elevators are the world's fastest, traveling 1800 feet a minute. We also saw the Water Tower that is a historic landmark of Chicago going back to the night when Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over the lantern and burned down Chicago. On the 10th day we took our leave of the Zierenberg family and headed north for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We passed by nearby Waukegan (Jack Benny's hometown). From Milwaukee we travelled west through Oconomowoc (what a name) toward Madison (Capitol) and skirted it going northwest on the east side of town, crossed the Wisconsin River near Baraboo. On to Wyeville, Black River Falls, where we crossed the Black River, to Osseo and into Eau Claire (Clear Water). Wisconsin is a beautiful state. As DeVonne put it: "It looks like one great big golf course." The state must outlaw billboards as we saw none in crossing the state. The 94 Freeway took us through the heart of St. Paul and Minneapolis. There we turned south on Interstate 35 and stopped in Faribault, Minnesota for the night. Stayed at the Galaxie Motel which rated a 4. The following day was Sunday and we attended Fast and Testimony Meeting at Church at the Faribault Branch. They had about 80 members and met in an old school house. We left after the meetings and headed south on Interstate 35 to Albert Lea and then turned west and headed for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, skirting just a few miles north of the Iowa border. We travelled due west to Worthington, Minnesota where we picked up Interstate 90 West into Sioux Falls. Stayed at the Ramada Inn which rated a 5. Back on Interstate 90 on our 12th day we headed west again. Near Chamberlain we spotted a hugh replica of a buffalo, next to the highway, so we pulled up and I got a picture of DeVonne standing next to it. We crossed the Missouri River for the last time and continued west until we turned off to drive through the Bad Lands of South Dakota. Back on Interstate 90 again we soon reached Rapid City, South Dakota. We had made reservations from the Ramada Inn in Sioux Falls and stayed in the Rapid City one that night. It only rated 4 stars, however. That evening we drove the 22 miles out to Mt. Rushmore and attended a twenty minute documentary film that told the story of Mt. Rushmore, narrated by Lowell Thomas and put on by the Park Rangers. The next morning we drove back out to Mt. Rushmore and took some pictures that turned out quite well. Leaving Mt. Rushmore we drove west and then south past Crazy Horse Monument to Custer, South Dakota. Here we picked up US highway 16 west toward Wyoming. A few miles west of Custer is a small roadside area called "Flintstone" after the comics. They have several buildings after the order of the stone ones in the comics. You can purchase Brontoburgers & Dynoburgers, etc. The main attraction is a hugh replica of "Dino" sitting on top of a small hill. I climbed up and stood beside him, reaching up to hold his paw, while DeVonne got the picture. From here we continued west to New Castle and were in "Big Wonderful Wyoming." Drove through Moorcroft, on to Gillette and Buffalo, swung north to Sheridan and crossed the border into Montana. Custer Battlefield National Monument was next. A small museum, adjacent to the cemetery, has many interesting artifacts. The monument was a disappointment to me. I expected more. The National Cemetery is well kept and any soldier from the US Wars may be buried there. We pushed on through Billings and into Bozeman and spent the night in the Holiday Inn, rated 4. Montana is the "Big Sky Country" and has always been beautiful every time we've been there. Bozeman is the home of Montana State University. On day 14 we continued west on Interstate 90 to the turnoff for Three Forks for the Missouri River Headwaters State Park. The Madison, Jefferson and Gallatin Rivers join at this point and form the beginning of the Mighty Mo. A nice little park and a hillrise with a small roofed-over open building provide a good vantage point to view the three rivers. There is also a campsite and a stone marker to tell the story. Back on Interstate 90 we traveled the Lewis and Clark Trail, off and on, as we continued west. We recrossed the Continental Divide just before reaching Butte, Montana. From the highway we could see Butte, which was seen on the right hand. Nearly ever building we could see looked 100 years old or more. My Dad worked in Butte around the turn of the Century, between 1900-1910. Further on we could see the "Big Stack" of the Washoe Smelter at Anaconda. The smoke stack can be seen for miles. It is 585 feet high with walls five feet thick. On through Deer Lodge and Drummond to Missoula, following the Clark Fork River. The country is very beautiful in western Montana throughout the Rocky Mountain area. Still on Interstate 90 we passed through Superior and into Mullan, Idaho where we crossed the time zone and were back on Pacific Daylight Time again. Drove on to Kellogg and into Coeur d' Alene. The road follows the edge of the Coeur d' Alene Lake for several miles approaching town. There are beautiful sites for camping