The magnificent oaks of Oak Alley. Image: Jim Lesses
During my 2012 American trip, I spent five nights in New Orleans and among the numerous activities I engaged in during my stay in the Crescent City, were tours that included the Laura, and Oak Alleyplantations. Being the political animal that I am, I was very much aware of what seemed to be the ‘whitewashing’ of history associated with both these beautifully preserved sites, and the part they must have played in supporting one of the worst stains in human history—the institution and maintenance of organised slavery on a massive scale.
It is not as if the history of slavery was completely ignored at these former plantations, and others like them, but more that the legacy of slavery was left to the imagination of the visitor rather than bringing it front and centre. The beautifully maintained plantation homes, and the well manicured lawns and gardens, might leave visitors with the impression that life on a pre-American Civil War plantation wasn’t all that unpleasant. In fact, the Oak Alley Plantation can be hired for weddings, corporate events, and overnight stays—“A tranquil retreat in the heart of Plantation Country”—proclaims one caption to a series of images on the site. While life may have been very pleasant for the plantation owners, it was far from pleasant for the slaves.
John J. Cummings III; Screen shot from the New Yorker video.
Since my 2012 trip, I am delighted to see that at least one former property—the Whitney Plantation—has now been set up as the first memorial of its type in America. The New Yorker magazine, under the byline of Kalim Armstrong ran an item and video in February 2016, Telling The Story of Slavery from which the following quote is taken:
John Cummings, a lawyer who founded the [Whitney Plantation] museum, spent sixteen years planning and over eight million dollars of his own money to restore this site, which honors the memory of those who were enslaved on plantations and whose labor helped build this country. The Whitney Plantation is not a place designed to make people feel guilt, or to make people feel shame. It is a site of memory, a place that that exists to further the necessary dialogue about race in America.
The Whitney Plantation was founded in 1752, and is located in Louisiana along the historic River Road, which winds down the Mississippi toward New Orleans. Here is the New Yorker video:
It wasn’t hard to find other videos detailing various aspects of slavery and the plantation system online, and the following 28-minute video is from what appears to be a made-for-television series called Weekends With Whitney. Independently produced by Whitney Vann, the program focuses on the story behind the Whitney Plantation and supplements the New Yorker video very nicely. Note: This show has three advertising breaks built into the video, but thankfully they are short and almost unobtrusive.
If You Go
The Whitney Plantation
5099, Highway 18, Wallace, Louisiana.
Open 9:30am to 4:30pm every day except Tuesday
(The museum is also closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Years Day, Mardi Gras, Easter Sunday, and July 4th.)
Note: the website states that, “There are no self guided tours at The Whitney Plantation.” And further that, “The only way to visit The Whitney Plantation is through a guided tour.” Tours are given every hour between 10:00am and 3:00pm.
Prices range from $10.00 to $22.00 (see website for full schedule)
The Huffington Post writer, Suzy Strutner recently offered 21 Travel Resolutions To Make For 2015 which all make very good sense (despite the fact that there were only 19 suggestions in the article), but then, who's counting?
Well, actually, I was. Anyway, among her suggestions I particularly liked:
Get lost
Start a conversation with a local
Read something on the history of your destination before you get there
Be spontaneous and open to straying from your itinerary
Get Lost
Of course, there is 'lost' and there is lost. While I have never been completely lost, and therefore at risk of personal danger, I have found myself wandering through some of the far corners of major cities well away from the usual tourist haunts. The key to this type of getting lost is to make sure you are doing it during daylight hours, and not after dark - which may well result in the risk of personal danger. During the day, it is much easier to pick out landmarks that help orientate and guide you through unfamiliar neighbourhoods. If you do find yourself running out of daylight, head to the nearest major road or avenue. These tend to be well patronized and well lit. If you can't find access to public transport like a subway station to get you back to familiar ground, you should at least have a better chance of finding a taxi along a major thoroughfare to get you safely back to your hotel or accommodations.
Start a Conversation
To be honest, I'm not great at starting conversations with complete strangers, but I am more than happy to respond to complete strangers if they start conversations with me. In this way, I have met a number of people during my extended travels, and those meetings have all helped to make my trips more memorable and enjoyable. With the advent of social networking online, it is much easier to maintain contact with people you meet on the road, and I have added several contacts to my Facebook page after having met friendly locals during my travels. Of course, the other benefit of getting to the know the locals is that you also get to know something about the country you are visiting and what makes it, and its citizens tick.
