THE POCONO ADVENTURE - PART TWO

We checked in to the ancient Swanee on the Delaware Inn.  Wow an inn – this was a swanky place.  Bub and I shared a room as did all of the other mighty Collegiate’s – except for Rev Snigwigger who merited a single room, no one really wanted to be monitored by him as a roommate.  He was a very serious Methodist.

I noticed right away that everything was white – white wicker chairs, white woodwork, white walls, lamps, bedspreads – everything.  It was like Siberia on the Delaware.  Plus, for a swanky place our rooms weren’t air conditioned!  And the elevator was out of order too.  But being young the four flights didn't bother us as we rambled up to our attic rooms (we had gotten a great room rate - now we knew why?)

We settled in after the long hot ride.  I unpacked my wardrobe and filled the white chest of drawers as Bub tossed his bag on the floor.

We all were not too tired to case the place en masse’.  

First we checked out the massive dining room, now long over its dinner service.  The card room.  The reading room filled with overstuffed chairs and worn magazines dating back to the 1930's. Then we heard the drumming beat of a bass and we followed the sound to the Delaware Room Night Club. Wow, a real night club.  Nothing like the shot n a beer bars in Millville that we all were patiently waiting to come of age to patronize.  

Small cabaret tables circled the polished dance floor with a mirror ball hanging above it.  At the bar a lonely tender waited for us in a white jacket resting on his elbows, hands propping up his chin.  I wondered if he had learned to sleep with his eyes open? The music was coming from a DJ on the small stage with two speakers.   

There were only too couples in the place, gazing at each other through the blue romantic haze – neither seemed to notice us.  I immediately pegged them as honeymooning newlyweds.  

As the ten year old song ended the DJ picked up the mike and blasted us with feedback. 

“Sorry bout that folks…Hi, my name is Nick Charles and I am your Shawnee Inn Social Director (we would soon learn that ” Mr. Charles" was also everything else at the inn – from organizing softball games to mahjong tournaments; acting as dining room maitre de hotel to hawker of discounted attraction tickets; and most important – the headliner for the Saturday night Shawnee Stars floor show. 

He continue with a litany of “super” events that he had planned for a weekend of festive fun.   

“Hey folks be sure to meet us at the front desk at 7:AM for our Pocono Mountains nature walk where we will see wildflowers and wild life – deer, birds, you know – but ha ha please don’t eat the daisies – ha ha.  And at 10 it's Horse Racing in the Delaware Room.  Big money prizes folks.  At noon our Buffet Lunch by the pool and at 1 pm the Swanee Staff All-Star Undefeated Softball Team will take on our newly arrived guests, the Collegiates of Millville NJ.  

Good grief Rob had signed us up already  – “Hey welcome guys and if you don’t have your gloves we got ‘em – plus we will have a ton of hot dogs and ice cold sodas for ya, compliments of the Inn.”  

By this time the two honeymoon couples had disappear.  I assumed that they had their own activity planned.

Rick or was it Nick continued, “And remember folks – Saturday night is the big big big show, starring me, ha ha, with the Swanee Trio and a special appearance of Philadelphia TV's own Larry Ferrari on the Hammond Organ”  

Years later I would learn that Larry and his mother visited the Inn every weekend all summer where he exchanged some tunes for two rooms.  In the winter he and mom did the same at the old Senator Hotel in Atlantic City. Larry was frugal but show business was his life, I suppose.

"Good grief" - I thought – what an itinerary and we would learn it would be just for us because we never saw or anyone else again the entire weekend.  It was still the off season we would learn.

The only evidence that there were other guests, the room service trays outside a few doors.

After we chugged our complimentary  “Cokes on the Rocks” we walked to a small dock on the river where the complimentary rowboat was moored.  

The new moon glistened off the water that separated us from Jersey.  The stillness only broken by an occasional cricket chirp and the rustling of the pines.  

Frank passed around a Phillies Cigarillo that he bought at the gift shop.  They came with plastic holders.  We all took turns clinching and puffing and doing our best to be sophisticated “Men of the World” on holiday – after a few puffs and all trying not to cough, we decided it was time for bed.  We agreed we should get some rest as tomorrow looked like it might be a very full day.

I drifted off to sleep in my white room under my white summer blanket - it was a bit chilly.  (My mom was right again, it does get chilly in the mountains)  I was so glad I had remembered by PJ's.  

The sound of Bub's jockey short snores faded as did my last conscious thought...this was going to be a great trip, I think? 

 (TO BE CONTINUE)

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 [COI1]e