World's Fair 1964

In 1964 I was invited to attend the World's Fair in New York.  I was 14 at the time.....ya go ahead and do the math.  Anyway....my parents in no way had the money to give me for this trip so I spent several months  taking in ironing, babysitting, working at a little summer resort, anything that could generate a little savings.  With the help of all our neighbors who provided me with these jobs and what my parents could give me I saved enough to attend.  My girlfriend who had invited me to go along came from a well to do family so they paid for a lot of things that Paula and I did while we were there too.  Bless their hearts they are both gone now but I'll be forever grateful to them for introducing me to travel.

There were so many "firsts" on this trip, my first ride on a train, first time in a large city, first time eating at a restaurant where each person had their own waiter, oh and the first time I was ever in a restroom that had an attendant!!!!!  That was at the Waldorf and I thought I was in heaven to see such a beautiful place, the hotel not the restroom although it was beautiful too.

The World's Fair was wonderful and my girlfriend and I had the best time, this was in addition to all the fun things we did on our first trip to NYC compliments of her parents.  What an experience for a fourteen year old from a very very small town in the midwest.

All the mementos from that trip are long gone with the exception of two...one hangs in my mother's apartment and this one has been lying in the basement unprotected and unloved for many many years.  I brought it up the other day, had it matted and re-framed and will how hang it in a guest room. 

Yup, that's me so long ago that most of the memories of that trip have slipped away.  There was a chalk artist at the fair and he did two drawings of me.  I'm so glad this one has survived and will now be displayed in the house as a memory of a life experience that opened the world of travel for me.