Post card from vacation in 1939-40.

When I was a kid, you could put a nine year old on a train, send them a couple of states away to visit their grandparents and never have a worry in the world about their safe arrival.
There were stewardesses on the train, wearing uniforms and they watched out for youngsters traveling alone. I never wore a name tag.

I did this several times to go to Fairfield, IA, and then on to  Richland and Woolson where my grandparents had a small farm. What a great adventure. I met people on the train and talked to them, had them sign my autograph book and felt so grown up.

My mom packed a small suitcase (carry-on?) with a bunch of little gifts to open. I checked my wrist watch and opened one every hour. I don't know how long the trip took but I know that there were no train changes - it was straight through from Hutchinson, KS, to Iowa!

If it sounds like we were well-to-do, we actually weren't. My dad was a lineman for the electric company. Mom had been a registered nurse which she returned to during WWII. Yes, I had a watch and they were able to pay for a train ticket. I wonder how much the fare was then. In the 1950's it was only $3.00 to go 100 miles on the AT & SF.

As to the post card. I hadn't learned to spell strawberries or roast.

At least it was in cursive.