ON VACATIONING GRANDPARENTS 

THE DAILY PASSPORT WEBSITE got me thinking about “7 Places Your Grandparents Loved to Vacation.” Indeed, I don’t recall hearing of my grandparents ever vacationing. But let’s talk about them and glean tidbits of these vintage vacationing venues anyway.

My Maternal Grandparents, Joseph and Mary Twardzik. Not surprisingly, they had a son named Christopher. My daughters remember Uncle Chris fondly because he’d quietly stuff a crumpled ten-spot into each one’s hand seemingly whenever he encountered them.

I don’t recall Grandma or Grandpa ever going off anywhere. He was a miner who gigged as a drummer in local bands (so the story goes, occasionally with the Dorsey brothers, who also came from Shenandoah). 

My Paternal Grandparents. A sad tale. My dad’s mother died soon after he was born. Rather quickly his father married a woman who kicked infant dad out for others to raise. 

My mom called her “Mrs. Simmie Should She Rot in Hell” until the woman’s death, after which she became “Mrs. Simmie Should She Rot in Hell, Rest Her Soul.”

Other than this, I knew nothing whatsoever about these particular grandparents, vacationing or otherwise.

By the way, northeast of Shenandoah, Pa., are The Poconos.

The Poconos—Pennsylvania. Daily Passport writes, “The Pocono Mountains were once a booming honeymooners’ haven. Although resorts existed in the stunning mountain region as early as the 1820s, its tourism boom kicked off in earnest in the 1950s. During World War II, the Poconos became a place of solace for returning soldiers and their partners, and in 1945, the first honeymoon resort was established, starting a burgeoning industry that would proliferate throughout the 1960s.”

The Poconos. Image by Famartin via Wikipedia.

My only personal recollection is that one always says “Up the Poconos,” sorta like we always refer to freeways as “the 405” or “the 110.” Actually the Poconos aren’t all that “up.” Their highest Big Pine Hill is 2280 ft. Shenandoah is 2520 ft., but I doubt anyone ever says “Down the Poconos.” 

Niagara Falls—New York. Daily Passport describes, “Alongside its reputation for daredevil feats and shocking stunts throughout the 19th century, Niagara Falls also emerged as a honeymoon destination around the same time, billing itself as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World.”

Image from Niagara Falls State Park.

You may recall, “To Niagara in a sleeper/ There’s no honeymoon that’s cheaper./ The train goes slow./ Off we’re gonna shuffle,/ Shuffle off to Buffalo.”

I also enjoy Oscar Wilde’s comments about the place “In the Wilde’s of North America.” He told the New York Herald, “Niagara Falls seemed to me to be simply a vast, unnecessary amount of water going the wrong way and then falling over unnecessary rocks.”

And there’s his oft-quoted quip about Niagara honeymoons: “Niagara will survive any criticism of mine. I must say, however, that it is the first great disappointment in the married life of many Americans who spend their honeymoons there.”

Havana—Cuba. Daily Passport describes, “In the early to mid-20th century, Cuba’s capital city, Havana, saw a surge in popularity among U.S. vacationers.…The city’s casinos, nightclubs, and vibrant music community even earned it the nickname ‘the Paris of the Caribbean.’ ”

Image by Sean Pavone/Shutterstock via Lonely Planet.

My Uncle Jake (actually a great uncle) from Shenandoah certainly succumbed to Havana’s charm. Which leads to a family tale: Uncle Jake owed his pair of wooden legs to World War I, but this hardly slowed him down. 

Indeed, he would visit Havana regularly to gamble, planning his dwindling finances to leave just enough to get him to Cleveland (where his favorite niece—my mom—would offer him solace until his next pension check caught up to him). He’d show up at odd hours and say, “Be a dear, Leona, and pay this nice taxi lady.”

Another Uncle Jake story, this one not involving travel: One day in Shenandoah he slipped and fell, leaving one wooden leg at a most unnatural angle. A woman, no doubt a stranger to him, yelled, “Get a doctor! Get a doctor!” Uncle Jake said, “No, just get Lou Muzdy’s [his brother’s] tow truck!

African Safaris. “Safari vacations in eastern African countries like Kenya,” Daily Passport recounts, “were a popular choice among affluent, adventurous travelers of the early 20th century.” 

Well, truth be known, Gramma and Grandpa were comfortable, though not affluent. Two generations later, though, their grandson Dennis got invited by Pirelli to Malamala Game Reserve in northeastern South Africa. 

My favorite photo from the visit. The tip of our Range Rover establishes proximity to this lioness. 

Yellowstone National Park—Wyoming. I suspect my grandparents never got farther west of Shenandoah. However Yellowstone was a destination for Wife Dottie and me, alas after one of its periodic burnouts. 

Image by Mariusz Hajdarowicz/Shutterstock via Daily Passport. 

The Others. Daily Passport describes two other grandparental destinations: the Pyramids (one of my Paul Temple mysteries is centered in Cairo). And Acapulco (isn’t this where people dive from high rocks into the surf?). I doubt any kin of mine ever did. ds

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2024