The next adventurous woman on my list is Alice Huyler Ramsey. You may never have heard of her, but I love her story. She was the first woman to drive an automobile across the United States. The car was a Maxwell, and the year was 1909. She was 22 years old.
Alice had plenty of experience driving and had even won some competitions prior to her trip, despite the fact that women were not encouraged to get behind the wheel of a motorcar. She was accompanied by two sisters-in-law, and a 19-year-old friend named Hermine. None of the others knew how to drive.
This particular book reprints Alice's original work, Veil, Duster, and Tire Iron, but adds additional material by Gregory M. Franzwa. The extra material adds some background and clarity, but the original work is the gem.
Only 152 miles of the 3800-mile trek were paved. The infant AAA provided maps, but more often the ladies followed telephone poles in hopes that they would lead to some sort of town. Getting fuel was an ongoing problem.
Marie and I alternately roared with laughter and gasped at their predicaments as we read this book for one of our selections on a hike.
Alice was the first woman voted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. She continued to enjoy driving her entire life.
In other news: I did some editing, wrote my column for LDN, and Om and I watched Addams Family Values. I've loved Addams Family since childhood- the cartoons, then the TV series, and the first movie. I was a little skeptical since sequels are sometimes lacking. But this was hilarious. If you have any sacred cows, don't watch it, because it has all the glorious upside-down values of the Addams Family. Wednesday and Uncle Fester are the stars, but baby Pubert definitely comes to the rescue.
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