June 24th, 25th & 28th, 1887

Sally here: Well, I am back from my trip (The Titanic 100 Year Memorial Cruise) and absolutely LOVED every minute of it. I will be writing a bit here and there on this blog about my trip and how it inspired me and also on my other blog; “John’s Grief Diary”.

http://sallysdiaries2.wordpress.com/

I can see how traveling can get into the blood and luckily I can also enjoy travel through the eyes of those who have gone before, such as our own Edith Vanderbilt…..

 “June 24^th,

To Salt Lake City Utah.

This afternoon we arrived in Salt Lake City Utah, after a very hot dusty journey. We have pleasant rooms in the Walker House and expect to remain here till Monday and I will be very glad to take a little rest after such a long journey.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uicdigital/4059055282/

 “June 25^th,

This morning we took a drive. We saw from the street the house of Brigham Young and the houses of two of his many wives. He had nineteen in Salt Lake City besides spiritual wives all over Utah. We drove to Douglas Fort which is very prettily situated but on our way there we encountered a sand storm which came sweeping over the Alcholi Desert and the Wasatch Range and it was extremely disagreeable as it swept the sand in our faces. I am, however, glad to have been in one. The afternoon papa, Gussie, Alice, Junior, Marguerite and I went in the cars to the Great Salt Lake and took a bath in its salty waters. They are so full of it that it is impossible to sink and you bob about in the water like a cork which is great fun. We had a fearful wind storm in going and returning from the lake.”

http://www.moroni10.com/prophets_homes/Brigham_Young.html

 “June 28^th,

Through the Alcholi Plains

Through the night we had been traveling through the Great American Desert. This morning at about noon we passed through what is called Castle Gate which consists of two tall upright rocks. The Northern portal of stone is eight hundred feet high. At one time during the night we crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Later in the day before reaching Castle Gate, we saw a scanty remain of sand works where the Mexican Cliff Builders used to reside. In the afternoon traveling was hot and dusty and we felt very much the dust and sand from the Alcholi Desert which we could not keep out of the car. We slept on the train again.”

I’M HOME

I’ve been home from my Titanic trip for two days now and am having a difficult time adjusting. I want so badly to be back on the ship and wish I was blogging from my state room.  Of course I missed my precious children and grandbaby and it is so good to come back and see them but my love for the sea and the Titanic is overwhelming right now. Luckily I can take my antique diaries anywhere. I’ve also missed blogging about Edith (Vanderbilt) and John (our grief diary) and will be posting very soon. I’m still unpacking and getting my business put back together. I’m also thinking about starting a new diary blog and this one will consist of shipping diaries; go figure. I’m anxious to share inbetween blogs about how the trip affected me, including my life as a widow. So, I promise to be back “on board” with this in a few days. I’ve missed it……

Heading to the Titanic Site

April 8th, 2012. Hi everyone, Sally here. I’m in New York right now for two days and on the 10th of April will be heading to Halifax Nova Scotia. After that our ship will be heading out to the middle of the North Atlantic where the Titanic sunk 100 years ago, April 15th, 1912. I won’t be able to blog until I return home on the 19th of April. Hope you are all well and Happy Easter to everyone.

June 22nd & 23rd, 1887

“June 22^nd,

Started at 11:20 A.M. after a very pleasant stay in Colorado Springs. On this journey we could not have our car the “Riva”, it being a narrow gage road on the Burlington route. We passed through Pueblo and had lunch at Cimarron. We had exquisite scenery all the way to Selina, passing through what is called the Royal Gorge on the Canon of Arkansas. On either side of us the rocky heights rose many feet while below ran the boiling gurgling waters of theArkansas. The train crossed this river several times on bridges when we had a view that was perfectly grand. At about five o’clock we arrived at Selina where we all expected to stay over night but papa changed his mind thinking we would like to see the Leadville Mines so we all but mamma and Marguerite went in a private train as no other went that night. We arrived at Leadville at about eleven P.M. so we slept in the cars. A lady and gentleman, Mrs. Van Kleek and Mr. Fawnstock went with us.”

http://www.narrowgauge.org/ncmap/ted/dspp2_leadville.html

 “June 23^rd,

Journey from Leadville. Slept on the cars all night. Leadville Mines, Marshall Pass, Black Canon of the Gunnison. From Selina one can see Mount Ouray and many other high peaks. This morning we were awakened at quarter of six and at seven took breakfast at the Saddle Rock Restaurant in Leadville. Leadville is 10,200 feet above the sea and is quite a flourishing little town. After breakfast we drove to the mines. I hesitated before going down for the little board on which you stand goes down so quickly that it frightened me dreadfully at first, but after all I was one of the bravest and went down one of the first of all. The mine into which I descended is a silver mine and is called the Maid of Arran and is over five hundred feet in the earth and is owned by Senator Tabor and other gentlemen. I enjoyed it very much but my paper will not allow me to go into detail as the space is short in which I have to write. We got back at Selina in time to take lunch and then started again on our journey which lay over Marshall Pass. Here the highest point to which we ascended was 10,858 feet. It was a beautiful day and we had an exquisite view in going down the pass on the other side. We passed through several snow sheds which partly hid our view. This pass is the highest in the world through which trains continually run. We even went through the Black Canon of the Gunnison River which is perfectly magnificent, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. In places, mountain streams rush down the mountains which rise high, high above you. They are truly grand for any words!!!”

