In 1973, Carl and Lorraine became grandparents; not just once, but twice! While living in Evanston, WY, Jim and Linda had their first child, Cory on August 18. At the same time, Mark met Debbie Arrington and they had a son, Jason, who was born on July 13. Mark and Debbie married in 1976.
In anticipation of his retirement from the State, Carl bought his first RV (1970 Bravo) in 1972 and he and Lorraine took many short trips, including Death Valley and Pt Mugu in Ventura. Carl retired in spring 1973 (at the age of 68). Carl’s office threw a big party and sent him off in style.
Within days he and Lorraine embarked on their first extended RV road adventure. They drove across the southern part of the country, visiting every little town they had rushed through when Carl was working. They went as far as Pensacola and visited friends. They were on their way back when they discovered the coastal town of Gulfport, MS. It was love at first sight. They spent several days there, made some wonderful friends and vowed to return.
Carl and Lorraine started going on Princess Cruises in 1972 to destinations like Mexico and Alaska. But Feb 1978, when they went on the Holland America Line on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, they were truly impressed and Carl remained a loyal seafarer with Holland America from then on. Carl and Lorraine enjoyed destinations like the Caribbean in 1981 and Bermuda in 1982.
In 1973, Carl and Lorraine decided that with travel taking up more of their time (and Mark out of the house) they would sell the house on Marna and move into a smaller place in the nearby condo community of Sovereign Park.
Carl also decided they need a substantially larger RV to travel in, so he bought a Ford pickup truck and 23-ft Terry trailer. Later on, as Carl’s vision deteriorated, Lorraine took on the driving duties while Carl would navigate. With his excellent memory of the roads, he seldom needed to look at the map with his magnifying glass.
On their cross-country trips, Carl always carried a loaded .45 pistol, just in case they encountered someone with bad intentions. During one of their trips across the California desert, Carl pulled over to check the oil. He then decided to do a little target practice with his gun. As Carl was shooting, the CHP drove by and became suspicious. The officer asked Carl a few questions, but let him off with a warning to restrict his shooting to areas more removed from the main highway.
In spring 1975, Carl and Lorraine took their longest trailer trip yet. They spent 10 weeks on the road… staying in Gulfport, visiting Ann & Richard Strawn in Kansas, and seeing Jim & Linda in Aztec NM. Linda was quite pregnant and just a few weeks later she gave birth to their second child, Teri Lynn on July 7. Kelly was born 2 years later on April 6, 1977 after Jim and Linda moved to Eugene, Oregon.
For the next 12 years, Carl and Lorraine traveled extensively, but their favorite destination remained Gulfport. They appreciated the slower pace and warm hospitality of the Gulf, especially their beloved San Beach Trailer Park, which was right on the beach. Lorraine loved to visit with the neighboring ladies or pick berries. Carl liked to putter around the trailer or go with one of the guys on an errand into town. In the evening, the couples would take turns hosting a BBQ or cocktail party.
One of Carl’s favorite stories was the time he and Lorraine were driving across Arizona. Lorraine was eating an orange and throwing the peels out the window. A Highway Patrolman saw them littering and pulled them over. The officer reminded them that littering was against the law and ordered them to pick up the peels. With that, the officer left. They turned around and Carl had to pick up each orange peel on the road. Carl felt silly picking up the peels when the Patrolman wasn’t even around. But as they got underway again and drove up the side of the mountain, Carl passed the Patrolman. The officer waved to them as they drove by and Carl realized he had been watching them from above… making sure they picked up the peels.
Although they never encountered a full-fledged hurricane down south, in 1976 they experienced a huge tropical storm that wreaked havoc along the Gulf coast. Carl had the foresight to park the trailer behind a cinder-block bathhouse and they comfortably rode out the storm while tree branches and torn aluminum siding blew past them.
On Feb 4, 1979, Carl’s brother Art passed away. Carl and Lorraine immediately drove up to Oakland and stayed with Evelyn while arrangements were made for the funeral. Afterwards Carl and Lorraine brought Evelyn back to stay with them in Long Beach, so she wouldn’t have to be alone.
The trip that Carl and Lorraine took in 1983 was a trying one. While in Corpus Christi, Lorraine complained of pain in her chest. Carl brought her to the Navy hospital in Biloxi and Lorraine stayed there for two weeks while they conducted tests. The doctors detected a growth in her chest, but were unsure if it was malignant.
On May 26, Carl and Lorraine set off for the drive home and 3 days later, outside of Albuquerque NM, they had an auto accident. As they drove down into a gully, a gust of wind blasted them. Lorraine was unable to control the fishtailing trailer and it turned over on its side. The trailer was destroyed, but Carl and Lorraine were unhurt and the truck was not damaged. More bad news greeted them when they returned to Long Beach. Lorraine’s growth was diagnosed as malignant and she had to begin chemo and radiation treatments.
After a year of treatment, Lorraine’s condition improved. They still wanted to travel, so in 1984 Carl bought a more stable “Fifth Wheel” trailer. In 1986, Carl and Lorraine took what turned out to be their final trailer trip down South. They stayed a month in Gulfport and took plenty of side trips on their way back.
They stopped in Cimarron and picked up Casey and she rode with them back to California. They visited Evelyn and her husband Bill on their ranch near Auburn. Carl and Lorraine lingered at the ranch several days longer than usual, but finally said goodbye. Casey remained at the ranch and flew home later. As if knowing that this was their final long trip, the closer they got to home, the slower Lorraine drove.
Lorraine’s sickness got progressively worse the next year and spent most of her time in the hospital. One of Lorraine’s last excursions was when she attended the marriage of Mark and his second wife, Ivonne, in June 1988. Though she was in severe pain, Lorraine remained cheerful and involved with her family. By fall 1988, Lorraine went into the hospital for further treatments. Carl visited her every day. Eventually she was transferred to the Care West Rest Home in Long Beach, where she died on Oct 3, 1988. Carl was devastated by the loss. He went into a depression and lost considerable weight.
Carl was further grief-stricken when his sister Casey passed away from a stroke in Nov. 1990. The unexpected loss of the kid sister that he shared so much with made another hole in his heart. His was very disappointed that he was unable to travel to Little Rock to attend her funeral.
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