I like to travel. I have been all over the world. I have been asked if I have favorite places to visit. And I have always answered that my two favorite spots in the world are Israel and Italy. I just love those destinations. And I do hope I get to these places again. We will have to see in this era of the pandemic.
But as for trips, trips to these places while wonderful are not the best trip I have ever taken in my life. My most favorite trip, far and away, was the first real trip I ever took in my life; six and a half week trip the summer of 1969 cross country and back. I was all of 15 years old and it was the greatest trip of my life.
Between July 1 and August 14, 1969 I went on a tour called USY (United Synagogue Youth) on Wheels. It was a tour run by a Jewish youth group and we traversed the United States in those 6 or so weeks, staying in hotels and the homes of various synagogues around the country. I really got a first hand view of the United States, coast to coast.
As best I can remember it here is the route we followed. We started in New York City. From there Boston, Barrie VT, Montreal, Canada, Toronto Canada, Detroit, Chicago, Omaha, Sioux Falls SD, Rapid City, SD, Cody Wyoming, Yellowstone, Jackson Wyoming, Salt Lake City, Virginia City, Nevada (watched man land on the moon), San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Durango, Colorado, Denver, Salina Kansas, Kansas City,Kansas, St Louis(I think), Urbana Illinois, Dayton, Pittsburgh, Washington DC and back to NYC. What a trip and an adventure I’ve not duplicated since. Truly remarkable.
