Meet Nancy from Long Island, New York

Recently on a warm July day, deep beneath the earth’s surface, Nancy stepped into history — her father’s history. Clutched in her hand was a memento from the past: her father’s original Howe Caverns Club membership card, dated July 7, 1948. She’d never been here before herself. But through a surprising blend of memory, social media, and serendipity, she found her way. “Social media brought me here, in a way,” she said with a smile, standing just outside the entrance to the cave. “I saw the Humanity & Connections posts on the Howe Caverns social media and I thought, ‘Wow, I have that book.’” She was talking about The Story of Howe Caverns, which she keeps prominently displayed in her home — not just tucked away, but visible, always in view, as if quietly guiding her. That moment of recognition sparked something. “I looked inside the book and saw my father’s handwriting, that he had visited on July 7, 1948. That’s when I decided: this year, in July, I’m going.” Her father, Robert Travers, was born on June 28, 1921, in Brooklyn. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and then went on to work as a jeweler in Manhattan, raising a family on Long Island. But his heart was always drawn north, to the rolling hills and quiet lakes of Upstate New York. “He loved it up here,” Nancy recalled. “He and his friends used to come up in the 1940s — in some old Ford, I’m sure — and just explore. He wasn’t married to my mother yet. They’d stay near Cairo or around that area and drive all over. He just loved to tour Upstate New York in the summer.” Though he is no longer with us, Nancy feels his presence now more than ever. Seventy-seven years and two days after his visit, Nancy found herself walking the same underground paths her father once did — feeling the same cool air, seeing the same stone formations that must have filled him with awe. “I couldn’t help but think of him,” she said. “He was such a great guy.” With her today was a friend who shared her own memory. There was a time when she visited Howe Caverns during the holidays, the cost of admission was simply a food donation. The spirit of generosity, connection, and history lingers here. Nancy’s visit was more than a trip. It was a tribute, a quiet pilgrimage, a way to honor the past while living fully in the present. She hopes others will do the same. “Do yourself a favor,” she said, “and go back and relive your parents’ history. Even if it’s just a couple little places — it changes you.” Before she left, Nancy shared one message she hopes the world will remember: “We’re all just doing the best we can with what we’ve got. We have to be more accepting of each other. Kindness really, truly matters. It’s such a simple act, but it is profound.” And with that, she turned to head back to Long Island — carrying a piece of the past, and her father, with her. Life is short. Make time to enjoy it. Thank you so very much for visiting!