New Britain herald., 1926-07-14
EXPLORE AMERICA IN GAS SCHOONER
Fl. Fay and J. ". Bonba Back
 From 1O,2S8 Mile Trip


 returned from a motor trip across the continent from coast 10 coast.
 The travellers are not keen for motor camping, however, having spent but one night out of 79, in tent. That night they ate cold SUD- per and tried in vain to keep warm. The other 7S were spent in hotels.
 They left New Britain April 26 and drove to Syracuse where they made their first stop. The second night they spent al Niagara Falls and the third night at London, On tario.
 From Ontario they went to Chi cago and then 10 Detroit A visit 10 the Ford plant at Detroit, accord ing 10 Mir. Fay was the most won derful sight, outside of the scenic beauty of the whole trip. They watched the course of a car from tho time it started on an automatic conveyOr as two pieces of sheet metal until just 45 minutes later 1t was driven off under it's own power by a purchaser, completely finished
 The first long stop the travellers mad" was at Edgemont, s. D., where on Friday. May 21, Mir. Fay deliver cd the dedication address al the new church erected under the sponsor ship of the New Britain church, by Rev. Alan M. Fairbanks, a mission ary from the South church.
 t',orc +rI, Io.j the Cheyenne valley 10 Denver The following Sunday they were in Sants Fe, New Mexico, where several days were spent becoming familiar with the historical sights of that city.
 1f4 Degrees In the Shade
 A side trip of 500 miles into Phoenix, Arizona. and across the Arizona desert was taken over the weekend. Here the temperature was If in the shade. and mo shade 10 be found" Several times it was necessary 10 stop the car and wait until the motor cooled off, the cooling process consisting entirely of it's ceasing to boil. Three quarts of water boiled out on the desert and it was necessary to refill the radiator fom q reserve supply car ricd on the car. Reserve supplies of oil and gasoline were carried also.
 Through the petrided forests of Arizona was a thrilling journey 'to the motorists and several large spe- cimens of petrlded wood were brought back as souvenirs. An all day trip on mule back down into the Grand Canyon was q success from q scenic standpoint. but not so pleasant physically, The climb down the sides of the steep cliffs vas full of hazards and many times only the sure-foeted mules were be- tween the travellers and death. In the Grand Canyon they met Miss Grace E. Nance. formerly connect cd with the library of tho New Brit ain Institute and now located at Minneapolis. Miss Nance was tour ing the west at the same time.
 The trip followed through the Moiave desert in Southern California where at q. m. the temperature was 1o4 in tho shade. From Q tenn perature Of 104 to a cold so severe that heavy coats were needed was the change of an hour'l travel through the San Bernardino moun- tains, the extreme of heat and cold being found not more than 10 miles apart, from the terrifcally hot val ley to the snow capped mountains.
 Water Hauled 47 Miles
 A peculiar thing noticed about the Moiave desert is that under the stress of modern transportation needs, gasoline stations are not more than 10 miles apart although the towns themselves may be more than %. The desert Is about 200 miles across. In one place a garage was the only building for hours travel ing. In front of the garage was a tub of water and a sign; Don't waste the water, we hauled it 4 miles"
 In Redlands, California. the road went through great orchards of lem ons, grape fruit and figs. They stopped at the home Of Rev. Her bert C. Ide, formerly assistant at the local church.
 4 week was spent in Los Angeles, and the travellers were permitted to visit Universal City" in Hollywood, which they found quite interesting.
 A boat ride to Catalina Island from Los Angeles was made while spending a week in that city.
 California is over advertised, ac- cording to MT. Fay who says it does not begin 10 measure up to it's repu- tation. Speaking of the phrase, Sunny California" he said they had only two half days Of sunshine in a week. the other days were cloudy.
 Sequoia national forests where the giant redwoods are found and from there to the Yosemite national park, the journey led. All roads in government parks are very bad, is the report.
 Just before leaving New Mexico the NGW brlJdlnlleS CdllHu on MISS Katherine Hunter at Albuquerque.
 Eating the Highway"
 Flag Day, June 14, they started east from San Francisco. The trip | back through Carson City, Nevada, and Reno, crossed the Sierra Nevada | and included a one night l stop at Lake Tahoe. For more than % miles across the Utah desert not | ! town was seen. An interesting ex- Dericnce was that of "eating the | highway" when they got off their gar going through the salt desert | md tasted some of the salt q short ! distance off the roadway.
 The only disagrceable part of the whole trip was that of driving | through the "gumbo" roads in the Bad Lands of South Dakota on the way back. Gumbo is clay sub stance, which sticks to the cars,