Summer of '65: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Teenage World Traveler - Paperback

Long before the universal popularity and affordability of international travel, and before backpacking throughout Europe became commonplace for American young people, an 18-year-old native Kansan - Kent Earnest - trekked alone from the heartland of America to the heartland of the Middle East, the Holy Land. By car, truck, ship, and train, Kent traveled to Jerusalem and Bethlehem through Southern Europe, and returned through North Africa, completely circumnavigating the Mediterranean Sea. For good measure, he took a short jaunt through the province of Ontario, Canada, on the way home. With necessary frugality that would make Arthur Frommer proud, the richness of experiences far outweighed the austerity he endured on this venture. But the narrative is much deeper than a simple travel story based on a limited budget. It's about people, places, and events, as well as the broad range of emotions Kent felt when he encountered the unexpected. Unlike ordinary trips, this adventure was chock full of frequent and remarkable surprises. By 2012, Kent had visited all 50 U.S. states and all seven continents. But it was this extraordinary 20,000-mile journey in the Summer of '65 that set the foundation for his love of world travel that has lasted a half century. This story is about the trip that began it all. Kent Earnest, a native Kansan and current resident of Dayton, Ohio, is a retired technical writer/editor and businessman who enjoys world travel, national politics, and Kansas University basketball. This is his first book. Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/KentEarnest