We are going to hear about that fine flying trip to Mexico. "Bashful Bob" Hogue has come through. Now, actually he isn't bashful at all, but one of the finest young men I know. (He has no control over this portion of the column).

His wife, Marthellen, is a pretty pleasant, brunette, who enjoys flying as much as her busy husband. By way of further introduction, I might say once again, that Bob is general manager of the Bashore Feed Store chain, is commander of the Civil Air Patrol for several counties, is a member of the state agricultural board, a private flier and a citizen of Silver Lake.

Vacation-bound, Bob and Marthellen took off from Rochester airport early on a Thursday morning. First and uneventful stop was at Parks airport, St. Louis, three hours later. Gasoline, light lunch at St. Louis and the flight into Missouri was begun. The actual destination was Springfield.

One of the most interesting phases of the trip was sprung on the unsuspecting couple on this hop. About two hours out of St. Louis things began to take on an unfamiliar look. They were approaching the Ozark mountain area where compasses are darn liars. To make a long story short, they flew and flew, but did not arrive at Springfield.

With only enough gasoline left to make a safe landing in the rugged, hilly country, a smooth and straight road was selected and a landing made. No wonder Bob and Marthellen were lost. The natives didn't even know where they were.

Asking for directions to Springfield, they received as many different answers, were pointed as many different directions as they asked questions. They were in Oxford, Arkansas-a mountain village.

They flew out of Oxford on ordinary automobile ethyl gasoline, for the nearest commercial field. That night was spent in Rogers, Arkansas-first day out of Rochester, Ind.

By now the three-some, Bob, Marthellen and the airplane were well into the mountainous southwest and desolate country. Ducking storms and a persistent cold front, they flew as far as Paris, Texas, by the next afternoon. A lay-over was in order there for a visit with relatives-only two days out of Rochester.

Here they witnessed a high school football game with 10,000 people in attendance. Texas does things big!

Following early morning showers Saturday, they took off for Dallas. Flying over Texas plains, they were dogged by the ever-present cold front and poor visibility. That night they stopped at the million-dollar Flying L ranch--a dude ranch for pilots, about 50 miles northwest of San Antonio. Their stay there was rugged, with the only accommodations individual $25,000 "cottages."

In no hurry, and can you blame them, the take-off was not made until noon Sunday. Back to San Antonio to miss mountains-the highest mountains that is-they arrived at the customs clearing town of Brownsville Sunday evening.

Procedure now is very simple for clearing private aircraft through customs. However, at this point, they parted with their airplane. Bob made the water-hop, 300 miles across the gulf from Brownsville to Tampico, Mexico, in a Seabee, with a friend.

Marthellen, who lives her husband, but has more faith in Pan-American Airways, rode the scheduled liner across.

In quaint and unpredictable, slow-moving Mexico, the fun began. Trying to get to San Luis Potosi, high in the Sierra Madre mountains, they took a train-first class, too! To travel 400 Kilometers took 13 hours and twice as many stops.

Enjoying a wonderful stay there, 6,500 feet above sea-level, they again made the torturous journey down the mountain. Although it took 13 hours to get up, the Mexican train labored 15 hours getting down! There was a brakeman on every car.

Pan-American again dropped them off in Brownsville, to pick up their own plane.

The return trip was made in easy stages via Corpus Christi; Houston; Shreveport, La.; Little Rock, Ark.; Memphis, Tenn.; Paducah, Ky.; Evansville, Ind.; Indianapolis, and Rochester.

Total elapsed flying time for the entire trip was 34 hours. Total cost in gas and oil was $55.00; miscellaneous for hangar rent, tie-downs, maps, etc., $28.00. Cost of transportation totaled $83.00.

Most of the way, radio beams were utilized for navigational purposes, and Bob was surprised to find that private fliers were welcome at the big airports. He found courteous service everywhere. The C.A.A. and weather bureau were friendly throughout the trip, [and ] were very cooperative.

Wanta fly to Mexico?

Warsaw Daily Times Wed. Nov. 19, 1947