River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1920-10-28
By Auto To Yakima

of Minneapolis, drove through to
Yakima, Wash, and have, sent back
trip:
We left Minneapolis Saturday noon,
Sept. 25, and drove the first after
noon to Hector, Mimi, a distance of
SO miles, according to the Trail Guide
1--WE came by the Yellowstone TraiL
and made our first camp that night.
We had hard rain, but as | had a
good tent we had no trouble, but the
next morning the roads were awfully
wet. We waited until 10 o'clock, and
then started out and we found some
mud. We We're two hours getting to
Bird Island, a distance Of 10 miles,
and this was the worst road that we
struck on the whole trip.
We made Appleton, Mimi, that
night, making 80 miles that day. The
next day we did better. We camped
at Ipswich, S. d., making 17S miles.
The next day we bucked strong
northwest wind that nearly froze US
as we crossed the Missouri River at
Mobridge into the Standing Rock In
dian reservation and arrived at Nc
Intosh about $50, drive of Isl
miles.
We stayed at a hotel that night, the
only night on the trip that we did
stay at hotel. The next day we ar
rived at Rhome, S. D., and made a
side-trip to visit some friends. We
drove $50 miles that day, and stopped
here until Friday morning. We forded
the Little Missouri and struck the
trail again at Mammoth, and reached
Miles City that nighC, making Isl
miles that day. The next day we ar
rived at Billings, 154.
All along this trail the principle
crop seemed to be sugar beets. We
passed many railroad stations where
there were large piles on the ground
waiting for shipment.
The next day, Sunday, we did not
start until 10 o'clock and only made
129 miles to Livingston. Monday we
broke spring; had to stop at Boze-
man four hours for repairs, so that
we only reached Willow Creek that
night, making. only 20 miles.
Around Bozeman l saw the best
farming country on the trip, to my
mind. They were just threshing here,
their acres and acres of grain stard-
ing in the shock. The straw looked to
be about 31afeet high, and the shocks
stood very thick. This is an irrigated
country.
The next day we made Deer Lodge,
115 miles. The following day made
III miles and camped in deserted
lumber camp at the foot of the Bitter
Root mountains. The next day we
had some hard roads, with mud holes
a-plenty. We helped out several cars
that were stuck, but fortunately we
got through without any trouble. But
we spent so much time that we only
made 62 miles, and camped that night
at Kellogg.
The next day we passed through
Fourth of July Canyon, and here was
the most beautiful scenery that ever
saw.
We reached Spokane Saturday at
ternoon and spent a couple of hours
there. and started for Pasco. Camp
ed that night at Sprague, as miles out
of Spokane. The next day we made
Richland, crossing the Columbia river
here, and reached Yakima little af-
ter noon the next day, all safe and
sound, after the most enjoyable trip
| ever made in my life.
/ expected to be awfully tired when
/ got here, but was happily disap-
pointed. / have made the journey
twice by rail, and it was much more
tiresome.
| used on the trip 99S gallons OF
gasoline which cost me $35.28, and
8 gallons of oil that cost 1886, and
according to the trail guide, l Travelled
1884 miles, so you see | averaged
about 1872 miles to the gallon of gas
which, I think, is pretty good.
There were three of us in my car
all the way, and four the first CSC
miles. Of course the other expense
is just what you want to make it. The
gas and oil was about half of our
expense outside of the cost of the
extra spring and some tire expense
The railway fare is $6S.74 per ticket
with $500 extra for tourist sleeper
l would like to make the trip again
and take a little more time, but we
were afraid of snow on the mountains
and so did not take as much time
as we would if we had started earlier
We had good weather most of the
way; only two rains, and they were
both n, fho 1oiUbt so 7 ano xp1-v well