David (Dave) and Rita Garretson of Rochester New York took an epic road trip! This last Tuesday, Sept. 27 was the start of their 5th week on the road.
“Yes, we’ve been 5 weeks on the road and we plan to be home this Saturday,” said Mr. Dave Garretson. “Ever since I visited Garretson as a ten-year-old boy, I wanted to come back. I remember getting my picture taken by the Garretson water tower and thinking about how cool it was. Well, having met Mr. Oran Sorenson and the morning breakfast crew at Palisades’ Oil, I know that I will be coming back to Garretson again.”
Garretson said that he is not aware of any direct familial connection with the namesake of the town. He said he can trace his roots to the Dutch immigrants of New Amsterdam, the city whose name changed to become New York.
The story of the road trip Dave and Rita Garretson have been on is worth a news article all by itself.
“Rita and I are retired and we like to travel,” he said. “Like everyone else in 2020 our lives were upheaved by the pandemic and our plans changed. So, we’re having our 2020 trip in 2021 instead.”
They signed up with a touring travel service based out of Chicago, first driving themselves to Shy-town and then joining a 9-vehicle touring convoy to tour the classic route 66. They kept in contact with their tour guide and fellow passengers via walkie talkies on the civilian band, noting turns, stops, landmarks and historical places all along the way to California.
“It really was an epic road trip,” Dave Garretson said. “We would see one or two museum’s every day. A great chance to see American history unfolded. We’ve really have had a blast.”
Many of the stops have included the presidential libraries, including president Nixon. When they stopped at the George McGovern Legacy Museum in Mitchell, SD, Mr. Garretson said that they deliberately signed the guest book with the pen he acquired from the Nixon presidential library in Yorba Linda, California.
Coming up to Garretson for breakfast before heading out for the Twin Cities was a spur of the moment decision, and one Mr. Garretson said that he enjoyed greatly. He made fast friends with Oran Sorenson as the morning coffee crew gathered at Palisades.
“Great conversation and a very nice surprise for us,” he said. “It is quite a drive, but we will, most certainly, be back.”
On their way out the door Oran was introducing the couple to others in line at the register. “Your name is Garretson, really?” asked one fellow. “Why yes,” Mr. Dave Garretson joked, “We’ve come to claim what’s ours!”
