At one time during my working days, a long time ago, I had a job
in a furniture store right across from a bus station.
On slow days I loved to watch the activities of the travelers.
It reminded me of an anthill. At first glance it looks like chaos
with people coming and going in different directions but after a
closer look,however,I'd see that it was not disorganized at all.
Almost everybody knew exactly where they were going and the ones
who did not were quickly pointed in the right direction. I could
just feel the excitement that hung in the air. The smell of the
diesel engines, the raspy voice of the announcer over the public
address system and the goodbyes of the loved ones.
"Someday," I would tell myself, "I will be one of the travelers
out there and ride the bus from this end of the country clear to
the other!"
Lo and behold......... that "someday" is today!!!
Here I am on my way to the first of many busses that are going
to transport me to my kids and grandkids in Minot, North Dakota.
I am all excited, all pumped up. Adventure's ahead! SORRY
My only regret is that I have to leave my Desert Dog Dutchess
behind. I shall miss her, no doubt about it. After all, we have
traveled together for the past nine years. Let's just hope that
I don't get lost without my co-pilot. Not to mention my trusted
RV "The Hollandia, a ship for the desert" who allows me to just
pull over when I get tired, take a nap, and continue my journey
totally free of the fleabag motels where I'll spend the night
because of my limited budget.I will miss them both, my Dutchess
and my Hollandia. DAY ONE
It all started in San Bernardino, California.
"Be at the depot at least an hour before departure time," I was
told. The waiting area was hot, crowded and smelled like people
in need of a bath. Everywhere I looked I saw people and their
luggage lined up in front of the gates from which they were
scheduled to board their busses. Kids running around chasing
each other, using our bags and suitcases as hurdles. Parents
yelling, tempers flaring and the stories of some travelers who
were "bumped" from an earlier ride did not help the situation
much either. I knew right there and then that this was going to
be a trip like none I have ever taken before in my life.
My bus, the one that was going to take me to Las Vegas, Nevada
was an hour late. Because I had planned to spend the night in
Vegas and resume my trek the following day, I was not worried
about missing my connection. LOST LUGGAGE
The ride was uneventful, the only commotion came when a little
old lady discovered in Barstow that her luggage was missing.
Most likely it was not transferred when she had changed busses
somewhere earlier that day. "Everything I own is in those bags,"
she told the driver. "My nightgown, my tooth brush, how am I
going to sleep tonight?" Luckily her daughter, who had come
to pick her up, could calm her down by telling her that she had
an extra nightgown for her and that they would try to find her
bags the very next day. TINSEL TOWN
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Las Vegas
is reasonable room rates, right? Wrong! The cheapest room around
the bus station was $39 plus taxes. After some shopping I found
a place where I could rent a room for $20 cash. No receipt and
cash only! There were 2 conditions, however, (1) I had to sleep
on top of the bedspread so as to not rumple the sheets and
(2) I had to be out of the room at 6:00 am before the day clerk
showed up for work. Both requirements were just fine with me.
The sheets didn't look too clean anyway and I had to be at the
bus station before 5:40 am. DAY TWO
The bus I was about to board was going to take me to Salt Lake
City, Utah. One last stop in the town of Mesquite and we're out
of the State where everything (except for murder) is legal.
This was my last chance to strike it rich. Slot machines every-
where, even in the restroom. A ten minute stop, I only needed
five and ............ BINGO!............ I had lost two bucks.
Not a smart move for a guy like me who's traveling on a budget. UTAH!
The landscape rolling by my window only strenghtened my love
for the desert. What a view, what wide open spaces, mile after
mile. In towns like Beaver and Cedar City the bus stopped only
long enough for everybody to go to the restroom,buy some snacks
or to satify their craving for a smoke while in places like St.
George and Fillmore the breaks were much longer. OOPS!
I watched them slip aboard while the bus driver was not paying
attention. He was distracted by a pair of plainclothes agents
who were inspecting the carry-ons of the people already seated.
That's when they came on board. Two middle-aged ladies minding
their own business and paying no never mind to the rest of the
world.Seated next to each other they talked non stop in Spanish
I wondered if they would ever run out of things to say, but no
such luck! Back in Las Vegas when they came in, these two found
an empty seat side by side and right behind me, plopped down,
and did not leave their spot until more than eight hours later.
Even during the long breaks, like the 20 min. one in Fillmore or
the 40-minute stop in St. George did those two not leave the bus
They used the restroom on board and munched on the snacks they
had brought along.
Then in Nephi,a Spanish-speaking man asked them where they were
going."Los Angeles,"was the answer. They had traveled 380 miles
on the wrong bus and in the wrong direction!
When notified, the bus driver had but one solution; finish the
ride to Salt Lake City, wait for the evening bus to Las Vegas
and start all over again.This little sightseeing trip came with
the compliments of Greyhound.
Bus driver: "This happens more often that you think!" DAY 4 & 5
Salt Lake City is beautiful! The cleanest city I have ever been
to, bar none. Even the bums that hang around the bus station
looked scrubbed and clean. I had planned for the next two days
to explore the city mainly because I was intrigued by what I'd
read about it. How SLC was founded by Brigham Young as a hub
from which the Mormon Church spread out after it came west in
the first half of the 19th century.
On my early morning strolls I watched young students tending to
the flowers in the numerous planters in and around Temple Square.
On Temple Square I witnessed a steady stream of newlyweds having
their picture taken with the Temple in the background after they
were married in one of the several chapels inside the Temple.
