The Johnson Journals, Chapter 208

• Don writes that Ohio State wins Rose Bowl

• Don and Layna vacation in Mexico

• Don has a steak for $1.18

1/1/69 182 X 39 ?. Volume XXIV. There were many more “ups” than “downs” in volume XXIII. Hope we can hold our own in this one. Layna destroyed all of the wedding lists and today we began making another - for Mexico. I got a little excited thinking about it. Ohio State stopped O.J. Simpson and went on to win Rose Bowl. Layna and I got together in evening and went over our finances. We are not rich, by modern standards, but should get by if inflation does not clobber us.

1/2/69 Toward evening I let myself get rather depressed and couldn’t decide exactly what was taking place. It may have started when I tried to recall the name of one of the ex Mando guests and completely failed. Surely my thot processes, particularly my memory, have slowed down considerably the past few years and I don’t like it. Maybe I should be happy being healthy and dumb.

1/4/69 Bill & Gladys Martin had invited us for a “do” at their place for 8:30 p.m. We left home early enough so we could visit Sammy & Toots. A royal welcome. They are receiving old age pension and are on top of the world. On to Martins where we had a great time. Many people there but most happy to see Gerry Armstrong and Captain Martin. He is 84 years old and going strong. People dropped off one by one and we were the last to leave - at 3:30! What a warm feeling I have for Gerry and Bill!

1/5/69 Moes invited us to watch Viking - Dallas game and dinner. A couple of drinks and a good meal. Cliff, with only 40% stomach left, ate as much as any of us. A miracle.

1/6/69 At 7:15 I decided to see Gone with the Wind. Called Buck and altho he did not care to go, Timmy and Jayme did. I picked them up at 7:45 and brought them home at 12:15. A great experience for them. This is the 4th time for me - in about 30 years. “They don’t make pictures like that no more.”

1/7/69 Layna has been preparing for Mexico off and on for a week. Today is the first time I got serious. All day at it and much accomplished. A real good letter from Karen. It was of love and appreciation. I know she is sincere.

1/8/69 We went to town at noon and accomplished much. Last minute shopping. Much bank business. As we did last year, we got $1500 worth of travelers’ checks plus $300 in cash. That should take us home. Snowing like mad, and worse south of us, so we decided to put off our departure. Both Karen and Sally called. Great!

1/9/69 We decided that #365 was a lot better motel than any between here and Minneapolis where we might have to hole up because of the storm. A good day. Snow piled high on roof and I cleaned it off. Quite a job for an old man. I thot “If I fall off the ladder we won’t be seeing Mexico”. I was very careful. Buck stopped in after work. He complained (mildly) of having pains in his chest. Said it was indigestion. He smoked three cigarettes while here and I wanted to mention it but didn’t. I should have.

1/12/69 Layna set to go early in day but I had to stay and watch Super Bowl. Should have left early. Our Baltimore Colts slaughtered 15 - 7 by New York Jets. Joe Namath said they would do it, and they did. Sportscasters say it was greatest upset in football history. They forget. Left for Duluth at 5:45 after seeing Buck and family. Roads good until we arrived in snow bound Duluth. Had a helluva time parking. Karen and Robin have fixed their apartment up mighty snug. Looks like they should make a go of this new life.

1/13/69 Left Karen off at UMD at 8:00 and headed south. We told her at parting that she was committed to Robin and she could no longer run home to Mama. You could plainly see that no such thot had ever entered her head - and I hope it never does. We had thot we would bypass seeing Sally and Jim but when we got near St. Paul, we agreed we had no choice but to stop. Sure glad we did. There only 1 ? hour but it was a joyful stop. All well there.

[Quotes and highlights from 1969 vacation to Mexico.]

Ames, IA. “A series of incidents made us very unhappy with Holiday Inn. The climax came when I got a sudden call to the biffy at restaurant and learned that there was no paper. I took my trusty pocket knife and cut a chunk out of the roller towel. I did it and now, 12 hours later, I am still glad.”