Read Some History
I am a great believer in this suggestion. I have always been a voracious reader, and now that I am travelling again, I make a point of reading as many non-fiction books with subject matter that matches the country or city I am planning to visit. This is made so much easier to do with tablet devices like iPads, Kindle's, and other any number of other eReaders now available at very reasonable prices.
My iPad has hundreds of books stored on it, and while most of these are fictional novels, I also have a large selection of historical non-fiction books as well. I great source for free eBooks, one I have written about on numerous occasions, is Gutenberg dot Org. It is a rare day when I can't find a good book on that site on almost any topic or country you care to name.
Be Spontaneous
I know some people who are not happy travellers unless they have preplanned and booked every aspect of their journey. The problem with this is that there is no room to manoeuvre if schedules get changed, delays occur, or if they want to make even minor changes to their itinerary during the course of their travels. I must admit that I have tendency to go to the other extreme on this question. I like to leave my itinerary as flexible as possible.
For example, after spending almost four weeks in New York City during my 2012 trip to America, I took in Lancaster and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (seven nights); Washington, DC (five nights); Savannah, Georgia (ten nights); New Orleans, Louisiana (five nights); and Tucson and Flagstaff, Arizona (fifteen nights). The trip was bookended with four or five nights in Los Angeles. While my arrival and departure dates were fixed, and my accommodations in New York City were also pre-booked and confirmed, pretty much everything else I eventually did was worked out as I went along.
Of course, not everyone has the luxury of spending three months in the USA, or the freedom to indulge their whims as I did, but the principle remains the same: Build some flexibility into your vacation, no matter how long to give the unexpected a chance to surprise you and enhance your trip in ways you had not planned on.
Since Suzy Strutner's article was a couple shy of the promised 21 suggestions I thought I'd offer a few more of my own:
Break out of your comfort zone and try something different (a new location, food, activity)
Travel Solo (if you normally travel with others, or travel with others if you normally go alone )
Book and organise your own vacation, don't leave it to a travel agent
It's never too early to start planning your next holiday, so start now!
I will cover these suggestions in a future post. For now, I hope you are looking forward to a New Year filled with health, happiness, much love and lots of travel.
~ Back in January 2011, I
wrote about a Gold Ring Scam I fell for while visiting Paris during the winter of 2010. Recently, I was
reminded of the following scam I fell for while visiting New Orleans in 2012.
Apparently, it is a well known scam in the city, but unfortunately, I had never
heard of it.
While out walking one day I was approached by a local person
of doubtful character who complimented me on my boots! I immediately sensed
that I was about to be scammed by a panhandler for a dollar or two, but this
guy was better than most. He wanted to guess, with absolute certainty
"Where you got your boots." I tried to ignore him, and said there was
no way he could know where I got my boots, but he was insistent, so I let him
guess, since he was quite persistent, and didn't seem to be able to take
"No" for an answer.
Sucked in again, Jim!
Of course, he knew exactly where I "...got my
boots."
"You got your boots on your feet!" he
crowed triumphantly.
With that, he bent down and smeared some gunk on both boots
and then insisted on cleaning them for me - for an 'donation' of course. I
wasn't too happy about the scam, but took it in good humor when I realised he
wasn't alone, and that a couple of friends were providing back up for this con
man.
However, my good humor quickly soured when he (and his
friends) tried to scam me out of $20 for the so-called 'shoe cleaning', I
baulked and gave him $9.00 in small bills, which he happily took. I did have a
$20 note, but I was not going to give him that if I could help it. I suspect
that if I had only given him $5 he would have been just as happy with that, but
what the heck.
I paid because, just like the gold ring scammer in Paris, I
should have known better, but despite my Scammer Alert warning system, I still
fell for his patter, and for that I needed to pay for my stupidity. I also paid
because I had a feeling that his own 'good humor' and that of his friends might
also have turned sour very quickly, and I was in no position to defend myself
against three men.
Next time - and there will always be a next time - I hope I
have the presence of mind and the good sense, to simply ignore the scammer and
walk away before they have time to launch into their well rehearsed patter.
By the way, I was in Paris again just last month, and the 'Gold Ring Scam' as I like to call it, is still going strong. This time I was approached by some
guy trying to con me while I was visiting the Eiffel Tower, but of course he
went away empty handed.
And while I’m at it, if you ever go to Paris, watch
out for the young women (and they always seem to be young women), who claim
they are collecting money for institutions providing services for people with
disabilities of one sort or other (mostly for the deaf or deaf-mutes). Some of
them even pretend to be deaf-mutes themselves, but watch them long enough and
you will see them talking together as they go about their lucrative ‘business’.
~ During my 2010 American trip, I travelled via Greyhound Bus
from New York City to New Orleans (with stopovers in Philadelphia, PA and
Raleigh, NC). I have written an extensive six part road trip report of that
journey beginning here…
That trip went so well, that I was keen to repeat the experience―albeit along a
different route―during my 2012 visit to America. To that end, following my
three week stay in New York City, I caught the first of what I thought would be
many Greyhound Buses, to Lancaster, PA.
During my stay in Lancaster, someone suggested I use Amtrak to get to my next destination―Harrisburg, PA., a short leg by any standards.
Since Greyhound Buses shared facilities with Amtrak, it was easy enough to
do―so I did. That was it. I was immediately smitten. Seduced by the comfort;
the leg room; the ability to get up and walk the length of the train; the large
windows; the smooth, traffic free flow of the carriages; and more. The run from
Lancaster to Harrisburg was over in under an hour, but I was hooked. I decided
that if the opportunity arose to travel by train again, I would seize it.
Washington, DC to Savannah, GA
When I left Harrisburg, it was by bus for Washington, DC.
But when I left America’s national capital, for Savannah, Georgia, it was on
the Amtrak Atlantic Coast Service that takes in New York - Washington,
DC - Charleston - Savannah - Jacksonville - Orlando - Tampa/Miami. There was no
turning back after that. Given a choice between spending nearly eleven hours on
a train or a bus, there is only one choice, and that of course is the train.
Atlantic Coast Service route guide
In researching current prices for this entry, I was able to
confirm what I already knew, that depending on how and when you choose to
travel, it can be cheaper to take a train than it is to take a bus. For
example, current prices (as of Sunday, 14 April 2013), for the
Washington-Savannah run are US$101.00 for the morning and afternoon trains, and
US$173.00 for the evening train. The same route by Greyhound Bus ranges from
$85.00 (advance purchase) to $159.00 (refundable ticket). The Standard Fare is
$142.00.
Using the example above, the bus is cheaper than the train service. However, even though I was initially looking for the cheapest tickets
available, I did not hesitate to spend the extra $16.00 for the space and
luxury of the train. Oh, and it helps that some of the Amtrak services include
WiFi as well. And did I mention the restaurant car? And the observation
carriage with its comfortable seating that allows you to sit back, stretch your
legs, and enjoy panoramic views of the passing countryside? All in all, the
experience is better; the ride much smoother; and the journey certainly seems
to pass much quicker.
After the Richmond stop I walked up to the restaurant car
for a coffee and Panini. It occurred to me that a coach paying passenger could
spend most of their trip here in relative comfort. In fact, it was a whole lot
easier to use my iPad there where I could rest the device on a table and type,
than to balance it in my lap, or hold it for extended periods.
Also in the restaurant car one has an opportunity to take
part in conversations with a number of other passengers, rather than sit alone
or converse with the person in the seat next to you in your designated carriage―assuming
they want to talk in the first place.
New Orleans, LA to Tucson, AZ
Alpine, Texas
From Savannah, I rode a Greyhound to New Orleans, and after
a five night stay there, I boarded Amtrak’s Sunset Limited service for
Tucson, Arizona.
For the record, current prices on the New Orleans-Tucson run
are $143 (Amtrak), and $188 (web only) to $232 (refundable) for the Greyhound
Bus. That’s a difference of $45 assuming you buy the cheapest tickets, or a
difference of $89 (if you purchase a refundable Greyhound ticket) in favour of Amtrak. As the saying has it: It’s a no brainer.
