American Road Trip 1979 on Kodachrome

lynnb said:
#USA34-24 San Francisco from Twin Peaks, 10 June 1979.
1920px image.
Click to expand...

lynnb said:
#USA34-24 San Francisco from Twin Peaks, 10 June 1979.
1920px image.

View attachment 4844931
Click to expand...

Amazing, this. I stayed in one of those 'villas' (about halfway up the middle street, I recognized it as soon as I saw this image) in 1982 when I arrived from Sydney (via two relaxing stopovers in Honolulu and LA, those were truly the good old days of International flying when an air ticket to anywhere included stopovers at little or often no extra cost) at the start of my 10-month 'career' as a relieving news reporter for a press syndicate. My last ever foray into news journalism. I walked up this hill a few times but sadly, never thought of taking a photo. Thanks to you, Lynn, for letting me relive a small moment in my past life.

Something I meant to ask you - how does it feel to be looking at these images of your trek across North America, 45 years ago? I know when I look at mine from two similar journeys (1979 and 1982), it brings backmany memories. Some enjoyable, a few not so much, many bittersweet. Thoughts of my lost youth and not enough accomplished in my life - too few Ektachromes and Kodachromes!!
 
Last edited:
DownUnder said:
Something I meant to ask you but so far haven't - how does it feel to be looking at all these images of your 1979 trek across North America? I know when I look at mine from two similar journeys (1979 and 1982), it brings back so many memories. Some enjoyable, a few not so much, many bittersweet. Thoughts of my lost youth and not enough accomplished in my life - in this case, too few Kodachromes taken!!
Click to expand...
I have similar feelings, bittersweet… I had a great time, and looking back through these images brings back many memories, as well as feelings of excitement and optimism at that time. This was my first trip outside of Australia. I couldn’t have known it would also be my last. That perspective now generates some sadness, as I always dreamt of traveling the world with my Nikon and endless Kodachrome. Didn’t happen.

Life happened. Stuff happens. Life has one direction and we have to make the most of each moment, and not spend much valuable time looking backward, except with warmth at the things that have made it all worthwhile.

I’m enjoying finally putting this story together, after 45 years. I figure I’ve now procrastinated enough 🤣
 
Ah, SF Chinatown. In 1982 I found, entirely by chance, a Chinese tailor in a small shop, who spoke only Hokkien but his charming 21 year old daughter, a uni law student with a magnificent command of the Queen's English, was there when I wandered in. After much linguistic to'ing and fro'ing between the three of us I ordered three pairs of English wool business pants, in a classic cut. They weren't budget priced, but I wore them for many years until (I'm not quite sure which applies here) either they shrank or I expanded, and I had to retire them to my cupboard where they remain to this day. As good as when they came out of the shop's cutting room for my two fittings.

Up that same street in 1979 and 1982 you could still find hole-in-the-wall eating houses serving regional dishes unlike any I've had out of China and Taiwan, even in Melbourne's Chinatown where one can usually get almost every China-based cuisine known. Most had two categories of lunches, $2.50 and $3.50, portions were huge, and I sampled many new foods I'd not yet eaten until then (and today am unsure I would want to eat again). Most of the customers were Asian, many spoke little English and I did wonder how they coped in a culture where cultural homogenization to the standard American urban lifestyle was so deeply entrenched.

SF's Chinatown was a treasure-trove of wonderful images for a wandering photographer. Many of mine went to a stock agency and a few sold. When that agency closed in 2002, half of my original slides were returned to me but many were lost. As inevitably happens in the course of a long and adventurous life and I've no cause to regret any of it. All the plusses I've had in my time far outweigh the minuses.

I had the same feelings as you did about Fisherman's Wharf. And I never gotto Alcatraz. In my archives I have one image of that massive stone, I recall I took it from the Coit Tower grounds with a cheap Elicar ??-210 zoom lens I bought at Grace's Pawn Shop in King's Cross. I have that slide somewhere. Not sure what happened to the lens. Likely I threw the damn thing out before I left California for Sydney, it was truly a hateful crap piece of glass.

