Go West, My Friend

Hello everyone. Welcome to my blog. What an interesting week I had. Productive? Yes. Cross country road trip? Yes. Somewhat of an accomplishment? Yes & Yes. Folks don’t try this if you do not have the stomach for being on the road for days on end. Stay home or stay local. Better yet, just take a plane and forget it. Will be sharing some photos (not the best at the moment)so bare with me.

This wasn’t a fast ride down the street. We are talking about a coast to coast (close enough)..from The East Coast to The West Coast. A six day stomach churning, sleep deprived, “Are we there yet” odyssey across the USA and back.

The ride from New York City was great. We travelled all the way to Buffalo,New York with a few stops in between. I believe this was my first time in Buffalo, NY that I can remember. Then we headed west bound through Pennsylvania to Ohio. Wait a minute..(back up)..didn’t I see Buffaloes roaming on the side of the highway in Buffalo? I happened to see it quickly but not quick enough to take a shot. Amazingly..amazing to see Buffalo roam, not amazing to miss that shot. I may never head that way ever again to get that shot. They maybe cows with large horns for all I care.

This is my fourth time on this cross country Midwestern road trip. The first from Buffalo, N.Y. Now for the first time, Buffalo is on my map, minus the roaming buffaloes to prove of course.

Now you already figured out my mission or did you, really? My goal is to set foot on all fifty (50) States. Hawaii and Alaska included. California, Washington State and other States in the Northwest I only flew over which does not count. I set footing in Texas and New Mexico for the first time and first leg on this trip, that is in Amarillo, TX and Albuquerque, NM. Accomplished indeed.

This trip over all the other long haul trips I took in the past was a lot different, especially going inbound(visiting). Too many carrier brand throughout. The same coming home, but happily on one carrier. Greyhound contacted these bus lines to transport their customers through various legs of the journey. Also rumoured that Greyhound Bus Lines was sold to another company. Something you never want to hear when you are thousands of miles from home. In my mind, I kept thinking, “Is this transfer of power lead to a flaw in their services while travelling? Luckily nothing unusual happened throughout my journey

I met some unusual folks along the way. Good people. Some a little unusual than others. It was fine. As I mentioned earlier that I’ve done this three times prior but that was so long ago. Meeting people with different travelling agendas make these trips interesting. Best of all, minus the tight seating spaces and cramped limbs, you get to see the beauty and wonders of nature outdoors as you travel.

So my end of the road came in Las Vegas, Nevada. It happened to be my preferred [end of the road] road trip. I may wish to change that, but, not sure when I’ll be able to take on this challenge. Getting to the main strip for hotels and casinos seemed like an hassle. The Greyhound buses doesn’t go directly there. Their depot is located close to the airport. Getting to the main strip requires you to take a local bus(pay of course) to get you to that fun area. Bummer!! I told you, it’s been years since I’ve been here.

I actually missed the bus from Las Vegas on way back home. Was supposed to be picked up by shuttle to a location. Shuttle? Didn’t know that. So I had to reschedule for another bus. Thank Heavens, no shuttle this time. I was able to take one bus(driver change) all the way to New York City.

So my trip back home was the usual route. All those stops from Arizona, Utah and all other points east was very familiar. It’s beautiful site. Dessert along the highway. Water crossings and bridges, priceless. Not to mention the natural rock formations along the way. From the tunnels through the mountains of Colorado and icy ski resort in Vail(the city) to the caves of Missouri, such wonderful sites to see. A road trip can be magical. I really enjoyed this one.

So the beauty about these road trips is that there are breaks along the way to eat or just to stretch your legs. The breaks are normally short, maybe twenty minutes(more or less). The transfer points usually are longer than the usual breaks, but it’s a break nonetheless. A reboarding pass is issued to you if you are back on that bus if the bus is scheduled for gas and/or cleaning. Reboard(ers) get first priority to get back on the bus if new passengers are arriving. You can even get your own seat reserved by you if necessary. Just a new experience from prior traveling.

There are rules to taking a road trip by bus. Always take enough money for food or other necessities. You can bring your own if you wish. Be prepared to be on the road for days if necessary. In case of a delay or bus breakdowns, expect addition time on the road. There are showers at some rest stops, but, be careful. Missing the bus in the middle of nowhere would be agonizing in itself. I was told that some buses travel once a day on certain routes…ouch!! I always keep the driver in view all the time. He/she makes a move, I make that move as well. These buses are scheduled, so watch the time and adhere to your scheduled end time. If travelling alone, you may have a ride partner. You may get lucky (along the routes I was) to ride alone. Alone means two seats to yourself to stretch out and enjoy. But don’t get too comfortable, enjoy while you can.