I have taken to referring to Amtrak as one of America’s best
kept secrets. Almost everyone I spoke to about my train travel was amazed at
the prices I paid, and my glowing recommendations. Most assumed that travelling
by train would be far more expensive than by bus, and had therefore never
considered the Amtrak service.
If there is a downside to using the rail network, it is that
compared to the Greyhound Bus network, passengers have many more choices
available to them when travelling by bus. The American rail network is a pale
shadow of what it used to be, which is a great pity. Never the less, what
remains covers all the main urban centres and for my money, it just can’t be
beaten. At the very least, take time to compare prices between the Greyhound
Bus and Amtrak services. Like me you may become a convert to the joys of rail
travel.
So here I am, still jetlagged and feeling muddleheaded, adjusting once again to being back in Adelaide, Australia after my latest three month extended travels through America.
The route map above, plots out my trip from New York City to Los Angeles, California, although the map doesn’t show my day trips out of Flagstaff, Arizona, from where I headed out each day in my hire car to the Grand Canyon (twice), Sedona and environs, and up to Monument Valley, Utah.
This completes my third visit to the United States in six years, and I’m delighted to say that once again, I had a great trip, during which I met many friendly locals, and spent more time in hotels than I have ever had the dubious pleasure of doing so before now. However, just to be clear, I did not drive myself across America. The route outlined above was shared between several Greyhound Bus rides, and what is left of the great Amtrak rail network, as well as the afore mentioned car hire.
Over the coming weeks and months I will begin to process the encounters, the highlights (and low-lights), and the hotel stays, and try to encapsulate my experiences via this blog. I have thousands of photographs to sort through, discard or enhance and utilise here, and more hours of video footage than I can ever hope to examine, edit, shape and put to good use in some way, shape or form. But what’s a traveller to do? The answer I guess, is to take each story as it comes and try to extract the heart out of each experience, and write about it in a way that will be of interest and use to readers who stumble on this blog.
Narrated by Wendell Pierce, this CINE Golden Eagle award-winner is an intimate look at the fantastic music that emanates from New Orleans - "America's music," namely jazz.
Learn about the work of local musicians like Irvin Mayfield and educators who mentor young talent; museum curators who care for musical treasures such as Fats Domino's Steinway piano, ruined by the Katrina floods; historians and archivists who research and document the stories, including the Louisiana State Museum's Greg Lambousy who shares Louis Armstrong's first cornet; activists working to protect, heal and inspire the many musicians whose livelihoods were taken away by Katrina, such as the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic.
"The living museum is a manifestation of participation," proclaims Ellis Marsalis, revered jazz pianist, patriarch of the Marsalis family jazz dynasty, and one of the many artists featured in A Living Museum of Music, which you can watch below.
Make sure you click on the Full Screen icon at the bottom right of the video for optimal viewing.
Take a closer look at the picture on the right. What do you see?
- A couple of flowers.
Well, yes, but look closer.
Los Angeles based artist Cecelia Webber creates flower and butterfly assemblages using hundreds of nude human form photographs. That’s right, every stem and petal in the image is composed of naked human bodies!
Although Cecelia’s photographic compositions can take up to two months to produce due to the complexity of finding the right pieces, the results – as you can see – can be quite stunning.
I had no idea, when I arrived in New Orleans in September 2010, that my visit would coincide with the start of the American Football season. And so it was, that on a hot Thursday night, I found myself amongst tens of thousands of New Orleans Saints fans lining the streets of the French Quarter for the parade that would herald the beginning of the competition.
This series of images shows just a few of the fans who dressed for the occasion in fancy hats decorated in all manner of finery, including feathers, masks, cheap plastic baubles, and necklaces – thousands of which were showered onto the crowds lining both sides of the parade route by those taking part in the actual parade itself.
It was my first experience of an All-American Parade which included dozens of school marching bands, complete with dancers who sweated profusely in the stifling heat and humidity of a Crescent City evening.
My three day visit to New Orleans was far too brief to get more than the faintest feel for the city, and I would love to visit again for an extended period – preferably around Mardi Gras in March, when the weather is more conducive to extended walking and explorations of the city.