In most ways the "American way of life" I saw and experienced during my two trips there is now history. Climate change, environmental degradation and other aspects of the global pre-apocalypse era has impacted deeply on the USA and many things we took for granted, notably the massive glut of camera gear and the cheap films and photo everything one could buy then, are gone. Which in a way is sad, but in yet in other ways inevitable, our planet has moved on and most resources are no longer as abundant or as inexpensive as they were.

Lynn, you and I were two truly lucky bods to have traveled to 'Merka' when and how we did. The going was truly good then and the way we went about crossing that vast country would now be far too expensive for us now. The Aussies I know who now go overseas to North America usually do so on package tours - and even those are now well too expensive for many of us. In the mid-'80s I opted to focus my areas of interest to Southeast and Central Asia, for travel and also culture, traditions, architecture, arts - and food. Even now a fairly long trip to SEAsia is cheaper than most two week holidays in Australia. I still travel, if not as much as before, and I watch my budget carefully to afford my sojourn overseas.

From all your comments in this thread I have a visual picture of one who budgeted carefully, made the best of all his time there, enjoyed every moment of every day, and used his camera and lenses and slide films (and your talented visual skills and style) all to their best. Your images are proof of this.
 
Last edited:
DownUnder said:
Ah, SF Chinatown. In 1982 I found, entirely by chance, a Chinese tailor in a small shop, who spoke only Hokkien but his charming 21 year old daughter, a uni law student with a magnificent command of the Queen's English, was there when I wandered in. After much linguistic to'ing and fro'ing between the three of us I ordered three pairs of English wool business pants, in a classic cut. They weren't budget priced, but I wore them for many years until (I'm not quite sure which applies here) either they shrank or I expanded, and I had to retire them to my cupboard where they remain to this day. As good as when they came out of the shop's cutting room for my two fittings.

Up that same street in 1979 and 1982 you could still find small hole-in-the-wall eating houses serving regional Chinese dishes unlike any I've had anywhere out of China and Taiwan, even in Melbourne's Chinatown where one can usually get almost every known China-based cuisine known. Most had two categories of lunches, $2.50 and $3.50, the portions were huge, and I was offered the opportunity to sample many new foods I'd not yet eaten until then (and today am unsure I would want to eat again, but let's not go there). Most of the customers were also Chinese, many spoke very little English and I recall wondering how they managed to get by in the USA where cultural homogenization to the stereotypical American lifestyle was (and likely still is) so inevitable.

At any rate SF's Chinatown was a treasure-trove of wonderful images for a curious photographer. Most of mine went to a stock photo agency and quite a few sold. Sadly that agency shut down about 20 years ago, about half of my original slides were eventually returned to me but many are now lost. These things happen in the course of one's long and adventurous life and there is no cause to regret any of the losses. For me all the plusses I've had in my time far outweigh the minuses.

I had exactly the same feelings about Fisherman's Wharf. And I never made it to Alcatraz. In my archives I have only one image of that massive stone, taken from (if memory serves me right) the Coit Tower grounds with An old Elicar 85-210 zoom lens I bought dirt-cheaply from Grace's Pawn Shop in King's Cross. I know I have that slide somewhere. Not sure what happened to the lens. Likely I threw the damn thing out before I left California for Sydney, it was truly a hateful crap piece of glass.

In many ways I believe now that the American 'way of life' I saw during my two trips has now largely vanished. Almost half a century later the global pre-apocalypse era has impacted on the USA and many things we took for granted, especially the super cheap camera gear and films and photo everything Americans could buy back then, are now history. Which in some ways in sad, but in many other ways inevitable, the world has moved on and most resources are no longer as abundant or as inexpensive as they were in the 1960s and 1970s.

Lynn, you and I were two truly lucky bods to have traveled to 'Merka' when and how we did. The going was truly good back then and the way we went about crossing that vast country would now be much too expensive for us to even consider. Most Australians I know who have been overseas to North America go on package tours and even those are now well out of reach for many of us. In the 1980s I decided to focus my areas of interest to Southeast and Central Asia, not only for travel but also culture, traditions, architecture, arts - and also food. Even now a fairly long trip to Asia is far cheaper than most two week holidays anywhere in Australia, excepting maybe China - and here may I say the magnificent photos of Hakodate recently posted by Yokosuka Mike have inspired me to save my money and skimp on a few luxuries and try for a month in Japan in 2025 if I can swing it. So it seems fairly affordable travel (I would no longer use the term "budget" for any overseas trip from Australia as post-Covid the airfares have swung wildly upwards, also all the other landed costs, even for all the usual consumer and bar trek 'pilgrims' who go to Bali for their yearly two-week revelries in the fleshpots formerly of Kuta or Legian or Seminyak and now of Canggu and beyond.

