Destinations Past

Yours truly (front) in 1968 at Frank Davis Resort, Moodus 

When Linda and I took our dog Oreo to the Moodus section of East Haddam for a walk in one of Connecticut's newer state parks, little did I know that a wrong turn would take us into one of the creepier properties next door.   As we entered what looked like the remains of one of many resorts that used to dot the Moodus landscape, it dawned on me that I'd been here before in the sixties on a day trip with grandparents and cousins.   A quick Google search confirmed that the former Sunrise Resort had gone out of business in 2008 and was sold to the State of Connecticut.   It was known as the Frank Davis Resort when I was originally there.   I remember the day rowing down the nearby Salmon River, diving into a huge pool and eating in a big hall.    These days, only a couple of buildings at the entrance, cracking pavement and a few old basketball hoops remain after vandals and demolition crews moved through.   Check out this commercial and video taken after it closed and before most buildings were demolished.     Being there this year brought me back to a time 45 summers ago that seemed so different.    The decline of these resorts - a smaller scale version of New York's Catskills - shows how more sophisticated types of recreation have replaced these venues more likely to be owned by a family than a conglomerate.   There was a time when working class families only had an opportunity to escape the heat of the city by coming to these resorts.   Now that supersized theme parks, cruise liners and tropical beaches have become must-see destinations for the masses, I wonder which generation is actually missing out.