When I was twelve in 1961 I had a Detroit News paper route. Half the boys in that delivery station it seemed flew control line. They lead me to Wayne Hobby in Wayne, Michigan about a 30 minute bike ride from the house. All my paper route money somehow ended up in Joe Hass' cash register.

Being raised as a free range kid I was able to get up there a lot.

When I was twelve in 1961 I had a Detroit News paper route. Half the boys in that delivery station it seemed flew control line. They lead me to Wayne Hobby in Wayne, Michigan about a 30 minute bike ride from the house. All my paper route money somehow ended up in Joe Hass' cash register.

Being raised as a free range kid I was able to get up there a lot.

                           Times sure were different in the "old days" when were "free range kids".   For me that was the 1950's and I was 14 years old.  I remember that I had just bought a Veco Smoothie, my first full bodied stunter, and was working on it at home one summer day.  I ran out of Ambroid and some there were some other things that I needed from the hobby shop.  Patience was not a word in my vocabulary.  The only thing was that I lived in Green Ridge, Missouri and the hobby shop was in Sedalia, Missouri.........12 miles away.  Both of my parents worked and I obviously did not have access to a car ............. or even a bike at the time, so I called up a modeling friend and we walked to Sedalia (12 miles), purchased the modeling supplies and then............walked back to Green Ridge ....... another 12 mile hike ..... it was a 24 mile hike that day for us so we could get on with our modeling activities.  For a U.S. Marine, that walk would be just a walk in the park ...... but we were not U.S. Marines and our feet hurt.  I think we all pushed the limits in those days when we were "free ranging" kids.  Yes, paper routes and model airplanes......that's another story that I remember well.  ......     ......