UPDATED April 30, 2016: Please note, this review was for the former Comfort Inn Hotel, in Philadelphia, PA. Since my stay in 2010, this hotel has been rebadged as the Holiday Inn Express. However, I have decided to leave the review on my site for historical purposes.
* * *
Travelling on a budget, as I do, necessitates looking for good affordable accommodation when one simply has to stay in hotels while on the move. On my summer road trip from New York City to New Orleans, I had occasion to book hotels twice; once in New Orleans and the other in Philadelphia (later I also stayed at Yavapai Lodge at the Grand Canyon). And since I wrote about my road trip in a series of recent posts, I thought this was a good time to offer a review of one of the hotels I stayed at during that journey.
In America, budget accommodation for me is in the $60-$80 range. Anything cheaper, and the flaws can start to show in the way of loose fittings, water damage in bathrooms, faulty equipment, poor quality bedding, and so on. Of course, where you are in America plays a big part in all this. In New York City $60-$80 won’t get you very much at all in the way of even reasonable accommodations. On the other hand, you can get very good rooms for those figures in other parts of the country, and smaller state capitals.
After the usual online research, and for numerous reasons, I settled on the Comfort Inn Hotel at 100 North Christopher Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA19106. (215) 627-7900.
It was close to the Greyhound Bus station
It was within walking distance of Philadelphia’s historic district
It was right on the Delaware River
It had great views of the BenjaminFranklinBridge
It offered free high-speed WiFi in rooms
There was a small bar fridge
It provided a free shuttle bus to various locations in the city center
The extensive breakfast included in the price
It had very good reviews
At $70.00 per night – the price was right
I wasn’t disappointed.
The online booking was smooth and trouble free, and at check-in everything went just as smoothly. I asked for and received a room with a great view overlooking the Delaware River and the BenFranklinBridge (which connects Pennsylvania with New Jersey). The views during the day were great, but at night they were particularly beautiful.
Here are just a few of the historic sites you can walk to from the hotel: the United States Mint (free self-guided tour); Elfreth’s Alley and Museum; Betsy Ross House; ChristChurch and Cemetery (where Ben Franklin is buried); the NationalConstitutionCenter; Liberty Bell Carpenter’s Hall, and so much more.
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Image: Comfort Inn, Philadelphia: a room with a real view
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The room was perfect. The oversized bed was comfortable, everything worked as it was supposed to, and the air conditioning was cold (given that the temperature in Philadelphia during my stay was in the 100+ degree range, good air-con was a must). The room was huge and featured a large window that took up the whole width of the room, allowing plenty of natural light to fill the space.
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Image: Comfort Inn, Philadelphia: main room with king bed
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Image: Comfort Inn, Philadelphia: main room…
The bathroom was also large and spacious, had more towels and soap than one person could reasonably expect, and the attention to detail was clearly visible (as can be seen in the next two photographs).
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Image: Comfort Inn, Philadelphia: paying attention to details
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Image: Comfort Inn, Philadelphia: still paying attention to details
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Of course, hotel rooms are generally provided with towels and soap for two or more people which accounts for the excess of both in my room – but was I going to complain about that? Not likely.
As you can see in the next series of images, the bathroom was fitted out with plenty of counter space, a large mirror, a generous supply of extras (shampoo and conditioner, box of tissues, etc), and hair dryer.
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Image: Comfort Inn, Philadelphia: plenty of counter space
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Image: Comfort Inn, Philadelphia: bathroom hair dryer and tissues
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There was more than enough storage space for clothing, and an iron and ironing board were also provided, as was a safe for storage of important documents, money and other valuables. An additional fee applies if using the safe, so if you don’t use it (and this applies pretty much universally), make sure you tell reception staff when either signing in or out, so that the fee is not included in the final account.
The air-con was large and very effective. In fact, it was too effective for me, and despite signs asking guests to not adjust the settings, I increased the warmth factor a few degree so that I didn’t have to over dress while in my room.
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Image: Comfort Inn, Philadelphia: air-conditioning unit
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The buffet-style Continental breakfast offered a good range of choices including cereals, donuts and muffins, juices, waffles (make your own), coffee and tea, and fresh fruit, etc. If I was going to complain about anything, it would be that the breakfast room is too small for a hotel of this size. However, guests are able to eat breakfast in the bar space next to the breakfast room, which, while not ideal, helps alleviate the crush.