From all you've written in this thread I have a visual picture of someone who budgeted carefully, made the best of his time there, enjoyed every moment of every day, and above all else used his camera and lenses and slide films (and not to overlook your talented visual style) all to their very best. Your images are proof of this.

I truly hope you have more for us to enjoy. When I eventually return home I too will go through my archives and see what I can find to follow in your footsteps. This is definitely on the cards for me, next year...
Click to expand...
It can definitely still be done without having to remortgage anything - I'd hate to think anyone thinks it can't be. Planning and doing it yourself instead of leaving it to a package holiday company is key of course as is the reliance on Amtrak and Greyhound but it's all part of the fun.
 
Many thanks, Ray Vonn. When I was there for the entirety of the year 1982, I made good use of Amtrak to get to many places that were still served by rail. Busses for me were a last resort, after some unpleasant experiences with lowlife travelers on long night hauls from one state to another.

Has Amtrak suffered the crippling budget cuts most transport systems have undergone since the GFC?? As you wrote, travel by rail could be the way to go for older travelers like me, tho' the cost would surely be higher than doing long treks by bus.

Thanks to this thread and Lynn's excellent written comments, I am once again tempted...
 
Last edited:
DownUnder said:
Many thanks, Ray Vonn. When I was there for the entirety of the year 1982, I used Amtrak a lot to get around those places that were still served by rail. Busses for me were a last resort, after a few less than pleasant experiences with low-life travelers on the long night hauls from one state to another.

Has Amtrak suffered the crippling budget cuts most transport systems have undergone since the GFC?? As you wrote, travel by rail could be the way to go for older travelers like me, tho' the cost would surely be higher than doing those long treks by bus.

Thanks to this thread and Lynn's excellent written comments, I am once again tempted...
Click to expand...
Admittedly, I never traveled beyond one state on Amtrak and always within a state on Greyhound with the exception of NY to Washington DC. I really wouldn't fancy it but would imagine a NY - LA bus ride would result in a lifetime of memories! Anyway, back to the images....
 
Multistate on Greyhound... Oh that brings back lots of memories. One set was of one time while in uniform that was interesting to put it mildly 🙂 One time I ended up seated next to a young black woman, about my age with a lovely infant who needed help at times. The little old lady across the aisle obviously thought we were a couple since we got along well and I was doing so much to help care for the child. Took awhile for her to decide that she didn't mind... this would have been 1985.
 
USA35-06 cnr. Pine and Mason St, San Francisco, 12 June 1979.
Morning departure from the Olympic Hotel, 140 Mason Street. My tour group are standing around the Dodge Maxiwagon, camping gear and suitcases on the luggage rack ready for departure. The Olympic Hotel is no longer, the same building is now occupied by the Found Hotel. The Olympic could optimistically be called a budget hotel at the time. Next door was the Spartan Cinema, advertising male erotica, “Glorifying the American Male”.

1979_FE_KR25_USA35-06-Edit-1024-RFF.jpg
 
My tour group itinerary followed Highway 1 down the coast to LA, stopping briefly at Big Sur and then a tour of Hearst San Simeon, before arriving next day in LA finishing with a tour of Universal Studios. My departure flight back to Australia was not until June 28 so I had two weeks to go wherever I liked. I tossed up catching a flight to NYC and then exploring New England, but decided instead to visit San Diego and Tijuana before returning to San Francisco to explore the NorCal coast as far as Mendocino, then back south to Big Sur and Santa Cruz before returning to LA.

I am presenting this thread in chronological order. I hope you’re enjoying it, and appreciate your patience.

[there’s a map of my travels in post #1 at the start of this thread]
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom