When I was 6 years old, my family had its first long road trip - in the days when only a few miles of interstate were complete. A couple of days travelling down to Gatlinburg and the Smokey mountains for a two week vacation. I thought that two weeks of staying in cheap hotels and eating in roadside diners was the greatest thing. After that, I was always interested in travel (although I miss the feeling of fascination at staying in hotels or being on the road for weeks at a time).

I started keeping track of airlines and aircraft; in fact, saved up money from odd jobs and bought some shares of my hometown manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas , in the 70's. Thankfully, that did not ruin my enjoyment of travel! Any more so than years of travel on UA, AA, and CO .

Now, as my own son is getting near that age, it feels good to watch him in his youthful fascination and enjoyment of travel.