Special Picture # 246 – Lad’s Trip to Florida With Friends – March, 1936

I knew that my father had taken a trip to Florida with these guys because Art Mantle’s niece, Cindy, (my friend from childhood) sent me a couple of pictures of my Dad. A while ago,I was looking for a particular picture and I came across this picture. A few weeks later, I was looking for the same picture and came across this letter that I don’t ever remember seeing. Some additional information on that trip.

Art Mantle, Carl Wayne, Arnold Gibson and Lad Guion

I had thought this trip had taken place in 1935 because that’s what my Mom had written on the back of this picture. The letter below is postmarked March, 1936.

Thursday

SARASOTA

FLORIDA

Dear Dad:

How do you like our new stationary. We got some from each of the numerous Hotels here, but I think this is the best. We are here in Sarasota visiting some distant relatives here of Carl’s. It is really a very pretty place and the weather is fine. The biggest trouble is the sulfur water but we are beginning to get used to it.

If you want to write you can send it to general delivery, Miami. We are leaving here tomorrow afternoon for the last leg of the trip in a southern direction. Everything is fine except that after leaving Aunt Anne’s * Monday afternoon and stopping at Silver Springs for a short visit, a bearing burned just outside of Ocala. This time it

was number one. But again the Ford is running fine. Now I have invented an oil pump to keep oi l in the front of the motor to eliminate the trouble of overheated bearings.

We all went swimming this afternoon and got slightly burned on the beach. The water was cool at first but after the first dip it was pretty good.

We are going to look the town over tonight and I still have to get shaved and dressed so as much as I hate to, I will have to let it go until some other time.

Hope to hear from you in Miami.

Love

Lad

* Lad and his friends, Art Mantle, Carl Wayne and Arnold Gibson stopped to visit Grandma Arla’s youngest sister, Anne (Peabody) Stanley in St. Petersburg, Florida. This is where Elizabeth (Biss) went during her Junior year in High School to help Aunt Anne care for her two children, Don and Gwen Stanley, in 1934. This story is told in the Category, “St. Petersburg, FL”.

Tomorrow, I’ll begin posting letters written in 1942. The year is just beginning and Draft Boards are getting busy.

Judy Guion