A Memorable Family Vacation Changes Our Lives Forever

I was ten years old when my two younger sisters and I travelled with our mom from our home in St. Louis, Missouri to visit Los Angeles, California for the first time. It wasn't exactly a vacation my mom had planned all on her own. My brother, once discharged from the US Army, moved to Los Angeles to begin his new family, and immediately began his campaign to lure the rest of the family to move to California, too. Every time he'd call long distance he'd regale us with how beautiful it was in California, how schools were better and opportunities more plentiful.

My grandparents were the first to cave in and move from Arkansas to Los Angeles. Next, my uncle couldn't resist the siren call, and moved with his family to Los Angeles also. Even though my mom made no promises of relocating, it was now far easier to convince her to at least plan a vacation to Los Angeles. She decided to travel by train booking us in what was called roomettes that functioned as seats during the day and converted to upper and lower beds by night. My sisters and I felt like royalty being served in the dining room and receiving the services of the porters who turned down our beds at night. Without knowing anything about the wages or behind-the-scene-working conditions, we were proud to be receiving superior service from our very own Black men.

For comfort, we wore jeans on the train, but when the train would stop at places along the way, my mother insisted that we change into dresses because that's what "proper young ladies wore in public" in the 1950's. (Jeans were for work or play.)

Our first visit to Los Angeles was a dream come true indeed. As my brother drove us around the city, the palm trees lining the streets swayed gently in the warm breeze, welcoming us with their graceful beauty. The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, casting a golden glow over the bustling city below. We were excited to explore as much as we could during our visit.

Many decades later, I still gaze with awe and fascination at the palm trees lining the streets of Los Angeles and other California cities.

Like many first-timers to Los Angeles, we were eager to visit the iconic locations from Hollywood sign to the sands of Santa Monica beach. Every corner we turned held a new adventure waiting to be discovered. We strolled along the famous Walk of Fame, marveling at the names of our favorite stars immortalized in glittering stars on the sidewalk and putting our hands into the handprints left by stars in front of Grauman's Theater. As the day turned into evening, we found ourselves savoring delicious foods at drive-up stands we had never heard of before, such as tacos, burritos, guacamole, etc.

We enjoyed visiting Olvera Street, known as “the birthplace of Los Angeles,” that is a recreation of "Old Los Angeles" and a Mexican Marketplace with restaurants, gift shops, and tree-lined streets with old structures reminiscent of the original. It was created in 1930 to preserve and present the customs and trades of early California. There were several museums and some of the merchants are said to be descendants from the original vendors. Traditional music and entertainment are provided free to the public strolling through this historic area.

Having dinner at Clifton's Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles was also amazing since we had never seen cafeteria-styled dining. As a matter of fact, I can't remember going to sit-down restaurants in my early childhood. We frequently had dinner with church members, friends, and relatives, or bought hamburgers from a neighborhood cafe.

Our biggest thrill was when my brother took us to Tijuana where we shopped and ate Mexican food for the first time. We didn't realize that Tijuana is in Baja California, not really in Mexico at all, but it was authentic enough for us. My sisters and I got to pick a souvenir each. I bought a doll dressed in colorful Mexican attire and enjoyed playing with her when I returned home. (I wonder what happened to that doll.)

By the time my brother drove us back to Union Station to return home, we were savoring memories of our unforgettable first visit to Los Angeles, not realizing that we would be returning to make the City of Angels our permanent home.

Upon returning to St. Louis, my mother began to warm up to the idea of moving to Los Angeles as my brother continued to push the idea during his long distance calls.

She  began considering the steps involved in closing her beauty shop. Sadly, we had to find a neighbor willing to take our dog, Rex, since my mother couldn't manage the idea of moving him.

Two and a half years after returning from our vacation to Los Angeles, we moved just in time for me to register for the fall semester of my second year of a college in Los Angeles.

Many decades later, my sisters and I were delighted we made the move to where we began our families and got to enjoy our dream vacation daily.