On the face surface of things, one might think you and your wife are a bit off, maybe even "special." But I don't think so. I remember a time, back in my teen years of the 70's of sticking out my thumb to go for quite a few miles through Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Sometimes with a friend or two. Sometimes alone. It was always an adventure, and sometimes scary. But usually worth the trip. Its good those days can be recaptured for me, Mr. and Mrs. Hinterland.
At one point I lived in New York City and my sister lived in the northern part of Philadelphia. The cheapest way to get to her house was a jersey transit train from Penn Station to Princeton, and a Philadelphia Transit train from Princeton to a deserted commuter stop a mile from my sister's house. It was much cheaper and more convenient than riding into the central Philly train station and working my way N again.
Absolutely, there are many cases of extremely cheap flights — years ago, I got a $27 one-way ticket from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas. I’ll never forget it.
But, I will say, buses are always a lot more… interesting than flying. And I say that for better or for worse!
I made the trip by greyhound or Trailways from New Mexico to either Florida or home to New Hampshire regularly. Not quite as adventurous as your trip, but 3 days on a bus, occasionally in a blizzard, was pretty trying. The trips to New Hampshire were to see a certain young lady. I’d hoped that the effort demonstrated my commitment better than words. I was wrong. I did, however, not make that mistake again.
Here in northern New Mexico, the NCRTD has routes of up to over 100 miles ... and they're all FREE! You can journey from Edgewood to Taos, a journey of 131 miles, on 3 busses, for no money at all. https://www.ncrtd.org/
Can you include a link to make s donation to you? I can’t afford to subscribe to everyone but I want to help you where I can. I really enjoy your writing.
There is much to be commended for this approach to life, and one assumes that one has lots of free time for travel (and no children to entertain for the duration). It’s important, though, to take the prices with a grain of salt. Many such conveyances are subsidised by taxes, with the understanding that this mode of travel is a gift for those who cannot afford more. Thus, the fares don’t even begin to cover the cost for the bus, the driver, the gas, and upkeep of the road. The very existence of the bus (not to mention the coffee shops, the hotels, and 95% of the items encountered along the way) are the result of another way of life. It’s interesting to live on the periphery (and what an excellent reminder that so many people do live on the edges of civilisation as we know it) but I would caution against any judgements therein (and that cuts both ways).
Thank you for this thoughtful account, and I hope your Easter visit was filled with joy.
Thanks for the comment. Absolutely, traveling always takes free time regardless of the mode of travel! And likewise, the roads themselves are subsidized, gasoline is subsidized, the food we eat is subsidized -- it's hard to find anything in this life that would be so pure as to have evaded all subsidy entirely. On that score, walking certainly has a kind of purity. You may find it interesting to know that Saint Lawrence County Public transit *does* break even -- the fares do adequately cover the cost of the service. I was shocked when I heard this from a couple of the drivers.
As for judgements, I often receive warnings about that, though I am puzzled by them. Was there anything in the piece that you found to be judgemental?
Not at all! It’s the term (I think protestants use it) of being convicted. Women have a natural tendency to internalise the choices of others, which forces them to reiterate to themselves why they chose differently. I buzz back and forth among children/grandchildren whom I simply wouldn’t see without cars and planes. But perhaps without cars and planes they’d live much closer….
Not necessarily. I read a story about a young man where most of his family had moved west from CT to the Western Reserve (Ohio) in the early 1800's. He wanted to go visit and had little money (or could have taken the canal), so he spent the summer walking to Ohio, stayed the winter, and walked back the next summer.
I do identified with all of this. I haven't read all the linked writing yet but I'm going to. I love bus journeys but particularly the ones you tell of,the obscure ones. I'm in UK so the journeys aren't so long but yep,I know all about getting stranded in the wilderness. I've never actually had to sleep in a ditch but it's been a close run thing!
I enjoyed reading your account so much! I did not (co) own a car till age 30, and did not have my own personal vehicle till age 34. So I have used my share of public transportation. When my first baby was born I became a car commuter: I compromised.
But even now, a day I can conspire to not drive feels like a sweet treat of freedom: walking or riding public transit is a glorious luxury. Of course I idealize it because I no longer have to do it every day. But when I did rely on walking/transit I did not resent it: like you say, people who drive do not think about how much quicker it would be by helicopter. It does make me question the assumptions we make about transportation. My husband, however, has never been willing to seriously consider public transit. (He has his reasons for that, in all fairness.)
Your itinerary reminds me of what was the most memorable trip of my life so far: when I traveled from Athens, Greece to the Hebrides of Scotland. This is not a well-travelled route. I rode planes, trains and buses (I probably looked at boats too, but they didn’t fit!) It took weeks to plan, was a couple dozen pages long on paper, and about 24 hours to execute. There was a tense portion when a train broke down, but it all worked out in the end and I was so proud of myself.
