The Trip: 1964
New York World's Fair
June 20, 1964 - July 11, 1964

June 20, 1964 Saturday
After a flurry of last minute things, we left at 8:30 -- well breakfasted and in rare good humor.

Before we were off our own Loop 410 in San Antonio, we had the air conditioner going and Bill was talking safety and be kind to each other.

The day is beautiful; the weather is most cooperative. The car, April to June old, functioned very well all day. I must admit (and here in black and white I am documenting the fact) that the air conditioning in the car is really pretty nice. We enjoyed our day muchly.

We lunched in a beautiful road side park among tall pine trees. Got to Norman's at Bill's predicted time of four o'clock.

After greeting and yaking a bit, we took a tour of LeTourneau College. We have met our newest nephew, Dave. He's 18 months old (birthday is Dec. 14). He's a darling.

June 21, 1964 Sunday
Up about seven. Breakfasted and off by 8:30. It was fun being with the Brookses. Ray and Ann are real nice children.

During the morning of Silver Chief, Dog of the North we slipped into Louisiana. We're heading almost due east today. Shreveport was a rough town to get through -- even on a Sunday (it was slow driving, that is). Crossed the Red River and kept going. We went all the way across Alabama today and crossed the big ole Mississippi on a toll bridge for 50 cents. I really wanted to go back and forth across 25 times and buy a commuters book for $2.50 because it was such a bargain.

This was pretty much a move-on-down-the road sort of thing today. We drove through beautiful country, but the roads were rather narrow, undulating, and busy.

We finished Silver Chief and started Sea Pup. the kids liked O'Brien a lot.

It was pretty late when we got to Tuscaloosa and settled on the Shangi-La Motel. It was 8 before we were eating at Morrison's Cafeteria.

We came "home", swam, watched a little TV, and slept like babes.

Bill's and my bed had a vibrator in it (15 minutes for $.25). Of course, I had to give it a try, but it wasn't much. In fact, I was glad when it quit so I could go to sleep!

June 22, 1964 Monday
Off at our usual blazing start -- 7:40. Today we found out that you just don't make good time unless you are on expressways -- Interstate Highways. We would have them for only 30-35 miles at a stretch; then we'd be back on two lane roads -- pretty, but not fast.

All day today we enjoyed the prettiest scenery you could ask for.

This morning, going through Birmingham, we enjoyed the statues of Vulcan and Liberty -- Vulcan on the side of a hill and Liberty (a small replica of New York's) on an insurance building. her torch was burning.

We ate supper in Greenville (Morrison'e Cafeteria again), South Carolina; then we journeyed on to Spartenburg to sleep. Bill and the kids swam (I washed clothes), and we were asleep in a shake. Very nice motel.

June 23, 1964 Tuesday
Today was the best (or worst) stop yet. We didn't leave until 8:50, but we had breakfast in the motel so it wasn't such a poor start after all.

Immediately after starting, we stopped for some fresh peaches -- boy, they have been delicious so far!

This batch wasn't quite so good -- jaded tastes, I guess.

About noon we arrived at Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and went out to the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and went through their cigarette factory. It was most interesting. We saw them making Garry Moore's Winstons and Camels. Such automation is almost frightening. We couldn't find a park in Winston-Salem; so we ended up eating our sandwiches just on the road as we drove along. It was rather fun for a change and much cooler with the air conditioner going.

It has been quite warm going through the south, and the air conditioner has certainly helped. Tonight we had supper at a S&W Cafeteria (Morrison's Cafeterias have been our hosts on the two previous nights). Then we stayed at Snow White Motel. We swam and went to bed.

June 24, 1964 Wednesday
Up and away by 7:30 in order to get to restored Colonial Williamsburg as soon as possible. What an interesting spot this was! We took the tour of all eight places (many are free, you pay for eight); the storage and powder room, Raleigh Tavern, the Capitol Building, the Goal, the Governor's Palace, Berush and Waythe Houses. They were all good, and the old town itself was fun to walk around. Bob liked shooting the canon at the powder storage.

