This adventure starts June 1960, Esquimalt, BC. RCN gave us 30 days leave; so me matey and I decided to hitchhike home to Ontario rather than pay an exorbitant travel fee across Canada. We took the 4:00 pm flight to Seattle, at a very expensive cost of $9.00 one way. Vancouver flight was $7.00. We splurged and went to Seattle. After arriving at Sea-Tac Airport we stuck out our thumbs on old Highway 99, ended up in Renton, then headed east to Ontario on old Highway 10, which is now Interstate 90 to Fargo, ND. Well Glen and I were very lucky getting rides across Washington. Most Yanks had never seen a Canadian sailor, or even knew where Canada was located.

Glen and I were picked up by a couple of Wenatchee Apple Orchard Owners in a brand new Mercedes. We stopped at a bar on the Columbia River at Vantage. They wanted to buy us a drink, hoping we wouldn’t dam the Columbia River. Glen got into a heated argument, and to please him they bought us more beer. How could a sailor refuse. Way to go Glen!! Now we are back on the road and it is getting dark. These guys were pissed, Glen and I weren’t far behind. This is scary. The driver now is driving 70mph, with a can of tomato juice between his legs, trying to mix beer and tomato juice at that speed. I said "I’ll do that for you" "no it’s alright, I can do it." Meanwhile, at 70mph he wanders into the oncoming lane. Both Glen and I screamed and he moved back to the right lane, just before we had a head-on collision. Right after this close call, we arrived on an accident scene .A HEAD-ON COLLISION. The co-pilot in this Mercedes, wanted to peruse the head-on. He returned to the car and barfed. It was too much for his tummy to take. Finally they had to steer north to Wenatchee and left us to continue east. Thank you Lord!! Now we are getting close to Idaho, but before we get to Spokane, there is Fairchild USAF BASE. We decided, because we were military, we should get a lift from the Yanks. The only flight going east was to New Jersey, on Monday. But this was Friday night and I figured we could be in Ontario by Monday, which we were.

Our next great adventure is through Idaho at night. Two drunks stop and take us to the next town where they are arrested for drunk driving. We leave, they are in the NIGHT COURT, and are released. Guess who pulls up in there 1953 Ford? The Idaho Drunk Team. That’s where Dumband Dumber got back in the same vehicle and continued EAST.

We made it to Kellogg. That’s where we ran into a carload of BLUENOSER’S heading in the same direction. Guess Who? The pride of the West Coast Scotty Weir and the gang. We run into them later, so stay tuned. Whilst standing in Kellogg (no cornflakes involved) got a lift from a great guy who was heading home to visit his MUM. We drove into Missoula at 6:00 am and he took us for a tour of his hometown, which I’ll never forget. Went for breakfast at a restaurant in town,’cause he didn’t want to wake his Mama up so early. I just love the Yanks, they are so family oriented. Now we have set foot in Montana. It is such a beautiful state. They call it BIG SKY COUNTRY and at night there are more stars, than in Hollywood. Before we left ESQUIMALT, the R.C.N. held a picnic at ROCKY PT. in the summer sun, where I received a bar-b-cue on my back. By the time we got to Glen Dive, Montana, my back was peeling and I was itching real bad.

We arrived a t the Derrick Motel in Glen Dive and I said to Glen, "I’ve got to get this dry, peeling skin off my back,it’s driving me crazy"

We entered the washroom and I removed my GUN SHIRT and Glen proceeded to scrub my back with a wet paper towel. While doing this, one of the Scotia Clan walked into the washroom, and sees us. "I always thought there was something going on with you two," "after seeing this I know" This next part is hard to believe. Back on the side of the road again, at the edge of town, a car load of teenagers, pulls up, rolls down the window and hands us two ice cold brewskis. That’s another reason why Montana is one of my favourite states.

After leaving the motel, we returned to the highway. Remember this is midnight, middle of Montana, nothing but stars and empty road. All of a sudden a ’56 Ford appears from nowhere, flies past us, comes to a screeching stop, backs up and he says, "Get in Sailors"

He drove us to Wibaux, Montana. The driver asked, why two Canuck sailors were out in the middle of Montana after midnight? I told him we were shipwrecked on the Missouri River and we are going for help. Next we were picked up by a couple, who had a son in the US NAVY and they invited us to stay the night at their home in Beach, ND. Bed and Breakfast included. But I decided we’d continue HITCH Hiking. Wrong!! Next morn’ we were standing, on the same corner at sun-up. If you have driven across Sask. and Manitoba, well North Dakota is a mirror image of that area. FLAT, FLAT, FLAT.

Now we are picked up by a very tired construction worker, who has been driving all night and wants one of us to drive. Just remember we haven’t slept either. I told Glen I was too beat to get behind the wheel, so he drove. Next thing we know, we are in Fargo ND. Then we move on south through Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Stay tuned, boys and girls for Part 2 - "Adventures in Hitchhiking", with Glen and Frank from Esquimalt, BC.