Us on a Bus Father Takes Four Children on Trip Through Southwest
Griffo's first dispatch finds him aboard the bus with four children, seven bags, Elvis on the radio, and the dawning realization that getting started may be the hardest mile.
Newspaper set
The Star Press / Muncie
12 full articles, arranged by publication date. When an article ran across multiple clippings, the article page gathers those sources together.
Father and Small Fry See Sights of French Quarter
The French Quarter offers history, heat, ferryboats, and the famous fish market, but the children mostly supply the commentary, including Gregory's urgent relationship with every bus washroom.
El Paso Hotel Clerk Gives Father, Four Kids Shelter
In El Paso, a hotel clerk meets four children, one tired father, and no proper reservation, then finds shelter in a sample room that becomes an instant family barracks.
Juarez is a Teaming City With Cop and Wooden Horse
Juarez proves lively enough for any tourist, with souvenir windows, a wooden horse, curious children, and one father trying to shepherd international relations on a family budget.
Radio Recovers Its Voice in Shattering Midnight Fall
The arrival in Phoenix is marked by desert scenery, tired passengers, and a portable radio that survives a crash only to resume blaring at the worst possible hour.
Smoke-Conscious Hoosiers Detect Fire in Hotel Room
Phoenix begins with Gregory's aching ear, breakfast negotiations, drugstore medicine, and Chuck's nose eventually helping detect a hotel-room fire before the day can behave itself.
Most Western' Town Far From Boy's Idea of One
In Scottsdale, the family goes Western with colorful ties, lariat lessons, tourist shops, and Chuck's firm opinion that the West's Most Western Town needs more real cowboy grit.
Arizona Cantaloupes Yield to Antelope as Bus Climbs
A Phoenix layover becomes a democratic family expedition to South Mountain, where hieroglyphics, rocks, heat, and Arizona cantaloupes all compete for the children's attention and Father's patience.
Boy's Meet Midget Matmen, Visit Land of Wyatt Earp
On the way to Tombstone, the Griffo party meets midget wrestlers, Old West legends, and enough roadside novelty to confirm that a family bus trip can outdo any planned attraction.
Cantaloupes Steal Show From Arizona Antelopes
Flagstaff, antelope, mountain views, and Chuck's devotion to cantaloupe all crowd into a day when Arizona's wonders have to work hard to beat a hungry boy's breakfast interests.
It 'Rains' -Soft Drinks on Bus in Desert Country
Between Painted Desert beauty and Albuquerque lights, the bus experiences indoor weather when loose thermos bottles begin raining soft drinks on a passenger, with Martha quietly identifying the storm system.
Griffos Able to Travel Light on Last Lap of Bus Trip
Homeward bound on U.S. 40, Griffo lightens the luggage, survives Denver and the mountains, and discovers that the last lap of a family bus trip is still no place for amateurs.