or cabin locations. Drove on into Washington State to Spokane and stayed at a Best Western recommended by Holiday Inn as it had no vacancies. Rated 3 stars. The 15th day we had intermittent rain from Spokane to Seattle, traveling through Moses Lake and crossing the Columbia River near Vantage and on into Ellensburg. Continuing northwest we entered King National Forest of the left and Snoqualmie National Forest on the right. This is a spectacular area. Green mountains covered with forests, rain coming down, and more snow on the ground than we had seen anywhere else on the trip. There were many ski lifts going up into the slopes that could be seen as we drove along. On into Bellevue and across Mercer Island into Seattle, we arrived about 1:00 PM and found Reggie and Liz's apartment with little effort, and a note giving us directions to the motel where Reggie had made reservations for us. Both Reggie and Liz were at work but were due home by 5:00 PM. We were invited to their place for dinner. We stayed in a rather old Travelodge but it was in a convenient location and we rated it 3. The following day Reggie took off from work and escorted DeVonne and me on a tour of the University of Washington Campus. He took us into the Suzzallo Library where he literally lived most of the three years in study and preparation for his Doctorate. Reggie also stopped at the Printing and Publishing building to pick up a copy of his Dissertation for his Doctorate Degree for me. The title was: "Rochester's Satire." That evening Liz and Reggie took us to St. Mark's Cathedral (Episcopal) where Liz played the organ for us. It was a huge pipe organ, built by D. A. Flentrop of Zaanden, Holland. Not quite as large as the Salt Lake Tabernacle Organ, but both Reggie and Liz acclaimed it had a better tone quality. Liz is an accomplished organist and she played several Bach favorites for us and performed for nearly an hour and was very impressive. Day 17, Saturday 12 June 1971 was the graduation exercises at the University of Washington and Reggie would receive his Doctor of Philosophy degree in English Literature. The exercises were brief and to the point, which everyone appreciated. Chester R. (Chet) Huntley (of Huntley & Brinkley) was honored as an outstanding alumnus of the University by the Alumni Association and presented with a large plaque. He responded with a few words of gratitude in a very appropriate vein. President of the University, Charles E. Odegaard, gave the commencement address which was excellent. Degrees were conferred, starting with the lesser degrees first that were done en masse. Finally, for the PhD degrees, I found my way down to the main level and positioned myself to get a photograph of Reggie as he approached the platform and the President. For the PhD degrees, each candidate approached a point to the right or left of the speaker's platform. Then Reggie's name was called out and he alone approached the President and received his degree and handshake from the President and returned to his seat. I got my picture of Reggie as he walked in an unhurried, dignified pace, seemingly appreciating these few moments climaxing his many years of study and preparation. Outside the pavilion we finally got with Reggie again and upon our congratulations of a rather informal address, he immediately called our attention to his new title: "Dr. Clarke." All in good spirits and we, perhaps, were the first to address him as "Doctor." To celebrate Reggie's confirmation of his PhD we took them to dinner at the Golden Tides Restaurant on Ballard's Shilshole Bay at 6017 Seaview Avenue, N. W., Seattle on Puget Sound. From our table we enjoyed a good view of the little bay and its approach to the Government locks of the Lake Washington ship canal. We watched sailboats, tugs, motor boats and a freighter pass by, along with swimmers, seagulls, ducks, etc. Our dinner was excellent. Reggie and I had steaks while DeVonne enjoyed shrimp and Liz decided to forgo steak and lobster, and had only a fish dinner. At approximately four and a half months pregnant, I don't believe her appetite was as good as she had hoped for. The 18th day we headed south on Interstate 5, passing through Tacoma and Olympia. The Washington scenery was beautiful all the way south to the Oregon border. Near Longview, Washington, we picked up the Columbia River on our right hand and crossed the Lewis River near Woodland. Crossing the Columbia River and into Portland, Oregon, we missed the Rose Festival by one day. Crossing the Willamette River in the heart of Portland, we continued south on Interstate 5 through Salem, Eugene, Roseburg and into Medford, Oregon. We stayed at the Royal Crest Motel which we rated 4 stars. Went to Sacrament Meeting at 6:30 PM. As we walked into the chapel a woman tapped me on the arm and said: "I know you." I looked and didn't recognize her but she went on: "You're Bishop Clarke." I said "Yes" and she said: "You can't sneak in here without being noticed. I'm Sister Lundgren." She (Vauna) and her husband were members of our ward when I was Bishop. Her husband was currently in the Bishopric in the Medford Ward. Next