Traveling

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

I got to the Port Authority at 9:30 even though the bus doesn't leave till 11:45 PM. Lisa helped me lug my stuff here and then I told her to go home. I know, I know, she's a big girl now and has lived in NYC for almost a year, but I still worry about her taking the subway back home late at night.

There was already about four people waiting at the gate and others were arriving. One lady is sketching the people in the line, but she doesn't show her sketches around and I'm at a bad angle to see them. One guy came by saying he needed $5.00 more to get him and his daughter to Cleveland, where his sister would have the money to pay whoever back. When one guy offered to loan the money but wanted to actually hand the money to the ticket clerk, the guy got all nasty and left.

It's pretty full but I have a seat to myself. We head out of the Port Authority and back through the Lincoln Tunnel. It's nice to be traveling again. We get on US-1 and the NJ-3 heading west to I-80. We continue on I-80 into Pennsylvania as we all fall asleep.

About 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning the bus stops on the interstate along with all the rest of the traffic. We are somewhere in Pennsylvania and there is nothing around us. It turns out that there was an accident that totally blocked an overpass about 1/4 to 1/3 mile ahead and everyone stops. We sit there till 6:30 AM when finally the traffic behind us moves enough for the bus to turn around. Most of the traffic is semis and they are slowly backing down the highway. I guess they can't turn as easy as the bus. It is really strange to sit in the dawn light and watch dozens of semis backing down an interstate.

Everyone exits at PA-42/PA-44 and goes south to US-11 where we all head west. We ride through farm country to Danville which is a little Poconos town with white frame houses. We go north on PA-54 which is multiplexed with PA-642 for a few miles and get back on I-80.

We stop at a truck stop near Milesburg for breakfast. The fall colors are all around us. It's nice to get off the bus as it's been a long time between stops.

We are now several hours late and everyone has missed all their connections. We continue on I-80 into Ohio and our next stop at Youngstown at a Burger King. We have to stay here longer than usual because they have to bring in a new driver as ours has been on duty too long to make it to Cleveland.

We are 4 1/2 hours late as we leave Youngstown with our new driver. It's been raining all morning and the landscape is grey since most of the leaves have fallen. I'd forgotten how grey woods look in the fall after the leaves have fallen. We multiplex for several miles with OH-11. The driver yells at one guy to quit smoking in the bathroom and tells him that he should kick him out now, but that he will have to get a later bus at Cleveland as the driver will not let him back on his bus.

We turn onto OH-14 and I-480 into Cleveland. There is construction going on inside the terminal and we are having trouble finding out when our bus will leave. There are several of us that need the south connections (which we have missed) and we don't want to miss the next one. We take turns watching each other's luggage while we grab something to eat, mainly snacks. I've never lost anything when I ask someone to watch my stuff when I'm in line. I wouldn't suggest leaving anything valuable, though.

Finally they pull our bus in and we have the same driver we had from Youngstown. At least no one will be smoking in the bathroom. It's 3:15 in the afternoon when we leave Cleveland on I-77 and then I-71. I doze off and on as we ride through the rain to Columbus. It's comforting to watch it rain as we stay warm and dry.

We leave Columbus on US-23, I-70 and, again, I-71. It's dark now and I sleep till the lights of Cincinnati wake me. We get on I-75 and then back on I-71 as we cross the Ohio River into Kentucky. I think this is the first time I've been in Kentucky but I sleep though most of it. At Louisville we change to I-65 and I fall asleep as we head south.

We are still on I-65 as we enter Tennessee and pass through Nashville where we head west on I-40 to Memphis. It's just before dawn when we arrive at Memphis. A bus going north to Detroit is there also. We all look a little sleepy and rumpled. It's good to brush my teeth and then get some breakfast.

Yesterday was such a hurry up and wait day but I slept pretty good last night and am feeling ready for another day. We cross into Arkansas on I-40 and ride through flat land. It's broken only by trees that are just starting to turn. We pass cows grazing in pastures. We multiplex with US-65, US-67, US-167and I-30 as we pass through Little Rock. I walk around the station from the loading area to the front to stretch my legs.