 Sally here: I just love her descriptions. It’s so amazing to me to hear about the little towns she talks about and how she says they are “flourishing little towns”, and now when you look at many of them they are ghost towns. I’ve always wanted to take a diary like this and travel the same route (as much as possible) and compare our journeys, taking photos along the way. Wish I also had my own private train car to do so!

Sorry it’s been so long

Hi everyone. Sorry it’s been so long since my last post but I’ve been so busy. My mother just got out of surgery, but is doing fine. And then for a year now I’ve been planning a trip where I’ll be taking a cruise ship over the site of the Titanic. The cruise was created because of the 100 year anniversary of the sinking. I leave on April 8th and will be back on April 19th. This is why I haven’t blogged in awhile as I’ve been frantically getting my diary business settled before I go and also making plans for the trip itself. However I do plan on a few more of Edith’s blogs before I leave. Hopefully I’ll write one up on Friday and then one or two more before the 8th. Then lots of blogs when I return. Hope you are all well and happy!!! Sally

June 20th & 21st, 1887

“June 20^th, 1887

This morning we drove to Glen Eyrie again. It seems to me one could never tire of that place for it is so beautiful. This afternoon we went to a country circus and had great fun. It is the first of the kind I have ever been to but it was very good; the performers and the clowns being excellent. In the middle of the afternoon it began to rain very violently and it came through the tent and wet everyone present. But I rather enjoyed seeing the country people getting wet for many of them had on their best gowns and had come from far so were not in their best of humor when it rained. I enjoyed the afternoon very much.”

 “June 21^st, 1887

Louise had spent the night at Glen Eyrie and early on the following morning, which was this morning, Nellie, Alice and I drove over to Manitou where we expected to find her with the Melon’s from Glen Eyrie and bring her home. On arriving at Manitou we found they had not come yet so we drove with Dr. Ball, a gentleman Nellie had met, to his place not far distant and waited for them. They appeared in about half an hour and the Melon’s had proposed to drive to the Grand Caverns, a beautiful spot a few miles further on. So we all, Dr. Bell and his little daughter also, went thither. We went all through the cave which is very large and interesting. In one chamber called the cathedral are some places of hanging stalactite and on which a man played several tunes. They call it the organ and it sounds very pretty played in the old cave and is really quite remarkable. There are many pieces of formations which hang from the ceiling and walls and which one is not allowed to pick a piece of it being very pretty. We drove back to Manitou where we had lunch. Dr. Bell telegraphed mamma we would not get back on time.”

 Sally here: This first web site shows an amazing photo of the road going to the Grand Caverns taken about the time of Edith’s diary.

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/34531/rec/2

 This second site is a great web site telling the history about the Grand Cavern’s and even mentions the organ playing.

http://www.chieftain.com/life/local/classic-cave/article_65ec5190-d03c-11e0-9c59-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=print

June 18th & 19th, 1887

“June 18^th, 1887

This morning mamma ordered us all some riding skirts which we can use in the Yosemite and the Yellowstone. In the afternoon I went driving with my cousin Nellie and Dr. Lamborne, a gentleman. I went because mamma did not want Nellie to go alone, but I was not at all sorry for we went to Glen Eyrie, a perfectly beautiful country place belonging to a gentleman. The house is situated at the foot of a hill while opposite it are some towering rocks. There are beautiful lawns in different places while others are bare and wild, which makes the place perfectly charming. Then there are two of the loveliest little boys who are always nearly playing in the garden. They have long curly hair and dress like the children in the Tames with long trunks and waists with puffed sleeves and they are just too sweet for anything.”

 (Sally here: Check out Glen Eyrie Castle. I’m including two web sites because one has a great historical background and the other great photos of the place. I wonder who the boys are?? Could she have been mistaken and the two little boys are actually two daughters of William Jackson Palmer, the owner of the estate. He and his wife had three little girls.)

http://www.gleneyrie.org/us/ministries/gleneyrie/aboutus/history

 http://www.gocolorado.com/lodging/hotels/colorado-springs-castle-glen-eyrie-a-place-of-solitude/

 “June 19^th, 1887

In the morning we went to the Presbyterian Church and in the evening after tea we took a short walk. In coming back we saw such a beautiful sunset as I shall never forget. It was setting or just had set over the pass which makes a curve in the mountains. The place looked as if it had been made for the beautiful sky we saw which changed from pink to red and then to a deep indigo and gold which was too beautiful for words, so I leave it.”