Travel

Travel is wonderful. I have rarely met a person who didn’t want to travel and see the world. When I was young if a person took a trip or a ship somewhere it was a huge event. Their family and friends held Bon Voyage parties and a good time was had by all. When I was older, my late girl friend, Julia, who is a character in “The Special Gift, ” took a trip to Bermuda when we turned eighteen. We went to a travel agency and being naive, the travel agent booked us the best accommodations as we were willing to pay. It was fabulous. We even had afternoon tea every day. Travel now is almost secondary to everyone. People travel for their jobs, families live miles apart so they travel to visit each other, and vacations and holidays are planned in advance taking time off from work. Travel in the old west was very different. Two of the characters in the Good Gus Series came from Europe; Nurse Joyce  from a nursing school in the United Kingdom and Adamo  from Italy. The original ancestors of some of the characters, their grandparents, came from other countries. For example, Gus and Cory’s family came from Ireland along with Mary’s and Joe Kelly’s. Miss Patty, Felicia, and Ray’s families emigrated from Africa. Franny, Frankie’s dad’s family came from China. Other countries included were Sweden, Poland, and a visiting Marquis from France in “The Surprise in the Sky.” All the people mentioned except for Nurse Joyce and Adamo had never even left Texas and many had never even traveled  more that one hundred miles from Pecos. When you discuss future vacations or holidays with your child or children, consider “J.C. and Bronco Ride that Bull, ” or “Cory Returns” to give that special person a glimpse into travel in the old west.