Maggie's Farm

Thank you so much for the memories. In the early 1950's my mom would drive us home "for the holidays". LAX to CLE in the heart of winter. Only child sitting in the back seat with nothing to do but watch the scenery, I was always delighted when we came upon these signs. Mom said the farmers got paid to put the signs up and it helped them make a little extra money. There were places out in the west where you would not see but one or two farm houses in a day's drive. You could still see Navajo Hogans, and the Navajo people in regular dress (velvet skirts, etc.) I remember one time when highway 99 was diverted through a pasture fence and down a dirt road for about 30 miles. We would drop down south form Amarillo to Dallas so we could continue east while driving through the south where the weather was better. Then across the southern states and up through KY to CLE.One lane roads most of the way. We used to take an electric hot plate for her tea, and a box of cold cereal.At night we would stop somewhere to buy milk before the stores closed which used to be about 6:00. We did not have a cooler, but mom put the milk in the trunk with the lid tied down a little bit to keep it cool till we got to a roadside cabin--could not afford those new things called Motels very often. She would put the milk outside the cabin next to the canvas waterbag (for the radiator). It's funny--how time changes your perspective. I used to love to go on these road trips--still do, but back then I used to feel really bad that we could not stay in a "Motel", and we could only stop at a "Cafe" once a day. Now, in retrospect when I see in my mind all of those beautiful places that are gone now--I am so lucky.