The Whittaker Saga - 1950s (updated 11/01)

Right now I'm busy playing Abigail and Joseph on their honeymoon, and they are having a blast! But before I post I want to talk a little about traveling in the 19th century and why I am, again, blatantly ignoring the rules of the original challenge. (And because I am a teacher at heart and cannot stop myself).

To start with, traveling in the 1890s was not a quick affair, but it was a lot quicker than it had been previously, and the technological advances both when it came to railways and trains as well as steamships had had made trips cheaper and more accessible for everyone. Yes, everyone, not just the insanely wealthy.

There were of course different type of travelling, and they were not all open to everyone:

• The regional trip that lasted one or perhaps a few days. These were usually with horse and wagon to nearby towns and often connected to something you had to do, business or bigger events. You needed to visit the only bank in the region, or attend a wedding, or go to the market to sell your produce. In game, this would be like travelling from Willow Creek to Magnolia Promenade or New Crest.
  

• The migration trip where you moved location entirely. The move to the western US from the east or the migration from Europe to the US. These were long, one way trips, mainly conducted by those who were a bit poorer in the hopes of finding a better life. A few did return from these, many did not, and spent the rest of their lives being only able to talk to their family through letters. So this would be a move from Windenburg or Henly to any of the US worlds. Or a move from Willow Creek to Chestnut Ridge for example.
  

• The vacation trip. This was fairly new in the 1890s, but was becoming more frequent. These were only for those with money. People who were well off could take a train ride to some where, usually the coast. Those with more money could go on the grand tour of Europe. These were expensive trips. A first class ticket on a steam-liner in 1890 was between $5 000 and $10 000 in today's value, and a second class ticket was about half that (to which you had to add the price of staying in Europe of course). In comparison a house could be built for between $60 000 to $ 150 000 in today's value. A trip was a lot of money, but not undoable. Especially if it was a once in a lifetime trip rather than the charter holidays we go on today once or twice a year. As it took 6 days to get to Europe from the US (and 6 to return), these trips lasted a while longer. This is the type of trip that Abigail and Joseph are on.
  

• Finally, the adventure trip. These were trips that lasted months, in expedition form where you hired people to go with you. Into the desert, up mountains or into jungles. These were not for ordinary people, but those brave enough and curious enough to want to see the world. Most of these travellers were men, but a few notable ones were women as well. Mary Kingsley, for example, was the first woman to enter Gabon (she died in 1900). Gertrude Bell, as another, slightly later example, climbed mountains and travelled so extensively in the middle east that after WWI she was consulted on the politics of the area. She was instrumental in the creation of Iraq as a nation. These would be the equivalents of going to Selvadorada, Sulani and Mt Komorebi in game and I am sort of hoping that one of the kids of the family will get the adventurous trait so that I'll have an excuse to send them on one of these trips eventually.