1962 Seattle World's Fair & West US - Week 1

The great trip west of 1962 began a few days after all the excitement of CJ and Gladys Uible's Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration.  The rough itinerary and highlights of the first week included the stops listed below.  Week One included visiting Aunt Luna [Luna Hiestand Mitchell 1874-1970, sister of Gladys Hiestand Uible], three state capitols, Rocky Mountains, and Salt Lake.  Rough mileage for the week was 1970 miles.

Roberta & Catherine on Pike's Peak enroute to Seattle World's Fair.  June, 1962

The trip was made in a (Ford?) station wagon, staying mostly in motels – this was when Motel 6 actually cost $6, though they were few and far between, there were plenty of motels of that ilk where a double room plus two sleeping bags enabled us to fit in one room.  There was a luggage carrier on top of the car.  Toward the end of the trip we stayed at a Holiday Inn - which seemed like a deluxe place.  According to the Wikipedia Holiday Inn history, the chain was started in 1952, began franchising in 1957, and had 100 hotels in 1959.

El Charro Motel, Hays KS. c1960.  Postcard mailed 1962

Caption: EL CHARRO MOTEL U.S. 40 Hays, Kansas ph: MA 4-3423

21 units, W/W carpets, T.V.'s, Room Phones, Air Conditioned, Tub and Showers, Heated Pool, cribs available.  Photo by Jack O. Ekey.

1962 Hays KS Postcard from HH to M/M CJ Uible - June 22

Thurs. Eve. [6/22/62]
Had nice visit with Aunt Luna & Roberta [Luna's daughter].  She seemed quite good but stays close at home been up town twice this year.  Had lunch in Topeka, saw the Capitol Bldg.  Kansas looks quite green & tomorrow night Denver.

*****
Breakfast was the usual Uible fare – grocery markdowns purchased the night before, cereal, and fruit.  McDonalds were beginning to show up around the country and we enjoyed watching the food be cooked and seeing the sign of how many hamburgers had been sold.  Picnics were also common, and boxes of frozen vegetables would be wrapped in foil and heated on the grill.

1962 postcard Fort Hays Motel - 527 E. 8, ST.  Hays, Kansas

Steamboat Motel in Steamboat Springs, CO 1962 enroute to Seattle World's Fair

June 20 Wednesday - Columbia MO - 520 miles - visited Aunt Luna and her daughter, Roberta.
June 21 Thursday - Hays KS - 391 miles - postcard to M/M CJ Uible, lunch & visit to state capitol in Topeka
June 22 Friday - Denver CO - 340 miles - visited state capitol - another visiting tourist asked if Catherine was John's mother.
June 23 Saturday - Pike's Peak - 98 miles - we made crayon signs saying "Pike's Peak or Bust."
June 24 Sunday - Steamboat Springs - 217 miles - loved the swimming in a big municipal pool.
June 25 Monday - Moffat CO - 162 miles - Dinosaur National Monument - Catherine lost Dad's pen while using it in the car and had to stay in the car to find it.  Ten minutes later Dad returned to the car to say he found it in his "other" pocket.
June 26 Tuesday - Salt Lake City UT - 242 miles - another unique swimming experience in the Salt Lake, visited state capitol