Media Coverage
CAMPING TODAY MAGAZINE
Camping Today Magazine was a natural media choice since we would be traveling in a Recreation Vehicle (RV) and staying in campgrounds across the country. The pre-trip article highlighted the original Travel Letters trip in the 1940s.
Journalists Malva and Roland Huson with their children, "Jigger" and "Gadget" with whom they traveled the U.S. in 1947 writing travel letters to children. Mother and daughter will recreate the trip in 1989.
Mother-daughter to tour U.S. writing personalized 'travel letters'
BY JUANITA HUSON SYLVEST
At the close of World War II, a young journalist couple, Malva and Roland Huson, loaded their two pre-schoolers, a typewriter, Ditto machine, camping equipment and three changes of clothes into a Ford modified to serve as home, office and transportation.
They then spent almost two years exploring the entire U.S. and sharing their adventures with children throughout the country via weekly personalized "travel letters."
Camping and hiking were pleasurable parts of that trip through the 48 states which comprised this country back in 1946, recalls Malva Huson Brown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Now the 73-year-old grandmother is ready to make the trip again, this time adding the states of Alaska and Hawaii.
"That first trip was with my husband, Roland Huson," she said, "and the purpose was to make our dream come true by writing personalized travel letters to children, who always love to receive mail of their very own".
This time, starting in January, 1989, it will be a mother-daughter team traveling and camping throughout the country while writing the letters. Spear-heading the re-creation of what her journalist parents did is Juanita Huson Sylvest of Annapolis, MD, also a journalist.
"The Huson Travel Letters" will provide a fun way of learning about the cultural and physical geography, history, sociology and ecology of the country," explained Ms. Sylvest. "Each of the bi-weekly letters will contain a map of the area covered, so that children can follow us as we go."
On the first trip, days were spent exploring the people, places and perspectives of the country. At night, the Husons usually camped in their car, which had been modified for sleeping. Huson had hinged the front seat so that its back reclined sufficiently to create a large "bed" in which the parents and baby boy slept. The back of the rear seat swung up to form a pilot berth for four-year-old daughter, Juanita.
Ms. Brown, now a grandmother of fourteen, laughingly recalled that their "back packs" on hikes were frequently children too tired to walk any more
In those days, 43 years ago, organized campgrounds were not as plentiful as today. However, there was greater accessibility to open, unused land. The Husons often camped on the beach, on lake shores or by rivers or streams, often catching fish for dinner. State and national parks and forests were favorite sites.
Other differences between the original trip and the modern one will have the mother daughter educational writing team sleeping, not in their car but in a modern RV. And the Ditto machine upon which the original travel letters were produced will be replaced by a computer.
"The technology has certainly changed," explained Ms. Brown, "but, the Huson Travel Letters will still be friendly, chatty letters from friends, addressed to the individual child, family group, club or class who subscribes. We will share our adventures, telling about what we have seen and done. It will be an exciting and fact-filled armchair journey for the young and young-at-heart!"
The 18-month, 40-letter series is priced at $75 (which averages just 94 cents a week). Additional information about or subscriptions to the Huson Travel Letters are available from Color Art, Inc.; 10300 Watson Rd.; St. Louis, Missouri 63127
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