Many of our vacations were in conjunction with military transfers.  Since the military provided travel time and had a generous leave policy of 30 days per year, we spent a lot of time seeing the sites across the U.S.  

While were stationed in England, my job was only four days a week.  I was off every Friday, and my work day on Thursday ended a noon, and there were three of us in the office and we took turns taking Thursday off, which meant that once every three weeks, I was off for four days and if Monday was a holiday, then five days!  This was free time, not leave.  We could get anywhere in England for a short vacation every week.  So we did lots of travel, seeing sights in London, Cambridge, Liverpool, and many trips to Aberystwyth, Wales at the Welsh National Library doing genealogical research on our family.  Mary was also of Welsh descent.  Because of my Church calling on the Mission Board, many of our Sundays, were spent in Central England and throughout Wales, speaking at conferences and chapels.  We could be back to our home in Bedford within just a few hours driving.  I should talk a little about the cost of fuel.  Gasoline was sold by liters not gallons and very expensive on the economy.  However, we could buy gas on base at U.S. prices.  We were issued coupons each month, for gas, alcohol, and tobacco.  The alcohol and tobacco coupons were like gold.  As a non-drinker and non-smoker, I could trade these coupons with those who didn’t drive much for more gas coupons.  This meant that I didn’t have to buy on the economy.  We did take a 30-day vacation, travelling through Northern England and Scotland.  But since there were military bases scattered throughout the island, we could stop and fill up.  

We really liked Nauvoo, Illinois and would take short vacations with family, usually for three days.  One trip was very special.  Mary and I and Brother and Sister Frank and Loretta Horne rented an apartment in Nauvoo for a week and had a wonderful time attending all of the many activities, including the Nauvoo Temple.

Another special trip was one out west for three weeks with my Sister and her Husband Gene.  Ruthellen had not been west since she was a child.  Gene had lived in Arizona, and of Mary and I had lived in Idaho, Utah and Texas.  But it was great.  We stayed in motels and visited every possible sight and National Park. We did a grand-loop tour.  Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana.  What a trip.  Gene and I each took over 300 photos.  We really looked like tourists with our cameras around our necks and our baseball caps.  One of the biggest thrills for us was Salt Lake City and temple square.  We spent an entire day in the Conference Center and attending the Salt Lake Temple. We hit a snowstorm in Yellowstone in June!  It was cold, but the snow and ice made the geysers and hot springs even more spectacular.