The movie about Williamsburg was excellent.

At Richmond we had hoped to visit the Civil War Museum, and we did, but we had a bare ten minutes there, and we could have used a couple of hours at least. It had animated scenes of Civil War happenings.

We had hoped to be in Arlington, Va. for supper with Paula and Mayo, but we just didn't make it. It was almost nine. Tonight, too, was a total eclipse of the moon; but we didn't see it.

After we got to Paula's, she and Mayo took us over to Washington, D.C. (about fifteen minutes across the Potomac) and gave us our first view of the Capital. All the beautiful monuments, buildings, and pretties of Washington. it was quite an impressive first glimpse.

And so to bed.

June 25, 1964 Thursday
Today we had a fine, big breakfast with Paula and drove over to Washington, D.C.

We put our car in an all day parking lot and started touring this beautiful city.

We went first to the Capital and took a Capital tour. It gave us a good introduction to the building. then we rode the subway to the Senate offices, went to sen. Ralph Yarborough's office, and got passes to the House and Senate galleries.

We next visited the Supreme Court building and took a tour of it and ate in the Supreme Court cafeteria.

Then we went back and sat in both the House and Senate for a while and listened. Oh, yes, we met, shook hands with, and chatted a moment with Yarborough. Then we toured the FBI building, watched a shooting demonstration, learned about fingerprints, serology, famous FBI cases, and the 10 most wanted fugitives. We lost Bob in the building while we were on tour, but before I could panic, a nice FBI agent said, I bet I know where he is. And, sure enough, he found him in the tour behind ours -- still in the part where the shooting was going on. He (Bob) had been so fascinated with that that he hadn't noticed when our tour left. For the rest of the day, though, Bob could hardly hear.

Next we visited the US Archives and saw our Declaration of independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, along with many interesting Civil War documents. Then we came back to Paula's and had a wonderful supper of fried chicken.

Later Mayo drove us to the Lincoln Memorial to see that my floodlights. it was the most impressive sight of all. The 58 steps up and back made the number of steps we have climbed and descended today a rather monumental figure.

We were all ready for bed.

June 26, 1964 Friday
Up and around on the double today so that we could get to the White House and the Congressional tour that Paula arranged for us. It was great; impressive and delightful, and, as a little something extra in the formal reception room, we saw the younger of the president's daughters come through and go to the car.

From the White House, we went to separate things -- bill and Paula went to the National Art Gallery, and the children and I went to the Museum of Natural history. We met in an hour and went to lunch together. Then Paula went home, and we walked (quite a distance) to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving and saw the printing of five and ten dollar bills. We also saw a five hundred million dollar Federal reserve Note. From there we went back to the Smithsonian -- History and Transportation first; then back to the very fascinating Natural History Museum for a couple more hours.

After that we bussed to the garage where the car was parked and drove to the Jefferson Monument and Arlington Cemetery. We saw the changing of the guards and Kennedy's grave.

We were quite pooped when we returned to Paula's delightfully cool apartment and delicious supper.

June 27, 1964 Saturday
Today we took things a little easier -- and we needed to! We slept as long as we could; then we lolled through a leisurely breakfast. I cleaned the car and organized our clothes for the washer and the week in New York. Today we simply have to wash.

however, we went out this morning to Mt. Vernon -- George Washington's home. Mayo and Paula drove us out to the area and we saw it all. After that we went to wash clothes. The children went with us, and while we were washing (or rather, while the clothes were), we went over and ate at a drive in.

This afternoon after we washed, we brought home the clothes and packed them, then we watched TV on Wide World of Sports to see Fred Hanson pole vault at the AAU Track and Field championships. Bill hopes to see Freddy in New York at the Olympic semi-finals. Fred did make the six finalists; so Bill will see him in New york.

Tonight we ate and went over to see the Washington Monument by night -- a fitting climax, or at least ending, of our tour of Washington, D.C.