Nacogdoches, TX. “Checked in the Palmer Motel -  $6.50. As the proprietor said, it was clean. Had a small steak for $1.18. It was not bad.”

Dickenson, TX. Visited with Layna’s cousins, the Palmers.

Houston, TX. “We then went for a tour of NASA. No wonder the space program runs into the billions - and for what?”

Brownsville, TX. “ Stopped at Aransas Game Refuge where the 50 whooping cranes who have survived man are making their last stand. We did not see them but found it a very interesting place.”

Tampico.

 “Traffic terrific in narrow streets.”

“We paid Jose off, $40 and he seemed very pleased. I have really had a chance to work my Spanish on him.”

and at times it was very gratifying. At times damned frustrating.”

Pozo Rico. “Our hotel rather nice, very new and modern, but the noisiest damned place on earth, not excepting Vietnam.”

Tajin. “We could not pass up the ruins - and what a helluva shame it would have been if we had. Archeologists have unearthed a city of 2,500 acres - very spectacular.”

Vera Cruz. [Don & Layna had a remarkable experience when they got into casual conversation on a bus with four young Mexicans, who spoke no English. They spent most of two days with them, visiting their “typical Mexican” homes and being welcomed by their families.]

Acayucan. “A hot, humid day. I kept wondering just how in the world the Spaniards kept going in this country - armor and all.”

Tehuantepec. “We thot we would have to hole up in poor accommodations (according to AAA). The Motel Calli air conditioned. Great!”

Salina Cruz. “A 24 inch pipe discharged oil and refuse into the ocean.”

Tula. “We saw what the guide book said was the oldest living thing on earth. A tree. Maybe it was.”

Oaxcaca.

 “To museum where I refused to pay guide double what we had agreed on.”

“we took off for the ruins of Monte Alban. What great people the Zapatecs must have been. We inspected their works for 3 hours in a blazing sun.  Mike interpreted the inscriptions, often with a lot more enthusiasm than knowledge, I fear.”

Mitla. “The priest was blessing the baskets of seed held by the peons. They were on their knees before the church. They then filed inside accompanied by fireworks, I suppose to attract the deity’s attention. A half hour wait and they all came out except a little angel who appeared at a high window and threw out candies and cookies which the kids below scrambled for. More fireworks. Quite an exhibition of paganism mixed with the established church.”

Cuernava. “As near as we could tell, we were the only people in a fantastic place that could accommodate at least 100.”

Acapulco.

 “Not plush but very nice. $14.40 a day American plan for both.”

“By 10 a.m. I had caught two 9 foot sailfish. This settled an ambition of long standing.”

“This climate tires hell out of both of us.”

“Out to see divers. An excellent show.”

Taxco.

“happy to call a cab for down town. I can see why Layna (after having been here before) did not want to drive. I also was unable to understand why anybody could.”

“I did some shopping. Bought a pencil for 1 peso. God help the Mexicans if they had to depend on the likes of me.”

Cacahuamilco caves. “ Possibly the most spectacular natural phenomenon we have ever seen - not excepting the Grand Canyon.”

Morelia. “A Mexican kid asked to wash our car. I can look out the window and see him on the top scrubbing away!”

Guadalajara.

“We had had no lunch and were not sure how far we had to walk. Hailed a cab and we rode about 3 blocks!”

“A great triumph when we found the damned vanilla beans. We bought 20 for 40 pesos. Big deal.”

Manzanillo.

 “We went over and watched a very amateurish rodeo. Very interesting, however.”

“To market in p.m. and ran into Harold Asplund, from the Falls.”

“Layna went swimming - but not me! I put on my new shorts (Bermudas) and went along to Tesora Beach.”

“Finished reading The Miracle of Language by Charlton Laird. It turned out to be one of the most fascinating books I ever read.”

“It will be hard to leave all these good people.”