Summer vacations aren't what they used to be. A number of unfortunate developments -- sky high fuel prices, increasingly severe weather, arbitrarily canceled flights, crumbling roads and infrastructure, ad nauseum -- have coalesced into a perfect storm that has blown away all the joy and relaxation of the vacation season and replaced it with anxiety and disappointment.
When I was a kid, road trips were all the rage. We'd stuff the station wagon full of luggage, games and picnic lunches and take off for the lake, or some attraction that was far enough away to feel exotic, but not so far as to let the delicate micro-ecosystem of the family break down.
In those days, disappointment was stopping to eat a boring picnic lunch instead of partaking of a real, sit-down restaurant. Today, it's being stranded at the airport at 2 am after your flight has been cancelled, with the food court long closed and nowhere to go.
If it's any consolation, the denizens of the sibling universe adjacent to our own, where monsters are the norm and not just an occasional aberration, also struggle with a variety of issues when they attempt to take hard-earned vacations. And sometimes the setbacks are truly humongous.
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| The Rhedosaurus was peeved that he was too tall for the Coney Island roller coaster. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). |
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| Godzilla had been looking forward all winter to a relaxing cruise, but was furious when he realized that the ship was way too small. Godzilla 2000 (1999) |
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| Gargantua cursed the slow-as-molasses TSA security line when he realized he had missed his flight. The War of the Gargantuas (1966) |
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| The 50 Foot Woman was so disappointed with her hotel accommodations, instead of trashing them on Yelp, she decided to just trash the hotel itself. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) |
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| Ebirah was outraged when he traveled all the way to Australia for a cookout, only to learn that the main course was shrimp on the barbie. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) |
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| Gorgo was looking forward to his first visit to the circus, until he discovered he was the main attraction. Gorgo (1961) |
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| The Colossal Man was sure he would win big in Vegas, but instead he lost his shirt. The Amazing Colossal Man (1957) |
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