Courtesy of: The Morning News
By: Rosalie Klein
Elenore and John purchased timesharing at what is now the Renaissance Ocean Suites, when the resort was just breaking ground. “Then it was to be called Harbortown,” recalls Elenore. “We were looking at nothing more than a mound of dirt and they showed us some drawings. By this time, after visiting several other Caribbean islands, we know Aruba was the place we wished to return to every year, so we bought in. A few years later we also purchased an extra two weeks at the Divi Village when that was going up.”
Elenore cites that what she and her late husband John enjoyed most about coming to Aruba was the time they spent with their “extended vacation family.” The acquaintances they made around the pool deck became steadfast friends. Even after John passed on, Elenore continued to return to Aruba twice a year, and reports, “I was never alone. There were always wonderful friends to spend the day with and have dinner with. They never made me feel like the odd man out…despite my husband being gone, I still thoroughly enjoyed my time on Aruba.”
Sixteen years ago, Karen began coming down every year with Elenore during the summers, when she had her break from her teaching job in Neptune City, New Jersey. Elenore eventually sold her Divi Village week in November, as Karen’s job did not allow her to travel at that time. Karen particularly loves visiting with island residents she has befriended over the years, many the owners of the jewelry stores where she enjoyed shopping.
During her many visits, Elenore formed a friendship with another long-time visitor and widow, Katherine Solomon, also a Jersey Girl, from Trenton. She enjoys the ambiance of Oranjestad as her center of operations while on vacation. Between the two, the ladies have around 80 years of vacationing on Aruba.
Katherine’s good friend, Pamela Billups, has joined her on the yearly Caribbean sojourn, as “Kitty,” as she is popularly known, also does better with a traveling companion at this time in her life, but is determined not to miss her annual Aruban vacation. “I began coming to Aruba five years ago, and we both love this time we spend on the island,” explained Pamela. “We love everything about our resort too; the apartment, the beautiful pool deck and the spectacular view of the Caribbean Sea from our room that we wake up to each morning.
Between them, these four ladies have 100 years of visiting Aruba, and they plan to have many more.
