Grand Finale Day Three - Sunday - A Washout

Grand Finale – Day Three – Sunday – A Washout

Some people actually believe that Tido Mambo made it rain and storm as it did when Hurricane Carrol, the third major storm of the season ran past off shore and flirted briefly with making a full force landfall but didn’t, though it did bring heavy winds, high tides, rough surf and tons of rain that began early Saturday evening and went all day Sunday, washing out the Kelly Clan Beach Olympics.

Hurricane Betsey, the second major storm of the season also wandered around off the East Coast south of Bermuda and then made a turn and hit Key Largo full force, the most damaging hurricane up to that time and the biggest to hit the Keys since the 1935 storm that is featured in the Bogart-Bacall Key Largo movie. The ’65 storm took down many historic buildings, including the old Key Largo Hotel the old clapboard joint that is portrayed in the movie, and replaced by the brick bunker Caribbean Club, a shot and beer, juke box and pool table bar.

Although not doing any major damage at the Jersey Shore, the storm put a damper on the beach and boardwalk, and forced changes in routine and direction, forcing most people to switch to Plan B, but the Prince kept on itinerary and prepared to leave on a planned excursion to Washington D.C. to meet the President and then to New York City to attend a meeting on European Security issues at the United Nations.

The Prince had an early breakfast with Grace, Mrs. Kelly, Kell, Lizanne and Don Levine at the old house while most of the kids and the rest of the family conjugated at the beach house across the street.

Grace’s sister Lizanne remarked that when she got to Monaco for the first time she recognized one of Grace’s new responsibilities was the naming of roads, streets, schools, gyms and apartment projects – which she named, to the mystery of the Monaco citizens - Schuylkill, Conshohockin, Pasyunk, Pennsauken, Tuckahoe and Patcong – all names that only someone from Philadelphia area would know and recognize.

Standing up and bowing slightly, and with a salute to Mrs. Kelly, Prince Rainier made his exit, saying, in a quote they knew was attributed to Grace, “I better get while the gettin’s good.”

With thunderous winds and driving rain keeping the Kelly Clan kids inside, including Grace’s daughters Caroline and Stephanie – aged eight and seven, they were kept occupied building Lincoln Log Cabins and a castle out of Legos, and played pickup sticks while the women cooked in the kitchen and played cards – bridge and canasta in the dining room. The men hung in the garage playing pool and darts until early afternoon, just after lunch when everyone went to the movies.

Piling into four cars the kids went to the Village Theater to see “Beach Blanket Bingo,” the women went to the Strand to see “The Sound of Music” while the men and some of the boys went to the Moorlyn to see Sean Connery play James Bond Secret Agent Double-Oh Seven in Thunderball.

The fourth car in the caravan, with Don Levine driving, and Lizanne, Grace and Cousin John Lehman, held back until the others had left and when they got to 9^th Street veered off west and instead of going to the boardwalk they  headed out of town across the Causeway to Somers Point where they would catch the last of the Bay Shores Rainy Day Matinees for the Summer of ’65, which was destined to be a memorable one.