In 1963 gallon of gasoline floated around 25¢ to 30¢ and during “gas wars”  could bottom out at 15¢ a gallon for regular gasoline.  “Penny post cards” were 4¢ or 5¢ each, airmail letters flew for 10¢, 7¢ for ground rate. At McDonald’s hamburgers were served up for 15¢.

The above numbers led us to decide $100.00 each would get us from Canada to Mexico.  No an easy sum to earn.  I was on a working scholarship at Chadwick School, which meant five days a week during most of the summer and every Saturday during the school year I worked my tuition off cleaning, painting and other manual jobs on campus. This left Sundays to earn a buck. (Actually 90¢ an hour was the minimum wage.) I worked at the Los Angeles Yacht Club piloting a 25ft.launch and ferrying the rich and sometimes famous out and back from their luxury yachts moored in San Pedro Harbor. It was a minimum wage job at the above 90¢ an hour before taxes.  Never a tip and seldom a thank you, but $100.00 was raised.

Ed had a similar effort earning his book of ten $10 traveler checks, which we both took for security.