Captains Log

The Captains Log

Looking back on the countless dumb things I've done in my 74 years on this earth, one thing that I'll never regret is writing “The Captain's Log” and taking the trip it describes.

We pulled our four boys, Brad, Don, Fred and Rick out of grade school early in May of 1972, loaded them and our Saint Bernard, Grande into our Chrysler station wagon and went on a trip around the western United States.

Hooked to the rear of the Chrysler was a brand new 20' Great Divide travel trailer. I had never pulled a trailer before, but I learned from experience and by the time the trip was over I could even back it up like a pro. The kids became experts at setting it up in the various campgrounds we stayed in. They looked like an Indy pit crew unhooking the hitch and spring bars, leveling the trailer, and hooking up the water, electric and sewer. It usually only took them a few minutes.

I got the idea of keeping a log of our trip on the first night in Mancos Colorado at the Navajo Trail Trailer Park. ($3.00 a night!) I scribbled an account of our day on the road and the kids came up with the idea of calling it “The Captains Log” from Captain Kirk's opening statement in “Star Trek.” I faithfully kept it up for the rest of the trip.

We had no real agenda, if we saw something interesting like the “Prehistoric Gardens” or the “Mystery Spot” we pulled over and the six of us (seven, counting Grande) swarmed into the place like an invading army. We stopped at the “Montana Vortex” and “The Trap” (a roadside zoo) among other roadside attractions on our way to more famous places Like Disney Land, the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Las Vegas, Catalina Island, San Francisco, Yellowstone, Redwoods and Sequoia National Parks.

We visited family in Las Vegas, and friends on Catalina Island, in Vallejo, California and Kalispell, Montana.

The trailer was loaded down with souvenirs and keepsakes when we finally pulled up in front of our house in Colorado on the 5^th of July. Among other assorted treasure there was Don's horse statue collection, Rick's pine cone collection, Brad's antique car models, Fred's seashells and my rock and mineral collection. Also we had a sprouting Redwood burl, a live tadpole, two quilted maple gun stock blanks from Coquille, Oregon and Carol was starting her gray hair collection.

Many times Carol and I have pulled the old Captains Log out and refreshed our memories of that trip. The pages are getting yellowed and and worn but it still remains a testament to one of the best ideas we ever had.