June 28, 1964 Sunday
Up and away from Arlington by eight. We had planned to drive straight to our hotel in New York, but Bill got out the maps and started figuring and decided we should stop in Philadelphia on our way in and see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell rather than when we leave. This we did.

We also ate in a good Howard Johnson's on the way in to New York.

Despite all this, we were in our hotel, unpacked, with the car stored by 4:30; so we just hopped the subway (our first subway ride) and went to The New York World's Fair.

Our first subway ride also let us be introduced to our first New York "character". This was a man, dressed in a business suite, in the subway station who was pacing the walk and talking to the soon-to-be-there train. "come on, you", he kept saying, "You just better hurry up and come!". The children were fascinated and kept trying to get me to look at him -- I kept trying to ignore him and get the children to do the same. As we were the only ones at this particular stop, it was hard to ignore him.

The fair was wonderful. We stayed until midnight and saw much of the commercial section. We liked Travelers Insurance, G.E., and IBM best of what we saw this first day. The kids enjoyed the flame log ride.

June 29, 1964 Monday
This morning we slept rather late and then ate breakfast in a Reifert's. We went to NBC and saw Hugh Downs do his July 1 Concentration Program. Then we saw the Aug. 3 program of Jeopardy.

After that, we toured the NBC building and the UN building.

We ate steak at Tads and then we walked to my interview for Jeopardy. It was fun, but I don't imagine I'll get a call telling me to be on the program.

After that we went up in the Empire State Building and looked the city over from every angle. Then we ate soup, sandwiches, and a dessert at a Chock Full of Nuts and came home via the subway. We're getting to be old pros.

June 30, 1964 Tuesday
Up and away to see Bud Cullin's To Tell The Truth. We saw them tape two shows back to back. This was unusual.

Then we went out to the fair and ate, and looked and looked and looked. This time we enjoyed Johnson's Wax and Pepsi Cola the best.

Today our good luck left us, and we really had hot, humid weather. It was a bit rough and made things not quite as pleasant as they have been to date. It made us more irritable and snappish at one another.

Then, after spending two hours in New York and ten hours at the Fair, we got back to the hotel and found that they wanted to move us to 205 because we told them the TV and cooler didn't work. We looked at it, but we wouldn't move 'cause it was less adequate than we have -- which is saying a lot.

We went grumpily to bed.

July 1, 1964 Wednesday
We are becoming regular New Yorkers -- up by ten and down by one or two. It's quite a life. Today we didn't get up soon enough -- our bus got caught in a traffic jam, and we found ourselves going to Alan Luden's Password at eleven until one without breakfast. We had a good lunch, though, and got to "Barefoot in the Park" by two. This was a clever play, and we all enjoyed it muchly. Bill and I had read very little about it and weren't at all sure it was going to be all right for the children to see and hear. I suggested that we get seats in back of them so that we could clap our hands over their ears if the dialogue got too raunchy. However, upon counting ears and hands, we discovered that this wasn't a very practical idea. As it was, we found the play fine for everyone.

Then we found that we had four hours to kill before "Oliver"; so we just looked around New York -- Times Square, a Woolsworth, a Ripley's "Believe It or Not" exhibit, etc. Then we went to Tad's, had a steak, and went to our second New York stage play of the current season. Oh, we also visited the New York Public Library.

We had a delightful day at the Fair -- our best to date, we believe. The Ford exhibit was the highlight of today, but the U.S. Science, Illinois, and Dinoland were great, too.

We came home at ten -- ready for bed.

July 3, 1964 Friday
Today we got up fairly early and went down to Rockefeller Center and saw the Case Bank's Money Museum. Then we went to the Fair for the last time. We had a wonderful time. It was one of our better days. Every exhibit we saw -- Dupont, G.E., G.M., were excellent. Then Bill left, and the kids and I looked around a little more before we came home.

I got them back to the hotel safe and sound with only one wrong move on the subway -- I went the wrong direction from the Fair! Fortunately, there's only one more stop that direction; then the subway has to turn around and come back; so it wasn't so bad. In fact, it assured us seats. We were pretty pooped.

