San Diego — The Golden Flyer Returns to the City That Once Asked "Where Are They?" Now They Know

When Alice Burke and Nell Richardson rolled into San Diego on June 2, 1916, the city was buzzing. Alarming rumors had swept Los Angeles that the women had gone missing in the desert for nearly a week — until a telephone call from Alice to the San Diego Motor Company produced the reassuring newspaper headlines: "THEY'RE NOT LOST." 

They arrived escorted by the local Saxon dealer W.P. Creswell, who met them in El Campo and guided them into the city. At the Plaza de Panama, they were surrounded by hundreds of curious visitors. Alice told the crowd that San Diego's roads felt like "boulevards" compared to the South. She also used the moment to publicly champion a recent local case tried by a jury of women — arguing that female jurors were essential to equal rights. 

The travel-worn Golden Flyer, covered in signatures and still bearing its original christening dent, was put on display at the Saxon showroom on the corner of First and C streets. On the evening of June 2, Alice and Nell delivered suffrage speeches directly from the car at the corner of Seventh Street and Broadway.

One hundred and ten years later the Golden Flyer II rolled into Balboa Park under a soft coastal sun, its brass fittings catching the light just as they must have more than a century ago. There, at the Center for Women's History, a part of the San Diego History Center, the past and present seemed to meet in a single breath. In a place built to celebrate stories too often left out of the record, our journey felt right at home — another chapter in a long, unfinished story of women driving change, quite literally, across America.

Surrounded by the beauty and history of Balboa Park, we were reminded that the road we're traveling was first mapped by women who refused to wait their turn. Just as Alice Burke and Nell Richardson once used a car to spark conversation and claim space, we arrived carrying that same spirit — inviting new voices, new stories, and a renewed call for equality.

San Diego welcomed us not just with sunshine, but with a sense of continuity: from the pioneers who fought for the vote, to the leaders and advocates still pushing for full equality today. Here, in this vibrant corner of California, the message was clear — the journey isn't over, and the road ahead is still ours to move forward.

Saturday afternoon was the perfect time for our visit to the park, full of parents and infants in strollers, children running and jumping, and teens in groups hanging out — many came over from the promenade to see the Golden Flyer II, take selfies, and hear about the suffrage drive and today's visit promoting the ERA.

One young couple, just engaged to be married in June, jumped into the Saxon as a way to start their journey in a state where marriage is a partnership under the law. Because it's a community property state, everything earned during a marriage belongs equally to both partners — no matter whose name is on the paycheck. Caregiving, raising children, and managing a household all contribute to the family's success — even if one partner isn't earning a salary. Ideally, when the ERA is recognized, equality in marriage will not depend on a zip code, rather on constitutional rights for all.

Inside the Center is a terrific collection of items and displays about women's history — including historic buttons, magazines, textiles, and garments from San Diego women who helped shape the region's civic and cultural landscape. We proudly added the Sign4ERA.org button to the collection. Plans are underway for a major expansion over the next few years, explained the Center's Public Programs Manager, Melissa Jones, who arranged for our visit.

A driving force behind the Center is Sandra Maas, who herself made history in 2026 by finally winning a major pay equity case — a jury trial found her employer, KUSI-TV in San Diego, was paying her less than her co-anchor. In 2023, she produced and hosted Trailblazing Women with Sandra Maas, an award-winning video series celebrating the inspiring, visionary, and daring women who lead the way by making a difference in their communities, careers, and lives of others.

Sandra was the perfect choice to MC the Driving the Vote for Equality program that included Kristine Custodio Suero, Chair of the San Diego County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls; Gail Friedt, Chair of the San Diego City Commission on the Status of Women; and former Congresswoman Susan Davis — along with Jeryl Schriever, author and co-owner of the Golden Flyer II, and Camerina Davidson, CA NOW President.

Commission Chair Suero welcomed the Golden Flyer II to California and proudly told the group: "We are here today not just to honor the history of women's rights, but to make history — we are a part of it."

Gail Friedt added a call to action: "The Golden Flyer has returned to San Diego, this very same spot where the suffragists came, and we need to take the necessary steps now to finish their work."

Each of the speakers thanked former U.S. Representative Susan Davis for her many years of support for women's rights while representing San Diego in Congress for 20 years, from 2001 to 2021.

"When women win, everyone wins," Davis told the group. "We need the ERA in the Constitution more than ever, and we will win." She thanked Carolyn Maloney for her tireless fight for the ERA and for the Driving the Vote for Equality Tour coming to San Diego.

The pathway to Congress for Susan Davis started with a local school board election, then the state assembly, and finally the U.S. House of Representatives, where she championed women's health issues. Immediately after Virginia ratified the ERA in 2020, Davis helped pass the initial ERA Joint Resolution in the House that affirmed and recognized the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution — but it never had a Senate vote in that session.

Jeryl Schriever, author of Driving the Vote for Women, shared captivating stories about Nell and Alice. She read excerpts from local media coverage noting that their journey coincided with the 1915–16 Panama-California Exposition that celebrated the Panama Canal opening, which positioned San Diego as the first U.S. port of call.

Kathy Bonk spoke on behalf of ERA NOW to thank the group and share the strategy for Congressional recognition of the ERA, noting that "California was pivotal to winning the vote." She added: "More than a century after suffragists hit the road, leaders like Susan Davis carried that same spirit into the halls of Congress, and we thank you and others here today. We need your help and your signing of the national ERA petition, which we hope reaches one million by Election Day."

Camerina Davidson, CA NOW President, closed with the road map: "A 2027 Joint Resolution in Congress — when both Houses have pro-ERA leaders — is a practical and doable strategy. One we can win." She urged everyone to ask friends and family to put their names on the Sign4ERA.org petition.

As we packed up in Balboa Park, the echoes of stories shared and connections made stayed with us, riding along as we turned the Golden Flyer II north. The road to Los Angeles stretches just a few hours up the coast, but it carries more than miles — it carries momentum.

Sunday awaits our traveling crew in Los Angeles, where our fearless leader Carolyn Maloney joins the Driving the Vote for Equality Tour and Jay Leno — comedian and classic car collector — welcomes the Golden Flyer II, bringing new voices, new audiences, and new energy to greet this old car with its timeless message. From San Diego's celebration of women's history to the heart of LA, the journey continues — linking past to present, and gathering strength with every stop along the way.