March 7, 1990 Orem, Utah
Dearest John; Roy, Patrice & Emily; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, LeeAnna & Jimmy:
It's Wednesday and we're back home from our California trip safe & sound. Actually, we got home Monday late afternoon and I had planned to write my letter yesterday but we had another plumbing problem and that took first priority. It seems like every time we go away something like that happens but in reality it had nothing to do with our trip. I peeled potatoes for a soup I was making and they got stuck in the disposal - Daddy tried to unplug it with the plunger and as he did, the connection broke and we had potato peelings and water all over the floor. John had come home to check in on us so he was here in all the mess - ugh!!! I am SO glad it didn't happen to him while we were gone - he would have felt like it was his fault. We have needed a new disposal for a long, long time and have just put it off - when Daddy took the old one off he couldn't believe how rusted out it was. We spent most of yesterday afternoon shopping for a new one and then Daddy put it in - we got the best one they had at Sears and it is so quiet compared to the old one we hardly know it is running.
We had a WONDERFUL trip and John did a great job in taking care of things at home and feeding the dogs, etc., etc. We left Monday morning, Feb. 26th, and spent the first night in Las Vegas. After we were settled in our motel, we called the Gonces and the first thing Dave said was, "Oh, we've got the flu here and Laura is really sick". We surely hadn't planned to stay with them but we were kinda' disappointed they didn't invite us out to see them or drive in to see us - we had opened up our home to Eric for a whole week!!! Daddy talked to Dave for a little while and then while I was talking to him, Laura came on the phone from her bedroom - I said, "I understand you have the flu bug" and she said, "Oh no, I'm just tired and went to bed early" - Ha!!! Dave says they are doing very well and when he winds up the six million dollar deal he is working on he plans to go back to Little Rock and settle up all his debts - we won't hold our breath until he comes to Utah!!! They are very disappointed in Eric and I'm sure a little embarrassed - he and his wife are in Springfield, Missouri expecting a baby soon and he hasn't graduated from High School yet. I should probably delete this all from my letter - please "read it with a grain of salt"!!!
The temple in Las Vegas is worth the whole trip - it is absolutely beautiful and in a perfect setting - we took some pictures and I hope they turn out. We wanted to go through it but it's kinda' hard to do that when you're traveling!!!
When we left Las Vegas we headed for Southern California and stayed in Chula Vista that night. The next morning we took a little subway train into Tijuana (sp.?) and that was great because we didn't have to worry about leaving our car at the border and having it broken into. After we crossed the border into Mexico we took at taxi (we REALLY did) that took us right into the main part of the town. I'm so glad we did that because we got to see so much more than we would have done otherwise - we couldn't believe their open markets with flies all over the food. I LOVED seeing everything.
Then we headed for San Diego - the only thing we didn't do that we should have done was to go by the home Aunt Julia used to own at Point Loma - we'll do that next time!!! We spent a lot of time in the Los Angeles area - went to Hollywood and through Beverly Hills and that was exciting - Daddy about went crazy driving up and down all those steep hills and then later that night we heard about the earthquake in that very area.
We spent Wednesday night at a State Park right next to the ocean and slept in our van - we walked up and down the beach and it was beautiful. The next day we went north and stopped at San Simeon and went through the Hearst Castle - if any of you ever have the opportunity to do that I hope you will. That was just unbelievable - we bought the book telling about it and will have to show it to you when you come. The castle was built in 1919 by William Randolph Hearst and vacated in 1947 when they tried to give it to the University of California and they refused it and after five times of trying to give it to the State of California they finally accepted it. Now they say it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. You have to take a bus to get to it and there are actually four different tours but you can just take one at a time - we took the one you should take if it is your first visit - the main castle has over 100 rooms in it and then there are three guest houses - we LOVED it.
Thursday night we also slept in our van right next to the ocean ªwe both sleep much better in our van than we do in a motel but we don't look as good the next day - Ha!!! We had so much fun traveling up the coast - we went right along the ocean. We stopped at markets on the way and bought fresh produce and you just wouldn't believe the "artichokes" - we passed through the artichoke capital of the world right when they were in season - they were huge and we brought four of them home and they're delicious. We also stopped to eat seafood and that was heavenly.
Friday we went to "Eureka" where we expected to find the man who built our home in Little Rock - Max Dino and his wife Evelyn - do any of you remember him? He has just begged Daddy to come and go deep sea fishing with him. WELL - when Daddy called him that night he found that he didn't live in "Eureka" but in "Yreka" and there was a good deal difference!!! "Yreka" was about two hundred miles further and wasn't near the ocean but up in the mountains. We still decided to go see the country because it was so beautiful, so Saturday morning we headed for Yreka. The Dinos were absolutely thrilled to see Daddy - especially Max. I think that is such a wonderful thing to form friendships with your builder that have lasted since 1965. Max left Little Rock about four years ago and moved to Sacramento to work with a building contractor there - in fact, four of their children moved with them. That contractor went out of business so Max moved to Yreka and has bought a 54 unit apartment complex that he is working on to improve. He came right to the gas station to meet us and took us to their apartment and we had such a good time visiting with them - they wanted us to stay with them and Max said he would "even" go to church with us the next morning if we would stay - they are not LDS but have many friends who are. He still begged Daddy to stay and go fishing with him but the weather was cold and rainy so we decided to go on - they made plans to go fishing in August.
We stayed in Elko, Nevada Sunday night. I would surely hate to live in that part of Nevada. We called another friend who lives in Reno and visited with her for awhile and that was fun - June & Dale Bohmont were our very good friends in Laramie many years ago. Dale was Head of the Agronomy Department and Daddy was Head of the Soils Department. Daddy had an opportunity to go with Olin and move to Phoenix and Dale had an opportunity to go with U.S. Steel and move to Salt Lake - I will never forget an evening we spent together trying to decide if we should leave the University. We decided to take the plunge but they stayed at the University of Wyoming. A few years later, Dale was offered the position of Head of the Agriculture Department at the University of Nevada at Reno and he accepted it and they moved there. They were only there a year or so when he fell in love with the Head of the Home Economics Department and divorced June and their lives have been anything but happy ever since - especially June. They had two sons who were friends of Ann & Jean while we lived in Laramie - one lives in Massachusetts and the other in Florida now. Why June stays in Reno is a mystery to us - she came to visit us while we were in Little Rock - maybe some of you remember her. She was on her way to a bridge luncheon when I called her - that is the most important thing in her life.
I know you're not interested in any of this but it is journal material so just skip over it.
Since we have been home, Daddy has finished his picnic table and benches, put in the new disposal and now he just came home with 16 redwood logs to finish landscaping our hill. We bought a redwood carved "owl" and some redwood "whirly gigs" in California and they look darling on our patio. We're already for a party!!
We have talked to Annie and they're doing fine - John is doing fine - we hope the rest of you are all fine too. Let's have a party on our patio for Easter - okay!!!
We love each one of you so very much - PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - let us know how we can help you.