I enjoyed a seafood meal just down the road from the hotel at the Octo Waterfront Grille, at 221, N Columbus Blvd, where a house band played some great funk and soul as the sun slowly set in the west, and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge lit up to provide the perfect backdrop along with some stunning river views.
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Image: Octo Waterfront Grille with BenFranklinBridge as backdrop
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Image: My Octo Waterfront Grille seafood plate. Yum, yum!
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I also ate at La Veranda Ristorante, a more up-market establishment which is right on the Delaware River (as is the Octo), and again on North Columbus Blvd, from where more great views of the BenjaminFranklinBridge can be enjoyed.
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Image: The Benjamin Franklin Bridge viewed from my hotel room...
Overall, I rate the Comfort Inn Hotel an easy four stars. If you are looking for a well placed resting place, within walking distance of Philadelphia’s major historic attractions (don’t forget you can utilize the free shuttle bus as well), this hotel is certainly worth considering.
Image: Complete bus route from New York City to New Orleans
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Dear reader, if you have taken the time to read my four previous posts detailing my journey from New York City to New Orleans, you may have noticed I have said very little about my fellow passengers, Greyhound bus terminals, station staff, or company drivers, so let me add some observations here.
Greyhound Bus Stations
From my experience, there is a certain dull sameness to Greyhound Bus Stations around the country. They tend to be low-lying structures decked out in the company colours (blue and grey); with a ticket counter staffed by a bored and overworked employee. Notice I said employee, not employees. Unless it is a major terminus, like the one in New York City, most are understaffed, although even the one at the Port Authority Bus Terminal seemed to have only two or three staff on at any one time.
At least Greyhound has recognized the need for traveller to recharge their mobile phones and other devices by providing a strip of electrical outlets for this purpose in their bus stations. They just don’t provide this service on their buses. At least not on the older buses. Pack your recharge cable in your carry on luggage for easy access.
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Image: Greyhound Bus station Recharge Bench
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Some General Observations
Some stations have luggage storage boxes where you can leave bags for short periods – for a fee of course (typically $5.00)
All stations have signage in Spanish and English (though not necessarily staff conversant in both languages)
Many stations have games machines and televisions to occupy travelers while they wait for connections
Some stations have security officers on hand, and your carry-on bags may be subjected to a visual search
Some rest rooms leave much to be desired. As previously noted in Part 5, the tips and advice article, it is advisable to carry Wet Ones or similar cleaning products to wipe down toilet seats.
Somewhere during the road trip I wrote in my notebook: … passengers are a mix of the nation’s most poor, who have no alternative but to use long distance bus travel to move around the country.
However, I am happy to admit this assertion is clearly contradicted in the Facts and Figures section on Greyhound’s website which includes the following information:
·One-third of Greyhound passengers make more than $35,000 per year.
·More than half of Greyhound riders have received higher education beyond high school.
·In many cases, Greyhound passengers report they own automobiles…but travel by bus because it is safe and more economical.
·The majority of Greyhound passengers travel to visit family and friends, but more than 21 percent travel for business reasons.
I suspect though, that the typical Greyhound demographic (if there is a ‘typical’ demographic) changes depending on which parts of the country you are travelling through.
Thankfully, passengers have for the most part been quiet, well behaved and friendly. The few exceptions I saw always involved conflicts or arguments between passengers and Greyhound staff – never between the passengers themselves.
Finally, even children have been quiet and well behaved on all the buses I rode in. thankfully, most can be entertained (or entertain themselves) with iPods, Game Boys, and even portable DVD players. Generally, though, small children seem to fall asleep quickly and remain that way for extended periods, which is a great relief.
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Image: “BAD LUCK – If you always expect the worst you will never be disappointed.” [Source: the internet]
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A Question of ‘Luck’
At the start of my first trip report I wrote: “Reading through other trip reports of passengers travelling on the North American Greyhound Bus network, one could be forgiven for thinking that only the foolhardy (or brave), use the network as a means of travel in the United States and parts of Canada. Online travellers tales are full of warnings and horror stories of cancelled departures, overbooked buses, smelly fellow passengers (and even smellier toilets), crying children, and cranky staff.”
