Eleanor Roosevelt Undertakes Unannounced Road Trips Through Vermont with Minimal Security
In 1933, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt embarked on several unannounced road trips through Vermont and other New England states, and into Quebec, driving herself and rejecting extensive Secret Service protection. Her initial visit to Vermont on June 23, 1933, involved traveling from Massena, New York, to the Maine coast with friends Marion Dickerman and Nancy Cook. During this trip, she was spotted having lunch in Richmond and purchasing maple products in St. Johnsbury. Later, in July 1933, she returned for a three-week road trip with Lorena Hickok, a prominent reporter who later joined the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. Despite Secret Service concerns following an assassination attempt on President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt earlier that year, the First Lady insisted on minimal security, carrying only a revolver provided by the Secret Service, which she kept unloaded in her glove compartment. Her desire was to escape the scrutiny of her role and enjoy a relaxing trip, often going unrecognized by ... 