day we continued south on Interstate 5 through Ashland and into the beautiful country of the Rogue River National Forest. Mountains are green. Crossed the California border near Hilt, California. Continued south through Hornbrook, crossing the Klamath River, and into Yreka which is the headquarters of the Klamath National Forest. From about Yreka south we began to see Mt. Shasta that is covered with snow and presents a magnificent sight in the bright sunlight. Rising to a height of 14,162 feet, it towers above the city of the same name. The mountain, once a volcano, now has 5 perpetual glaciers on its slopes and is one of California's loveliest peaks. Through the little town of Shasta with the peak on our left we drove through Dunsmuir on through the Shasta Lake Area, crossing various fingers of the lake along the way. From Redding to Red Bluff, crossing and paralleling the Sacramento River where we took the old state highway 99 south easterly to Chico, and turned off to Paradise, California. My old friend Eugene Teeple and his wife lived in Paradise after he retired from the Architects and Engineers Office at UCLA. After a visit of about an hour we left the Teeple's and headed back toward Chico and then cut through the back roads and crossed the Sacramento River again to reach Interstate 5 near Willows. About 50 miles out from Teeple's, DeVonne discovered she had left her purse at their home. We decided we had come too far and would call them from my sister Bette's that night. When we phoned we learned that a couple of women who were visiting the Teeples lived in Mission Hills, only a few miles from our home in Panorama City, and they would bring the purse home to us, which they did. The rest of the trip into the Bay area was uneventful. We reached Vacaville and followed Interstate 80 into Vallejo, over the Carquinez Bridge (no toll), passed Berkeley with the Campanile on our left and over the Oakland-Bay Bridge into the City by the Golden Gate. As often as I have driven into San Francisco it seems no matter from which direction we come, I get a certain feeling of excitement and nostalgia - probably from former days at Stanford, and some weekends of entertainment or swimming races in the City. We usually spend our time quietly at Bette's and are in and out of the City only once or twice each stay. We may go to good restaurant or two, but otherwise we avoid the gaiety, sparkle and night life for which the town is famous. Still it is always a good feeling for me to be in San Francisco. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge we drove out to Bette's in Belvedere-Tiburon, arriving in the early afternoon. Bette and her companion, Betty Oxley, were both at work so we brought our things in from the car and waited for them. They arrived around 6:00 PM and as they are late eaters we finally ate about 9:00 PM. The next two days the Bettes still had to work so we rested up, did a bit of shopping, got the car washed, etc. On the 22nd day (last day of our trip) we were up early to make our goodbyes and be on our way home. Back on US 101, we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco, down Lombard Street, turned right on Gough Street and passed a new Mormon Church and a beautiful Catholic Cathedral (St. Mary's) Bette had mentioned for us to watch for. Crossed the Oakland-Bay Bridge and took Interstate 580 south past the Oakland Mormon Temple and then east back to Interstate 5 again. Five was only completed down to Los Banos where we turned off and drove east to State Highway 99. South through Fresno and Bakersfield, over the Ridge Route and passing the newly completed "Magic Mountain" in Valencia. On the home side of Newhall, where Interstate 5 and State Highway 14 come together, we passed by, over and around the damaged freeway construction caused by the February 9th Earthquake, which was still in much evidence to see and gives the stranger to the area an insight of the extent of damage caused by the quake. Arrived home about 5:00 PM and found everything in order. The dogs, Bruno and Toby, were glad to see us. Chester Lowe, the neighbor boy across the street, had fed them and given them a little attention each day, as well as watering the lawns occasionally. We put 6870 miles on the car for the total trip and found driving quite pleasant due to good roads throughout the States, and not extending ourselves too much in any one day. We learned that the USA is a beautiful country. We have a land to be extremely proud of. There is room and plenty for all, as the Lord has said, and we have no need to fear any population explosion - we only need to make more efficient and diversified use of the bounties He has given us. For members of the Church, at least, the Church historical areas throughout the nation are well worth seeing. There is much to be seen and appreciated in every state in the nation, and I doubt if one could see it all in a lifetime. Maybe, if I ever see it all, I will become more interested in other parts of the world. (NOTE: The above vacation trip was written up in greater detail in another treatise and is available to whoever might be interested.)