We came back to the hotel, rested a bit, and were just getting ready to go out for supper when Bill came from the track meet. We all went out and ate a Swedish smorgasbord together. It was pretty good. Came home and passed out.

July 4, 1964 Saturday
Up and around early 'cause this was a big day. We went out to the Statue of Liberty this morning. Took the nine o'clock boat, rode up to her base, and climbed to her brow for a look-see. Quite a climb! We were a bit warm when we got down.

Bill left us at the Statue of Liberty and went to his track meet. The kids and I rode into town and found ourselves with three hours to spend; so we walked down Broadway to Central Park and looked it over. Billy and Bob seemed to enjoy climbing on the huge granite rocks. That was all fine and good, except Bob got filthy. After that, we came back and ate and went to Carol Burnett's musical, "Fade Out, Fade Inn". She was good, but the musical was only fair. Then the kids and I came back to the hotel, rested a bit, and left with daddy for supper. After supper we went to out last stage play -- Meridith Wilson's "Here's Love". Came home exhausted.

July 5, 1964 Sunday
Up, but not very early. In fact, in order to get to church, we had to skip breakfast. We wanted to go to Norman Vincent Peal's church, but because we were late, we went to the Park Ave. Methodist. It was a beautiful church, but the minister was on vacation and we didn't get to hear him. The service was very formal and the church was pretty warm, but it was a good sermon.

Then we ate at an automat -- our first, and it was great fun. The kids liked putting their nickels in slots for food. After we ate, we rode the subway to the American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium. We really enjoyed those. stayed until they closed and saw the Hayden program called, "The Seven Wonders of the Universe". It was excellent.

July 6, 1964 Monday
Up about nine-thirty, packed and then went out for breakfast about ten. Then we came home, loaded the car, and left New York.

I drove until about four when we finally ate our second meal (I don't know what to call a meal we eat at 4). We did stop, too, at Valley Forge. Next week the Boy Scout Jamboree will be here. A lot of the tents and signs were already up. There will be some 50,000 scouts here -- more scouts than Washington had troops here the six months he wintered here.

Bill drove through Amish country (Penn.). It stays light a long time up here!

Bill drove to Winchester, VA., for supper and to spend the night. It's called the "Apple Capital of the World". We were all tired... slept hard.

July 7, 1964 Tuesday
Up and ate at the hotel. Then we took off for Shenandoah National Park. We drove along the Skyline Drive. Visited a bit along the way, took a side trip to Luray, VA., and went through Luray Caverns. They are pretty, but we have now seen to caves and caverns; so we are rather discriminating. We rated this one fair to good. It had mostly stalactites.

We had to push to make it to Roanoke for supper and our night's lodging. We had a good swim and a pool with a slide and rings to swim on. I got a batch of socks and underthings washed and dried. We were pretty tired again tonight.

July 8, 1964 Wednesday
Up and away by ten -- we're just not early starters any more. We ate breakfast before we started, and rode the Blue Ridge Parkway all morning. It was beautiful. We stopped at Mabry Hill and looked around a bit.

We had lunch in the Blue Ridge Parkway; then drove on and on -- in fact, on into the night.

However, we first stopped at Morgantown, N. C., for about an hour and saw Jan and Roy Walters who used to be our neighbors in San Antonio. We ate supper in Ashville and drove on to Maggie for sleep. Had a little individual cabin in Maggie -- beside a stream. The kids wanted to stay here longer and explore. I don't blame them! however, we are finding home is really calling us.

This was just a driving day -- saw a pretty North Carolina gem and mineral collection. Spent the night in Meridian.

July 11, 1964 Saturday
Up and away from Meridian by 7:30. A record for us.

And here the journal ends.

[Ed. note]
I can only conclude that we did make it home. This is where the narrative of the New York World's Fair trip ends. I guess that record getting up time just did me in!
Nona Brooks

Books Read:

• Silver Chief, Dog of the North, O'brien, Jack
• Sea Pup, Binns, Archie