The glossy flyers promised home cooking, all manner of entertainers and fresh country air. But the picture that sold the guests was usually the pool. Families picked a place over the winter by comparing brochures, and a big, bright pool surrounded by lounge chairs did a lot of the selling. At least 13 vacation spots in town had a pool.

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The pool was where the day happened. Kids were in the water all day, sometimes at their own kiddie pool. By afternoon the parents had taken over the lounges and chairs. Organized activities in and around the pool were a regular thing. The biggest resorts offered afternoon cocktails from a mobile bar. Then after dinner the pool deck often became a center of activity again.