Like every other California day the weather was great when we left. Bert had already had the little Ford transported to Wilmington so we stepped off the water taxi and into the Ford. Well almost anyway. We had caught the six A.M. taxi and made the crossing in about one hour. Unlike most water taxi rides that beat you to death this one was smooth and easy. We were in no big hurry. We rode around and stopped for breakfast at one of those new kind of restaurant's where they brought the food to your car. My folks said it was just another California idea that would never catch on anywhere else. Finally we drove up through Los Angeles and pointed the Ford into the sun. Time to get serious as my pappy liked to say.
 
We got to Reno before dark. Wow what a difference daylight made. That place was just a little town. Without the Neon lights it was down right ugly. The biggest little city on earth was just a spot on the map. Not much to indicate what lay ahead for it and it's sister city of Las Vegas.

Our trip back to Alabama was at a much slower pace than when we left there. My folks stopped for regular meals and we slept in motor courts every nite. The little Ford ran like a fine watch and usually drew a crowd when ever we stopped. My mom had managed to dent one front fender just ever so slightly when she ran into our front porch on Catalina. My dad had put off getting it repaired because it would have meant taking the car to the mainland and leaving it until the repairs were done. 

We enjoyed good weather for most of the trip. I recall seeing things I'd missed before. Can't argue that the view from inside the car was better than from the back of that truck. The Ford decided to run a little hot as we reached Flagstaff, Arizona but we was ready. My dad still had the water bag we had bought on the way out to California. We gave her a drink and she was good to go. Of course with today's engines and anti-freeze, problems of over heating due to altitude changes don't happen. Not so in the old days.  

We stopped in Texarkana and ate lunch. It was a pretty day not a cloud anywhere. We crossed the line into Arkansas and the sky opened up and commenced to do a repeat of forty days and forty nights. Pretty much how it had happened to us before. 

My mom had set her mind to getting to her parents house for breakfast. That being the case, our last day of the trip was sort of mixed up. In order to get to my grand parents at about seven in the morning we drove most of the night. It was a cold and overcast day. Two days before Christmas to be exact. I'll admit that there was a certain good feeling about returning to Alabama but still I felt leaving Catalina was not a good decision. Well, whats done is done. Here we are parked in front of my grandpa's house in Walker county, Alabama. My dog and my heart left behind. Welcome home pilgrim!!