The Beach family, Charles, Doretta, Lela and Claude, set out from Cornwall, Ontario on October 18, 1921. This is Doretta's diary. Maryland Hotel, Saint Louis, U.S.A. April 4th. Left Linn, Missouri quarter to eight A.M. Weather bright and warm and found roads quite dry, but in places deep holes and ruts and up and down those terrible steep hills, until four o'clock in afternoon, but all farming land and the fall wheat was five or six inches, the nicest we had seen, although all through Kansas and Missouri the wheat looked nice and to-day the farmers all looked and spoke like Germans. The wildflowers began to be plentiful and the yards along looked nice with Spring flowers in blossom and the apple trees while with blossoms. When we got within thirty miles of the city had better roads, although a little rough. We were thankful for small favors after what we had gone through the past week. We passed through several little towns and stopped at Hermine for lunch at the White Hotel and crossed one ferry and dozens of places the water was running across the roads and drove along the Missouri River or in sight of it nearly all afternoon. Getting here at a quarter of seven and only driving a hundred and forty miles. Maryland Hotel, Saint Louis, April 5th. Rained last night and drizzled most of the day. Father and Claude spent the day at the garage, and Lela and I went shopping. Terre Haute House, Terre Haute, Ind. April 6th. Weather bright and very warm. Left St. Louis, Missouri at half past eight and came across a long bridge two miles long over the Mississippi River, that is not so wide, but the bridge was very high and very long approaches. On the same bridge the railroad ran under the driveway, and in to East St. Louis, Illinois a city of seventy thousand and had paved roads all the way, except a few little towns. The country looked lovely after the rain, trees leafing out and fall wheat a foot high. We stopped at Effingham for dinner and just before we got there a half hour we had a blow out, the first on our trip. After dinner went through some low land and came where a cement bridge had been washed out, but there was a good detour and came within five miles of this city and they were building a bridge and we had to detour and got our car all mud and the roads were terrible, When we went to turn on the detour we did not have the chains on and got stuck, but a couple of men came along and helped push and we got backed up, and put the chains on and got through all fine. They had told us that if we went we would have to got a team to take us through the worst spots. Got here about four o'clock coming a hundred and seventy six miles to-day and this city is just on the line between Illinois and Indiana, a city of seventy thousand. Tried to get the Pierces over phone but they were out. Claypool Hotel [LOC], Indianapolis, Ind. April 7th. Left Terre Haute at nine o'clock. Weather cloudy, found the roads fairly good but had three detours and before we got here they had rain. Coming eight seven miles and it should have only been seventy if there had been no detours. Had lunch and drove out to Mr. Seeds home and it rained hard. Came back and Lela and I went into the stores and went to Post Office, got some letters and the Standard. Just had dinner and father and Claude are taking in the sights. Called up Mr. Seeds home and he is not home yet. Tried again to get the Pierces but failed. The Heaume Hotel, Springfield, Ohio. April 8th. Left Indianapolis at half past seven. It rained mostly all night and was still raining, when we got up but near noon the sun shone for a while. The roads good, but had three detours, good roads also, that made it ten miles longer to Dayton, Ohio, where we stopped for lunch and got the gasoline gauge fixed on the dash and left at quarter past three and got here at half past four, and had a blow out on the way, coming a hundred and fifty two miles. Coming about seventy-five miles when we crossed into Ohio and crossed the Miami River at Dayton. Was sorry to leave Indianapolis and not seen more of it, as it was such a nice city, and the Capital of Ind., and the home of James Whitecomb Riley and a nice country all along and a great many small towns. They got two new tires here. New Central Hotel, Galion, Ohio. April 9th. Weather bright and warm. Went to church and then left Springfield, Ohio, at half past twelve, and came to Columbus, Ohio, the Capital, had lunch and on, getting here at seven o'clock, but had to put on our watches an hour at Columbus. All State roads, but had five miles very rough and full of ruts, coming a hundred and six miles. On the way we came where there had two cars ran in each other, just a short distance from Springfield, and both were badly broken and the people cut up quite badly, but they thought not serious and the roads all the way to Columbus were one string of cars passing, whizz, whizz. Hotel Olmsted, Cleveland, Ohio. April 10th. Left Galion, Ohio, quarter to nine, weather cloudy by times, roads pretty rough. The first fifty miles but hard, passing through little towns all along the way. Got here at one o'clock. Had lunch, coming a hundred and ten miles. Called up Mrs. Clover (Alta Green) and Ethel Rennick, then went out for two hours and back to hotel and Alta and her husband came over to see us, and stayed an hour. Ethel came and she stayed and had dinner with us, and how we are having a thunderstorm. Rev 2006-07-30