Week 52 - Memorable - Conner/Us

This was a tough one - there are so many memorable moments in my mind from the past. The one I keep going back to is our honeymoon (after the fact) trip to Disneyland in California. We were married in July 1974, but as Dan had just transferred to Flint, Michigan with North Central Airlines in April he wasn't able to take any vacation time at that point. He was only able to get a couple extra days off that weekend. He had bid his vacation for October so that was the 'big trip' of the year.

We spent a lot of time planning our honeymoon trip to California. Back then we could get passes on other airlines, so he had set us up on United Airlines to Los Angeles. And with a few extra dollars, we had First Class from Chicago to LA. 

What a flight! Drinks were plentiful, the meal was stupendous. The Stewardess wheeled a cart down the aisle with a huge beef roast that was cut at our seat. Vegetables, potatoes, gravy, rolls and butter. I can see why we were dressed to the nines! Me in a dress, nylons and heels and Dan was in a three-piece suit. We were treated like royalty, and we felt like it.

After the service and we had settled down to relax a bit, the Captain came on to inform us that we were getting ready to cross the Grand Canyon and he was going to give us a tour of it.  After he promised us that the plane would NOT fall out of the sky because of tilting it, he tipped the wings to each side so the passengers could look directly into it. We had an 8mm Brownie movie camera that we were able to video the view. Then the film ran out, and we had to 'turn it over'. That was a mess - back then you had to be in a darkened area to handle the film or there would be areas of the film that would be ruined. 

Arriving in Los Angeles, we took a shuttle to the Fantasy Motel - a small two-story facility that was located directly across the road from the entrance to Disneyland. 

Fantasy Motel in Anaheim, California 1974

The next day we purchased our admissions to Disney at the gates, and they gave us coupon booklets for access to the different attractions. Walking through the entrance to the theme park you entered by going through the gates of Cinderella's Castle. And as you entered, you were suddenly 10 years old and ready to see and do everything that were within those walls. And we did. There wasn't a corner that wasn't seen, touched, enjoyed and absorbed.


Disneyland October 1974

After five days of Disneyland, Universal Studios and Knott's Berry Farm we boarded our return red-eye flight. I immediately fell asleep, but Dan wandered upstairs to the lounge on the Boeing 747. He met another guy up there who was shuffling a deck of cards. That night Dan learned how to play Cribbage. They sat up through the whole flight, drinking and laughing. 

When we landed in Chicago, Dan fell asleep on a set of seats while waiting for our connection. When we finally arrived back at the airport in Flint, Michigan the car wouldn't start. 

Dead battery. And we were dead tired. 

We can look back on that now and laugh, but at the time it was stressful and not a fun return home. But it sure made for a memorable trip.

Barbie



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