As expenses rise and we start to wonder how much we are being priced out of, I appreciate your narratives questioning the assumptions of convenience and luxury we believe. It reminds me it’s ok to still give myself and the kids this kind of adventure.
I spent my formative years in Philadelphia without a car and learned to get around on public transit. This was pre-Internet days so it was all paper schedules. I used to pride myself on being able to get pretty much anywhere I needed with some really good planning and a sense of discovery (try riding public transit after midnight....very enlightening).
I eventually moved on and got a car but the sense of wonder and discovery was somewhat lost as you travel in a private vehicle. I moved to Schoharie County in New York in 2010 and thought my public transit days were over. A few years back I needed to drop my car off for work and my mechanic is a good 12 miles away and he needed the car all day and I had no ride home....or did I? I remembered a neighbor of mine talking about Schoharie County Public Transit (SCPT). Sure enough I could catch a scheduled bus from near my home to right across from my mechanic's garage.
My rides (I have used SCPT twice now) parallel this story. I truly enjoyed the ride and felt more like a sociologist as I watched who used the service (similar mix as in the story) and the interactions as many people knew each other and the driver. (My concern is that I might inadvertently sit in someone's regular seat!!!). This was it's own community within my rural community. There are a number of unique things (like waiting longer at a stop because a regular is running late or having someone flag down the bus at a non-scheduled stop) that make it special.
And a service really needed, even in a rural county where it is just assumed everyone owns a car. I came away from my rides realizing it would be really easy for the county to cut back or even eliminate service. And the riders are not the type who will show up at county supervisor meetings to protest such a move. It is my goal to continue to support and if needed to make others realize this is not a service but a lifeline.
As a final tidbit in my college studies I learned in the pre WWII era it was possible to cross the entire country using local transit systems.
I had so much fun doing this with you!! Love this review of our bus journey!
On the face surface of things, one might think you and your wife are a bit off, maybe even "special." But I don't think so. I remember a time, back in my teen years of the 70's of sticking out my thumb to go for quite a few miles through Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Sometimes with a friend or two. Sometimes alone. It was always an adventure, and sometimes scary. But usually worth the trip. Its good those days can be recaptured for me, Mr. and Mrs. Hinterland.
At one point I lived in New York City and my sister lived in the northern part of Philadelphia. The cheapest way to get to her house was a jersey transit train from Penn Station to Princeton, and a Philadelphia Transit train from Princeton to a deserted commuter stop a mile from my sister's house. It was much cheaper and more convenient than riding into the central Philly train station and working my way N again.
No question about it, you and your lovely wife are American Heroes of the Modern Era. Well done, good Sir and Mrs.
I loved this piece. Felt like living in a Flannery O’Connor short story.
Round trip on Allegiant from where I live to Florida , including to and from the airport is $0.21 per mile. FWIW
Absolutely, there are many cases of extremely cheap flights — years ago, I got a $27 one-way ticket from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas. I’ll never forget it.
But, I will say, buses are always a lot more… interesting than flying. And I say that for better or for worse!
I made the trip by greyhound or Trailways from New Mexico to either Florida or home to New Hampshire regularly. Not quite as adventurous as your trip, but 3 days on a bus, occasionally in a blizzard, was pretty trying. The trips to New Hampshire were to see a certain young lady. I’d hoped that the effort demonstrated my commitment better than words. I was wrong. I did, however, not make that mistake again.
Here in northern New Mexico, the NCRTD has routes of up to over 100 miles ... and they're all FREE! You can journey from Edgewood to Taos, a journey of 131 miles, on 3 busses, for no money at all. https://www.ncrtd.org/
I live through you, man, everytime you write a post!
Wonderful.
Can you include a link to make s donation to you? I can’t afford to subscribe to everyone but I want to help you where I can. I really enjoy your writing.
Sure, thank you for asking! Here’s a link where you can give a one-time donation if you wish. God bless!
https://buymeacoffee.com/shagbark
Yes! You should post that on all your writings. I've seen other authors do that.
There is much to be commended for this approach to life, and one assumes that one has lots of free time for travel (and no children to entertain for the duration). It’s important, though, to take the prices with a grain of salt. Many such conveyances are subsidised by taxes, with the understanding that this mode of travel is a gift for those who cannot afford more. Thus, the fares don’t even begin to cover the cost for the bus, the driver, the gas, and upkeep of the road. The very existence of the bus (not to mention the coffee shops, the hotels, and 95% of the items encountered along the way) are the result of another way of life. It’s interesting to live on the periphery (and what an excellent reminder that so many people do live on the edges of civilisation as we know it) but I would caution against any judgements therein (and that cuts both ways).
