The Last Bachelor Bash

It is difficult to reconstruct our parents' lives from tidbits of conversation and tiny pieces of information, but now and then we get a treasure of an artifact. This letter was among my mother's things- something she saved and treasured. It tells of a time they were apart, but a time when her young beau clearly missed her.

My father loved to travel and spent most of his vacations traveling during the summers with our family. Two things were important to him as a married man and father; visiting far away family, and sharing the great sights in the United States with his family. Our trips were always car trips.

But this trip was different. I knew that my father had been to Cuba; he spoke briefly about it when he gathered items for Cuban refugees who he knew at Shell many years later. I knew that he spoke Spanish. This trip was a special one- a trip with another lifetime buddy, "Pickel" and the last trip of his bachelor days.

The letter describes his adventure. After a couple of days in Houston, He and "Pic" drove to Galveston to board the Iroquois, one of the Clyde-Mallory Steamship vessels. They sailed to Miami and spent a few days there.

I don't know if they went to the Copa Cabana- but it surely would have been a big draw to someone who loved dance band music!

Then they flew to Cuba for a few days. This may have been my father's first experience on an airplane.

 

A 1930's Cuban Travelogue 

They took Gary's car onboard with them to Miami, so after the trip to Cuba they could take a leisurely drive back up the east coast and then over to St. Louis.

I didn't find a letter describing his experiences in Havana. I would guess he enjoyed music and sightseeing. But knowing my mother she was imagining some of the sights he was seeing like this!

The Letter

Transcript:

Hello Darlin,
    The water is still a bit rough, but not so bad as yesterday. what I mean there were several sea sick people yesterday.
    We landed in Houston about four a.m. Monday and was there until Wednesday afternoon when we drove to Galveston to board this ship. Its the "Iroquois" and a very nice vessel. Left Galveston about six p.m. Wednesday and will arrive in Miami about eight in the morning.
    Incidentily, just took a little swim a few minutes ago not bad at all.
   We will be in Miami for a couple of days, will then fly to Cuba and be there for a couple of days and then catch a plane back to Miami.
     We have my car aboard so will drive up the coast until we get tired of it, then cut on over to St. Louis and expect to be back there by at least Monday morning the 5th.
   Do you know that I have been missing you! Hope you have been getting plenty of sleep because when I get back it would certainly be a pleasure to take up part of your time. And how is the roomie- give her my regards.
   Tis about time to dress for dinner so expect I had better run along. Pic and I have been along with the last getting in to dinner and we decided to try and do better this evening you know- always later- too many other things to do.
       Be sweet and will see you soon,
                             Love, Gary