STATETEN ISLAND Delphine Shannon, a 93-year-old from Altoona, Pennsylvania, is one of the 1% of people who have visited all seven continents.
In 1979, Shannon went to Israel with a Christian group, which marked the beginning of his international travels. But her desire for adventure began in the 1930s, when she was only five years old, when her mother decided to put her on a train to Staten Island to reside with an aunt and uncle due to the effects of the Great Depression.
At the Altoona Mirror, Shannon told Pat Keith, “That’s when I got the traveling bug.”
On a map that her son Jim Shannon has marked, Delphine Shannon indicates one of her vacation destinations. (Photo by Altoona Mirror/Patrick Waksmunski)Waksmunski Patrick/Altoona Mirror
Shannon has made a few journeys to New York City after her initial visit, organizing excursions with her loved ones.
When Shannon was eleven years old in the summer of 1942, she traveled to New York City and spent three months with her aunt and uncle. Every day, Shannon would press all eleven buttons and take the elevator to each floor of the eleven-story apartment building where they lived.
Shannon told her daughter Claudia Pentland, “I was enthralled by the vast buildings and the hustle-bustle of the city, coming from a small town, Altoona.”
When Shannon was eleven years old, she went to the theaters by herself to see two black and white movies: I Walked with a Zombie and one about the American War. She remembers being shocked to see a Colgate toothpaste factory in the city.
Delphine Shannon peruses travel photo albums alongside her son, Jim Shannon, and daughter, Claudia Pentland. (Photo by Altoona Mirror/Patrick Waksmunski)Waksmunski Patrick/Altoona Mirror
A twelve-year-old boy from the building accompanied Shannon to a baseball game, where she witnessed the World Series without realizing it at the time.
He must have been nervous since he made us run across numerous streets and two subways. Shannon remarked, “I barely kept up with him.” Toward the end of the game, I began to feel a little restless and bored. The man sitting next to me then inquired about my feelings, not understanding what it meant to be at a World Series game at the time.
Claudia explained that her mother loved New York and made eight or so trips there.
When Shannon was 19, she drove to New York City with four pals to attend Phantom of the Opera with her sister. In addition, she traveled by train to see her daughter Claudia, who was flying in a helicopter to the New York School of Dog Grooming.
Shannon enjoyed frequent ferry travels to Staten Island and day bus excursions with family and friends throughout her remaining time in New York.
In the years since, Shannon has traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, Ireland, Japan, Guam, and roughly 20 islands, including the Hawaiian Islands, the Virgin Islands, and the Greek Islands.
Shannon responded to Pat Keith from the Altoona Mirror when he asked her what she liked best about traveling: Seeing the world and other cultures where they are similar to us and you still love them is what it is all about. Humanity is something I love. In a difficult world, we are all one.
This article was written by Patt Keith, a staff writer for the Altoona Mirror.
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