Editor’s Note: In the summer of 1963, Nancy Eaton of Greenville plotted out a cross-country road trip for her and her five children: Betsy, 15; Jane, 14; Chuck, 13; Susan, 12; and Dick, 10. In their station wagon, the family went from Greenville to California. This is the second installment of 10 in the diary Anna “Nancy” Woodbridge Eaton kept along the way. It has been edited minimally to maintain the original spirit in which it was written.

In this section of the diary, the family starts with a visit to the Wiltemores, who have connections to the Monadnock region. They travel to Gettysburg, Pa., the site of the Civil War battle, and then to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Then they go to Lexington, Va. The “Washington and Lee” referenced in the diary is Washington and Lee University in Lexington. They spend the night in Charlestown, W. Va., before a visit to Mammoth Cave National Park in south-central Kentucky.

June 15

Soon after we were in bed it rained in torrents. My suitcase by the entrance was wet inside and out. Miss Whiltemore from Baltimore was making coffee in the washroom when I got up. She and her sister have bought a house in Francestown (center, old). Her sister has just retired from teaching and was coming by bus or train to join them. This one still teaches in Candia. Her ancestors are Goodwins from Mason.

Underway at 8:10, ice. Then on to Gettysburg. The first thing is to go to National Museum where on a relief map, 18’ x 21’ is reenacted the three-day battle with gold Confederate lights and blue Union lights with green lights to mark the position of the generals. Then one can drive around the battlefield, through the cemetery. We spent about two hours there. I did not call or see our friends the Crapsters. We lunched in the state park beside a brook and reached the beginning of the Skyline drive at almost 3:00 p.m.

The drive is lovely. We stopped at the Dickie Ridge information booth and watched slides, etc. Just before stopping I saw a large wild turkey. There are many vultures in the sky. Also saw a ruffed grouse – surely ruffed.

The Big Meadow Camping Area is in the middle of the National Park was surely crowded. Betsy cooked Spanish Rice and hamburg for dinner with rabbit food and salad and fruit cocktail. We went down to the Lodge after dinner.

Cloudy in the a.m. The children all went on an hour’s horseback ride ‘til 10:10 and it was nearly 11:00 before we were under way. Speed limit 35 mile and many stops for views made it a long trip.

We drove through Lexington, looked like a cement West Point prison. Washington and Lee was fairly attractive.

We decided to push on, as the weather was cloudy with a few sprinkles here and there.

Lewisburg’s Gen. Lewis Hotel, 1797, attractive, but we decided against it. The town was lighted with lamps which appeared to have large mantles like our Coleman lantern. We ate dinner at Paul and Alfred’s Pilot House, 2.5 miles West of White Sulphur Springs (on Route 60), where we had turned down the Greenbrier as too elegant. This was recommended by a Gulf Service.

Our night at Holiday Inn the West side of Charlestown with two rooms overlooking the river. It was after nine when we stopped. No one wants to sleep with me because I snore and hardly feel like having a room for myself alone.

We left Charlestown in smog. The smell was bad, too. We decided to eat breakfast after an hour’s driving. In Huntington, we stopped for food, gas and ice, and lost much time. We put in a long day, much on two lane roads.

Bypassing Lexington, we passed the Calumet Farms. These were the most beautiful we saw, but we passed many farms with beautiful homes sat at the end of a lovely lane of trees and well-painted fences divided the areas into small pastures, cattle, Hereford and Angus, horses and a few pigs – Jane saw a pig as big as a cow, she claimed.

We reached Mammoth Caves about 5:00, but this was 7:00 to us, as the time changed twice. We had left Charlestown at 8:00 a.m. But it was getting dark at 7:30 and we were all in bed and asleep by 8:00 p.m. During the night Jane and Betsy who were in the tent with me, wakened me because animals were on our picnic table. Dick and Chuck had watched a raccoon get into a garbage can earlier, so I assumed it was a raccoon, but neighbors thought more likely it was a skunk. I was awake some time and could hear tops go off of garbage cans all around the camping area.

Now I am in Cave City doing three loads of wash.

The kids are taking the seven miles “all day” trip, which takes seven hours. I expect to take a shorter one.

After lunch alone, I took the Niagara Falls trip which had the deep silo and several other deep, high, 150-foot or more vertical tunnels. At the last part there were beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. The Drapery Room was one of the highlights.

At 3:00 I went on the Historic Tour, which had large rooms. One enters by the only natural opening. Little Indiana brown bats were on the walls near the opening. This tour shows the parts of the tunnel that were used for salt pewter or nitrates during the War of 1812 – wooden pipe lines. Also the TB hospitals where 15 volunteers went and five died. A mummified Indian, 2,000 years old, with artifacts of the cave.

I arrived back just before the children. It was Betsy’s turn to get dinner – potato salad and cold cuts. The jello she had asked me to make hadn’t jelled.

New neighbors in the adjacent camping area.

Susan and Dick played ‘til the rest of us were in bed.

Everyone awake at 5:00. Up at 6:00, off at 8:00. Made good driving time. Lunched at State Park on Kentucky Lake. Betsy, Susan and Dick went swimming – rather rough. Betsy wheezing.

As we neared and after crossing the Mississippi, the farms were poor – corn, cattle and some unidentified crop on flat, endless acres – some trees.

Crossed the Mississippi on a flat boat like the one we crossed Lake Champlain going West to Bess’s wedding.

Headed for Poplar Bluffs and planned to camp but threatening clouds stopped us – too windy and near rain even to cookout as planned. So, motel and restaurant.

Earlier, had first car difficulty. Car coughed at intersection where there was a Gulf Service Station. After intersection, happened to glance at gas indicator and found it empty – returned to Gulf Station with difficulty, to find funeral bouquet on door. At another corner of the intersection was AAA Mobil station. He had to come up and push me there, and fill with gas. Dick is my gas checker, but he finds his duties of mileage at the start of each day. Mileage at gas stations, cost of gas and oil when necessary – all too much to do.

They’ve all been wonderful about their daily jobs.

Stopped in Maysfield to see pen pal of Jane’s, Tommy Bushart. Attractive boy and sister in small, nice home.

Dinner – Chuck had Mexican plate.

Children swam from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m., except Jane and Mummy. Mummy too weary, and Jane has a cold.

Woke before 7:00, with pouring rain, thunder and lightening, so we will write letters and catch up on the rest.