Thank you for this thoughtful account, and I hope your Easter visit was filled with joy.
Thanks for the comment. Absolutely, traveling always takes free time regardless of the mode of travel! And likewise, the roads themselves are subsidized, gasoline is subsidized, the food we eat is subsidized -- it's hard to find anything in this life that would be so pure as to have evaded all subsidy entirely. On that score, walking certainly has a kind of purity. You may find it interesting to know that Saint Lawrence County Public transit *does* break even -- the fares do adequately cover the cost of the service. I was shocked when I heard this from a couple of the drivers.
As for judgements, I often receive warnings about that, though I am puzzled by them. Was there anything in the piece that you found to be judgemental?
Not at all! It’s the term (I think protestants use it) of being convicted. Women have a natural tendency to internalise the choices of others, which forces them to reiterate to themselves why they chose differently. I buzz back and forth among children/grandchildren whom I simply wouldn’t see without cars and planes. But perhaps without cars and planes they’d live much closer….
Not necessarily. I read a story about a young man where most of his family had moved west from CT to the Western Reserve (Ohio) in the early 1800's. He wanted to go visit and had little money (or could have taken the canal), so he spent the summer walking to Ohio, stayed the winter, and walked back the next summer.
I do identified with all of this. I haven't read all the linked writing yet but I'm going to. I love bus journeys but particularly the ones you tell of,the obscure ones. I'm in UK so the journeys aren't so long but yep,I know all about getting stranded in the wilderness. I've never actually had to sleep in a ditch but it's been a close run thing!
I enjoyed reading your account so much! I did not (co) own a car till age 30, and did not have my own personal vehicle till age 34. So I have used my share of public transportation. When my first baby was born I became a car commuter: I compromised.
But even now, a day I can conspire to not drive feels like a sweet treat of freedom: walking or riding public transit is a glorious luxury. Of course I idealize it because I no longer have to do it every day. But when I did rely on walking/transit I did not resent it: like you say, people who drive do not think about how much quicker it would be by helicopter. It does make me question the assumptions we make about transportation. My husband, however, has never been willing to seriously consider public transit. (He has his reasons for that, in all fairness.)
Your itinerary reminds me of what was the most memorable trip of my life so far: when I traveled from Athens, Greece to the Hebrides of Scotland. This is not a well-travelled route. I rode planes, trains and buses (I probably looked at boats too, but they didn’t fit!) It took weeks to plan, was a couple dozen pages long on paper, and about 24 hours to execute. There was a tense portion when a train broke down, but it all worked out in the end and I was so proud of myself.
As expenses rise and we start to wonder how much we are being priced out of, I appreciate your narratives questioning the assumptions of convenience and luxury we believe. It reminds me it’s ok to still give myself and the kids this kind of adventure.
No idea this is possible. I wish you’d provide d more hints on where to get information.
Oh what it is like to rely on public transit!
I spent my formative years in Philadelphia without a car and learned to get around on public transit. This was pre-Internet days so it was all paper schedules. I used to pride myself on being able to get pretty much anywhere I needed with some really good planning and a sense of discovery (try riding public transit after midnight....very enlightening).
I eventually moved on and got a car but the sense of wonder and discovery was somewhat lost as you travel in a private vehicle. I moved to Schoharie County in New York in 2010 and thought my public transit days were over. A few years back I needed to drop my car off for work and my mechanic is a good 12 miles away and he needed the car all day and I had no ride home....or did I? I remembered a neighbor of mine talking about Schoharie County Public Transit (SCPT). Sure enough I could catch a scheduled bus from near my home to right across from my mechanic's garage.
My rides (I have used SCPT twice now) parallel this story. I truly enjoyed the ride and felt more like a sociologist as I watched who used the service (similar mix as in the story) and the interactions as many people knew each other and the driver. (My concern is that I might inadvertently sit in someone's regular seat!!!). This was it's own community within my rural community. There are a number of unique things (like waiting longer at a stop because a regular is running late or having someone flag down the bus at a non-scheduled stop) that make it special.
And a service really needed, even in a rural county where it is just assumed everyone owns a car. I came away from my rides realizing it would be really easy for the county to cut back or even eliminate service. And the riders are not the type who will show up at county supervisor meetings to protest such a move. It is my goal to continue to support and if needed to make others realize this is not a service but a lifeline.
As a final tidbit in my college studies I learned in the pre WWII era it was possible to cross the entire country using local transit systems.
One of the most enjoyable things I’ve read this year. Great reminder of what a vast and mysterious country we live in.