As I also wrote, maybe I was lucky, and although being in the right place at the right time played a part in my ‘luck’, I like to think that attitude plays a large part of any travel experience. As do expectations.
I didn’t embark on this trip completely oblivious to potential dangers or to the possibility that things might go wrong. When I set out on the trip I was a few weeks shy of my 62nd birthday. As an Australian, I was a long way from home, travelling on my own in a big country through a landscape I was familiar with only from having seen it a thousand times in movies and televisions shows, and not all of these show the American South in the best possible light. But my attitude going into the trip was that whatever happened was going to happen whether I was on the bus or not, and since there was no way of knowing what might transpire, I might as well get on board and enjoy the ride. And enjoy it I did.
As for expectations: if you think the trip is going to be long, dull, and tiring – you can pretty much guarantee it will be! If you think your fellow passengers are all going to be large, smelly, loudmouthed ex convicts – or worse, you may well spend the entire trip trying to identify which of the passengers those attributes apply to. I firmly believe that if you head out expecting problems, you will encounter them. If you travel with the expectation that you are embarking on an exciting adventure, then almost anything that you encounter – short of theft or some criminal assault on your person – will be seen as part of that adventure.
From my observations, all my fellow passengers just wanted to get to their destinations quickly and safely and with as few hassles as possible. Just like I did. Passengers travelling with a companion obviously had someone to share the trip with, and pass the time with. Solo travelers like myself had to make do with their own company or strike up conversations with other passengers.
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Image: A page from my pocket notebook…
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I kept myself occupied by constantly jotting down notes in my pocket notebook (the old fashioned paper kind – not the modern computer kind). Without it, I couldn’t have written the trip reports I have posted here – and they are not page by page transcriptions of my notes by any means).
The vast majority of passengers I shared my trip with kept to themselves, but it was interesting to see other passengers engage with each other in conversation about topics of mutual interest – generally sport – with good humor and bon ami. There were no fights or assaults, no objectionable language or loud arguments. At least not onboard the buses, although – as I’ve noted above – I did hear some very heated conversations between frustrated travelers and ticketing staff of whom there never seemed to be enough (the expression, overworked and underpaid comes to mind here).
According to the Greyhound website their coaches covered nearly 5.8 billion (my emphasis) passenger miles “last year”. Across the whole network (USA, Canada, and Subsidiaries) they carried nearly 25 million passengers. That’s an awful lot of miles and passengers – a fact that should be taken into account when you read some of the bad experiences some passengers have had travelling on the Greyhound network.
Even if 250,000 passengers each year across the whole network had reason to complain about some aspect of the service they received, that still amounts to just 1% of passenger numbers. Or to put it another way – 99% of Greyhound passengers were satisfied with the service they received. [Note: I have no way of knowing exactly what percentage of passengers have lodged complaints with Greyhound. It could be ten times the figures I’ve plucked out of the air – or ten times less].
All the drivers I encountered were polite, if matter of fact, imparted essential information at the start of each segment, and didn’t hesitate to remind passengers to lower the volume ofmusic players and other electronic devices if too loud, and to keep cell phone conversations quiet and brief. Unfortunately, none of my drivers were as entertaining as Virgil the Greyhound bus driver seen rapping in this brief YouTube video:
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I am not being paid by Greyhound to say any of this, by the way. Certainly take note of the bad travel experiences other passengers have had, and can learn what you can from them, but keep them in perspective. Wherever you travel, and by what ever means, there will always be delays, rescheduled flights or buses, missed connections, cancellations, breakdowns, tired and frazzled passengers, temperamental staff, weather affected services, and so on. Travel websites love to highlight the problems but rarely, if ever, have ‘good news’ stories to tell.
All this is not to say that Greyhound (management, station personnel, drivers, etc) are blameless and couldn’t do things a lot better. Especially, in responding to genuine complaints involving lost baggage, overfull coaches, unsympathetic staff, grumpy drivers, and numerous other issues.
Well, “That’s a wrap,” as they say in the movie industry. For now, I have exhausted this topic and explored as many aspects of bus travel as I can think of. It’s time to move on to other subjects, but feel free to add Comments and advice where you are able. I and other travelers will appreciate it.
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Read The Full Greyhound Bussing America Trip Report:
