When Paul and I got married, I was told by all of Paul's family that I should meet Aunt Betty, who wasn't able to make it to our wedding. It was a couple of years before I met her in Oregon, and I instantly connected with this vibrant, outspoken lady. One of our fondest memories was meeting Betty again in 2015 while traveling in France as we had by chance ended up in Europe at the same time. She took us, very unseasoned travelers, out to dinner in Paris and gave us many helpful travel tips. A few days later we met up in London where she took us to see the Royal Ballet's performance of Romeo and Juliet, fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine. It was beyond beautiful! But the standout memory was Aunt Betty taking us to see the musical Kinky Boots. Neither Paul nor I knew much about it, but it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable things we did on our trip. We all laughed so hard together. I will forever cherish that unexpected and incredibly fun time we had.

-Melissa Gerla

Dad decided we needed a vacation during the summer of 1963. I was 9 years old and Betty was 15. With Mom’s approval, Dad mapped a route that would take us from our home in Peekskill, New York, north to Montreal via Lake Champlain, the large lake that forms the border between New York and Vermont. We would also spend two days at Arnprior, Ontario, where Dad was stationed with the Canadian Air Force during World War II. Mom and Dad were married on 5 August 1944, and lived briefly in Arnprior, leaving shortly after the end of the war in September 1945. After Arnprior, we traveled to Sudbury, Ontario, to visit Dad’s older brother, Frank, and his wife, Dee.

I don’t recall too much of the 1500-mile trip, especially the many long, not-so-interesting miles. I do remember that we stayed overnight on Grand Island, Vermont, in the heart of Lake Champlain...

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