Back in August of 1924, Henry Dykeman, son of Effie K. Hooker and Peter Dykeman, married Velma Ellis, daughter of Abert Ellis and Mary E Dutcher. On the third of August, they eloped and got married in Catskill, NY. Family has told me they didn't tell anyone right away. They went on a honeymoon trip, leaving in in October, and returning the following August. Velma kept a diary during the trip which the family found after she and Henry had passed away.
They made the trip in the family car which Henry had converted into what was probably the first 'RV'. They camped in the car across the country, all the way to California and back. Velma was thoughful enough to include in her diary how many miles they had traveled, what the roads were like, and the many things and places they saw along away. Its amazing all they did that first year.
Spring cleaning is common this time of year, and this year some old, old newspapers (some back to 1888) were found in the family homestead attic. On opening the August, 1925 Sunday Courier from Poughkeepsie, NY, there was a surprise. There on page 12 was an article all about the trip, highlighting they had taken this 11,000 mile trip and only spent $325. Very exciting to the newspaper wrote about their trip.
