The comment about “gasoline situation inspired my travel” made me wonder how much gas was around 1967 (based on the postcard date) and how bad that felt to consumers. I found this handy chart: http://goo.gl/mOem (NY Times) and while it basically says that gas was ~$2.10/gallon, if you look up inflation rates, that’s like saying gas was $14.19 a gallon. Whoa. I’d sell my car, too.

Love the postcards, btw. Thanks Karl :)

There’s no way gas was $2.10 a gallon in 1967. I think you might be reading that chart wrong. I remember very clearly when gas first went above $1 a gallon my senior year in high school because the pumps in existence at the time could only read up to 99 cents, so they reconfigured them and you had to pay double what was on them. For instance: gas actually costs 1.10. The pumps read .55. You double that and pay the 1.10.

Here’s a better indicator of US gas prices:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2005/fcvt_fotw364.html

Having lived through that time, and getting my driver’s license in 1974, I’ll never forget those days, and the first gas shortage. I concur with Raleigh Native51, except the price per gallon was more like $.25/gal. Prior to the embargo, you could actually find two stations having a gas wars, and the cost could get lower than a quarter a gallon. But suddenly there was no gas, stations had long lines to purchase what gas they had, and often they would run out before you got to purchase any. It was not uncommon to see signs at service stations saying “no gas”. The price did double to about $.50/gallon and supplies became regular again in late 1974. Although the price doubled, people were more apprehensive about having no gas.