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Here's the Blissmobile with the portable kitchen attached. This looks like it could be Yosemite again, in the mid-fifties. 35mm color slide. View full size.
I took several trips up in that area as a kid. Some of my best memories are when we loaded up the 1959 Chevy Nomad wagon (see below) and headed up north from SoCal. We camped in places like Clear Lake, MacArthur-Burney Falls, Lake Shasta, Mt. Lassen, you name it.
Dad took care of the logistics, Mom took care of the cooking. Little old me had his comic books and drawing pad to while away the hours in the car.
Thanks, TonyW for posting.
I think rgraham is on to something; those look to me like coast redwood leaves, not giant sequoia. We know that the Bliss bunch was also camping along the Northern California/Oregon coast.
I was 17. Mid-50s, rainy roadway, slick street car tracks on Sixth Avenue in Altoona, Pa. ("Gateway to The Rest of the World"). I manage to slide my Dad's 1942 Buick Century up onto the sidewalk and hit the convent of Sacred Heart Parish (my grade school alma mater). A woman appears. 'Oh, my gosh! Did you wreck?" The last couple of bricks were landing on my hood. "I’m not sure I'm done yet.” That was Monday. On Saturday I smashed up my mother’s Willys station wagon.
From the looks of the redwood trees, I'm saying Russian River, or anywhere on the north coast. I remember how families would tie ropes between the trees and hang large tarps over them to create very nice campsites. Some would stay all summer, and others a couple of weeks. I can just smell those dried redwood leaves lying on the ground baking in the sun.
Cool little teardrop trailer.
1947 Buick, I believe. Maybe 1948.
[1948-49 chrome trim through the door handles. More here. This was the Special body used from 1942 through 1949. - Dave]
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