We leave on I-30 south toward Hot Springs. The country gets more rolling as we head southeast and start getting into the Oauchita Mountains. We turn east on US-70 and ride through the countryside toward Hot Springs. This is a beautiful part of the country and an interesting city and national park. The bus station is a little red brick building and people aren't eager to get out into the misty rain. We leave Hot Springs on US-270 heading east to our next stop at Malvern at the South Central Arkansas Transit station. We're in the little towns now that are closed up in the rain. Malvern has a Third Baptist Church which seems a bit much for such a small town.

Back on I-30 to Arkadelphia where we get off on AR-8 and AR-51. It's a town with little houses in 50's mode. We stop at a Chex-2-Cash/Western Union/gas station. I-30 to Prescott where we get off on AR-371. This is just a flag stop then it's on to Hope where we get off on AR-29.

It's pouring rain now and we don't stop long. Clinton's hometown does not look very inviting. I wouldn't want to stay here either. We head out on US-67 and AR-4. Our next stop in at Texarkana on the very edge of Arkansas. Stateline Avenue is the next exit and the bus stop is on the freeway access road.

We cross into Texas on I-30 with the rain still pouring but we soon leave the interstate and head northwest on US-82. DeKalb is just a driveby, then we go through Clarksville, Detroit (with only one traffic light), Blossom and into Paris. The Paris bus stop is way back in a commercial district, behind an old drive in.

We're on US-271 and then TX-19 and TX-24 as we ride through small back streets to a brick street and a train depot. We're back to four lanes as we go south till TX-19 leaves us and we continue south west. The Commerce bus stop is at a Food Mart. We get on TX-FM-499 near I-30, then continue along it for several miles as the ramp is closed. It was a very narrow road for the bus and some trucks.

Finally we get back on I-30, which is multiplexed with US-67, till our next stop at Greenville where we exit on TX-34 north. The stop is at a Trailways station.

Back on I-30 we've got a lake on both sides and it's very high, only a couple of feet lower than the road, and the rain keeps coming. They were having floods in Texas on my way to NYC and it looks like they still are. The Garland stop is behind a shopping center. A lady drives up as we get there. It's a good thing we're running a little late. Most of the shopping center stops are behind the shopping centers, like the Garland stop. I'm sure it's because a Greyhound bus is a bit large to run through a shopping center parting lot, but we don't get the most scenic view.

And I'm back to Dallas. I transfer here to the Dallas to Los Angeles bus, my last transfer. I get the front seat again and am ready to go. There are a few people on the bus who have been with me since NYC and we are all tired because of the delays. There are two buses on this schedule and they are both full.

It's in the evening and we roll out through Texas. I sleep through most of the night, only waking briefly when we stop.It's a fitful sleep as three nights is just too long to spend on a bus. The lady behind me is, well, large so I can't really put my seat back very far. I only remember Abilene because it was a long stop. Why do they have a long stop at Abilene in the wee hours of the night? In the early morning we're at El Paso again and it's nice to stretch my legs and clean up.

We're back on I-10 which we take through New Mexico to Lordsburg. Lordsburg is the breakfast stop at a McDonalds. The bus station is a cute little building behind the McDonalds. There are quite a few of this types of stop in the west. The other one I can think of right off is the Blythe CA bus stop.

Four buses hit at once as both the east and west schedules had two buses going. Luckily we were the second bus and even then we didn't have much time as we only get twenty minutes, but it's ok to eat on the bus so everyone gets something. The thing to do is keep an eye on the driver. They get to cut to the front of the line but they do have to finish before they start driving.

We have a quick stop at Wilcox AZ and then it's on into Tucson. It's nice to see desert again. I am so tired but it was a good trip and it's nice to be home again. It's harder to write about coming back than going but I enjoyed all of it.