After graduation and my last date with Kay. I hitch hiked to Florida to visit my folks. I left Michigan with just $1.50 in my pocket and had some harrowing hitchhiking experiences on my way to south. (I never hitchhiked before that day) Several strange things happened to me on that trip that should have taught me a few lessons. Tom Nolan and I were supposed to travel to Florida in his Stud-a-baker but those plans got nixed early on and I ended up thumbing it. A month after getting to Fort Lauderdale, I hitch hiked back to Michigan. Forgetting any lessons I should have learned from my first excursion into hitch hiking.

My first venture into Florida wasn’t pleasant because of the heat and no job prospects and I thumbed my way back to Michigan. One of my first jobs was night manager at the Waterford Drive-in. No car yet so had to thumb my way to Pontiac at 2:00 am to my apartment in Pontiac. Kaye had found a new boy friend so on the rebound I tried to build a relationship with Norene.  Norene was a great one with the needle, she made us our steady shirts. and could cook up a storm in the kitchen. Beautiful gal and so darn sweet. A very pretty absolutely the sweetest girl I have ever met. Along with Kay, ;-}

No! This is not my old car, mine was turquoise and white and a hard top but you get the idea. I bought it in 1964 in mint condition for $150.00 From Walter Hart. I now had a car to get back and forth to work and date Norene. During my days at WK I had to use my parents car, a white 1959 Buick with those big ole´ wings in the back. I could not do anything to it, since my parents would not have understood the mood lighting and the rug dash. I spent more time in the back seat then I did driving. During my days at school I had a big black 1948 Chrysler and there was nothing special about it, other then I could not keep it running on a regular basis, so it doesn’t count as my first car.

Seems like I had a lot of girl friends but really only the two. Kay and Norene. After going with Norene for several months her family decided to move to California. I tried hitchhiking out to California to find Norene but she left and came back to Michigan. Jilted for the second time, I was a mess. Her girlfriend made up some stories and thus that ended that chance at true love. (Folks) never believe what people tell you especially if it is about someone that loves you. (see steady shirts)

This foto is on that very trip.  Hitch hiked back to Fort Lauderdale, then back to Michigan, on to Oklahoma where I lived in Enid for another month or two, then down to Dallas. Then onto California, only to find she had gone back to Michigan. So went back to Dallas, and stayed there for nearly a year, finally ending up in Fort Lauderdale again. I had loads of adventures hitch hiking those couple of years, never did learn any lessons, just became very cautious and picked my rides. (Look how trim in 1963-1966)

Things happen for the better, or I never would have met my wife Sandy. We married on July 29th, 1966. Michelle, our first daughter was born in San Antonio, Texas in June 1968. Michelle was 6 months in this photo so this has to be around December 1968. We’re back in Fort Lauderdale. San Antonio was a bad business deal, and hot. (starting to put on the muscle or phat as it is now called)

My first car in Florida was a rusty ole Renault. Then a 56 Dodge, then a mint condition white Lincoln Continental Mark III, my fun car was a 56 Oldsmobile Convertible. Then I got married and Sandy got the Lincoln and I got a Bug-eyed-Sprite. From then on, nothing but vans up until I got myself another cherry Black 1974 Lincoln which is displayed on the site. Now I don’t drive and Sandy has the Van. I opt for my big wheels to get around now.

Mike Dolliver Class of WKHS 1963