Weave the Web
Recording Family Legends for Generations to Come
The Best Summer
by Janet Marsh Webster White
My family did a lot of cool things during our summer vacations. We took a lot of trips and had many wonderful times. The best trip I ever had was to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I was around ten years old so I think it was 1957.
I had never been on an airplane before, so I was especially excited about flying. We all dressed up in our Sunday best, white gloves and all. We flew BOAC (British Overseas Air Corp.) Everything was so formal and so beautiful. Flying in 1957 was as different from today as you can get. I loved flying and the food was fantastic! But then something happened. We hit a big thunderstorm. The plane rocked, shook, and rolled. Everything in the cabin was air born. We all thought we were going to crash and die.
Larry, my younger brother, and I were sitting about three rows back from our mom and dad. I know we must have been scared to death, but I have no memory of any fear. I think Larry and I thought the whole thing was cool.
We arrived in Jamaica and it was a paradise. I had never seen a tropical place like that with beautiful flowers and lush green forests everywhere. I do remember fear during our taxi ride to our house. The driver drove very fast over windy mountain roads, and I thought for sure we would fall off a cliff! My dad had a friend who owned a house in Ocho Rios, and he gave it to our family for a month. It was the most gorgeous place I had ever seen. The house sat right on the Caribbean ocean with its own private beach. There was a black bottom pool and palm trees all over the place. All the rooms were open to the outside, and I still remember the gentle breeze that added to the perfect weather. Best of all, the house was fully staffed. Every night someone left a pitcher of ice water by my bed. The whole set up was like a dream. Larry and I loved climbing the palm trees and getting coconuts. In 1957 there was only one hotel in Ocho Rios called the Arrowwack. We got to use all the hotel amenities. The best were the donkey races on the beach. I have such a vivid picture of my sisters on donkeys. We had the best time.
Today one of the biggest tourist attractions is Dunns Falls. Back then there weren’t even any tourists. I remember going to Dunns Falls and there was no one there but us. We climbed up the falls, and I remember standing behind a rush of water yet staying dry. It was a perfect summer. We had fun in a paradise few people had ever seen. It was all natural and untouched. I feel so lucky to have experienced such a fantastic place. It made such an impression on me.
That was 50 years ago!! I remember it like it just happened. It is nice to have a memory that makes me feel so good. I was "queen for a summer.”
What a lucky little girl I was to have had the best summer of my life.