On the 26th floor of the LDS Church Office Building is an obser-
vation deck that gives you a great bird's eye view of Salt Lake
City. Almost all of the "attractions" in town revolve around the
history of the Mormons. First and foremost, there is the Beehive
House, built in 1854 by Brigham Young for his family and just
recently restored to its former splendor. Included are some of
the original furnishings. The house is open to the public.
Back on Temple Square you also find the Joseph Smith Memorial
Building which houses the famous Family Search Center where you
can do research about your ancestors. In the same building is
a 70-mm movie theater that shows an hour-long film about the
mission of Jesus Christ.
During my 2 day/3 night visit I stayed at The Avenues Hostel,
107 F Street. Phone # (801) 359-3855 where you can have a clean
bed in a dorm, a shower down the hall and the use of a fully
equipped kitchen, all for under $20. DAY SIX
After two transfers and two days on the bus, I felt like a sea-
soned bus rider. I knew that if I wanted to have a good seat by
the window I had to line up early. Sometimes you had to be early
just to get on the bus. So it was when I wanted to leave Salt
Lake City that I showed up at the depot 2 hours before depart-
ure time. But if you think that I was the first in line, think
again! I found out that some people had spent the night at the
station. One traveler told me that: "after a long hard day on
the road, it was good to spend a long hard night on those hard
benches here!" GRANDPA
The way she stood there, still a baby herself, while holding a
baby on her arm. Her carry-on luggage was stuffed in a pillow
case. A teddy bear attached to the outside by a giant safety
pin. I will never forget the look on her face when she saw the
long line that by now had grown to roughly 35 or 40 people.The
grandpa in me invited the pair to cut in line in front of me.
A woman standing behind me protested but when I offerd to go
to the back of the line myself if that would make her feel
better, she quickly shut up. NORTHERN UTAH & IDAHO
After leaving Salt Lake City, the bus followed Interstate 15
due north towards Idaho. Ahead was the part of the journey I
had been looking forward to the most. I've never been to this
part of the country and even the views from a bus window travel-
ing 70 miles per hour were everything I had imagined.
The land of the Big Skies, rolling by my window. For a short
distance the bus followed a scenic route at the western edge
of Yellowstone. Enjoying the freedom to look at the things
around you and not having to pay attention to the road ahead,
is by itself a special treat. Still, I would have given any-
thing to have Dutchess and The Hollandia with me to explore
those dirtroads that disappear into the horizon.
Well, maybe next time. ROSES
Just about here, in the middle of nowhere he came on board.
Fuelled by many cans of Coors Lite®. Even while his body was
sitting on the bus, right next to me, his mind was miles and
miles away. His name was Mike, so he said, but the shape he was
in it could have been Bud Weiser for all I know. He was on his
way to Bozeman, MT where he was to meet a lady whom he had met
on the Internet. I could not help wondering if he intended to
sweep his new found love off her feet with the fumes that he
was emitting. Just one whiff of his breath was enough to send
anybody into orbit.
"You think they have a flower shop in Bozeman?" he asked me.
I assured him that Bozeman was a big city and that he would
have no trouble buying some roses or perhaps some candy for
his date. He stuck his hand in his jeans pocket and pulled
out some coins.
"Do you think this is enough to buy her a nice corsage?"
I started to look for another seat but there were not many and
not a single one next to a window.Even though his approach was
new to me, I could just see it coming. Lucky for me "Mike" had
spotted an open seat next to a middle-aged lady after I'd told
him that I was "kinda strapped" myself and had no money to give
to him. He said he understood. At our next stop, which was West
Yellowstone, I watched him guzzle down the contents of a tall
can of beer. "Nice corsage!" I said. He just smiled and nodded
his head as if to say "Yes, very nice!" WHAT'S THAT SMELL?
Every time I changed busses or a new driver took over the wheel
I was subjected to hearing "The Rules." Usually it was pretty
standard; no smoking, no drinking of alcohol, no radios and
CD-players without head sets, etc. Nobody can step up to the
driver and stand in front of the yellow line on the floor as
long as the bus is in motion. No one is to sit in the first
row of seats. This is a safety precaution established after
some nut in Tennessee on Oct. 3, 2001 stabbed the driver and
grabbed the wheel while the bus was traveling 60 mph down the
freeway causing the bus to drop down a steep ravine, killing
seven people on board. What is this world coming to?
Every driver puts his personal touch on his presentation, like
"no F-words" or "no loud talking." The one who took the cake,
however, told us that we had to keep our shoes on at all times.
"No matter where you sit" he said, "I can smell those dirty socks
from a mile away!" FRIENDS
The bus was about to leave Wibaux, a small town in Montana, when
I noticed these two friends (brothers?) saying goodbye. Shaking
hands as one would pump the handle of an old fashioned well-
pump. Then all of a sudden one trew his arms around the other
in a somewhat awkward bear hug. For a moment it was as if they
were slowdancing without moving their feet. Only their torsos
swaying to the rhythm of a song only they could hear.
This dance ended as abruptly as it had started and when the one
who was departing passed by my seat I could clearly see the
tears in his eyes. THIS IS IT
Like all good things, this trip too came to an end.
Although it is often said that "it is not the destination but
that counts" I was very happy when I saw my family waiting for
me in Bismark, ND. I was ready for a long hot shower and, after
eating all that junk food while on the road, a home cooked meal.
After I returned to California my good friend and neighbor Joe
asked me if I would ride the bus again, my answer was "YES, but
don't tell Desert Dog Dutchess!" It took me three days of long
walks, extra attention and special treats before all was for-
given and forgotten.
