7:15 am - Day 1 - officially left San Francisco golden gate transit $5.00 Novato 8:15 am Breakfast $3.20 Carls Jr. 9:45 am Novato - Rohnart Park - skoroi2001@yahoo.com 11:45 a Ronart Park - lakeland - Real Estate Agent 8:00 p Arrive in Eureka Didn't bother to log rides most stuff in back of cars/van Ride short - mother & daughter, drop mom off at dr daughter (ugly) talked about accident at walmart. dropped at truck stop. general bust, went out to street Ride short - sleezy girl, dirty, got dropped off 10 miles down road. Ride short - picked up by trooper, nice guy! 5 miles later dropped off at seeminly hopeless location off at where 101 is legal. Ride short - brought into wittman ride short - brought to other side of wittman/HS Ride long - wittman to eureka good ride, 120 miles nice person, but was propositioned for food & room for sex by BI man. turned down 9:00 p attempted to hitch a little more, decided against. located place to stash stuff, layed down for a little bit woke up, folded everything, went for dinner. (starving!) 10:03 p - dinner, Burgerking $6.20 here i am, in eureka, ca! Almost made day one goal within 60 miles of cresent city. The idea is to change over to 199 to connect into i-5 possibly for longer rides. Longest ride was 120 miles Downfall, the guy propositioned me Foggy night, damp. temp in sleeping bag is very comfortable gonna be a buggy night i think. I had to walk from one end of eureka to the other was able to do it with assistance of shopping cart in about an hour. located spot to sleep, left everything there but laptop bag and came to dinner. overall, good day! was able to get out, averaged about 2.5 hurs between rides. most rides were very fast 70+ mph, so was able to make up time. 11:07 p - watched single lightweight person get picked up tempted to go on road, but damn, it's late! never mind. tomorrow is another day. g'night Dummy me, i did not bring map with me or i would have miliage stats. 300 miles after map check. Day 2 Ran into mike over in arcata, humbolt university town. hitching was supposed to be good, but wasn't bit into something on left upper tooth, ripped me a new asshole of relizing what pain really is. had to lay down and calm tooth down before going anywhere due to lack of sleep last night (spiders & bugs) managed to sleep 5 hours fairly straight, woke up 4:00pm finally hitching - got ride around 6:00pm to route 299 took 299 to redding, dropped off at turtle bay aquarium/park pitching for night here in back section, 1/2 mile from I-5. deciding that I am doing near circle as rides just were not hapening going north, instead forgetting about canada and resorting to I-80. Back to sacramento, then head east till chicago area. from there, just go north. Going to have to sell new 40gb drive to make it! may have to do something else as well, not sure. Broke into last $40.00 . Day 3 Spent night in Redding at Turtle park. Got up at 5:30am with sprinklers, slight toothache, groggy as anything. Got myself together and went to the on-ramp-area for 44/I-5. Finally at 8:00am went to shell station to get a cup of coffee and this guy (another independant Robert) brought me onto the real I-5 interchange. A seemigly kinda safe area. by 10:am no rides, snuck off for a nap underneath pine trees. 12:00 got up and continued the endevour. 2:00 got picked up by CHP. Nuts, found out that i was totally clear with thanks to the state of NJ. Got picked up by cop, dropped off at offramp. stayed there for another 1/2 hour. Got a ride to TA truckstop. Feeling just piss poor, i grab towel an birdbath. It was hot outside, 97 degrees. Piddled around, feeling like not wanting to go out into the sunshine, but feeling I needed to. Went over to the truck area (pull out lanes) and started to hitch. Gave up after a number had passed by with the general sign "no riders". Then out of nowhere this guy (Roy) pops up, "Hey you, where ya going?" "Michigan actually via Reno/Chicago route 80". Roy," looking for a driver, to take a vehicle to Burning Man... someone decent, reliable, etc" and my general reply, thinking couple days back, "As long as male sex is not involved, OK". And so, off we go. The stories that this person is telling me are like out of this world. Starts off talkung about his place, his busses (which are all bluebird mobile homes), then wierd story about some mexicans that he ran into and was going to bring up and help out with work on the camp. by the time he finishes the mexican story about the fact that a lot of poeple get super spooked when he tried to bring people up to help... they bail on him in the middle of nowhere miles and miles from anywhere. To me, just down right wierd and stupid to bail in the middle of nowhere, then I start to think who is this guy... what's he about... is he going to rape me? Is he going to kill me, ditch me, do anything to me? Needless to say, I am still here, finally writing this. All I can say about Roy is that he is one of the nicest people you would want to meet; as long as you can understand where he is coming from, as long as you play within his personal rule set, don't do things wrong (backass, OK). He smokes some killer pot, by the 1/4 lb! (1/4 lb in 3 weeks!) So, we're (he mostly) are smoking, talking, watching scenery go by realizing that I am getting like way deep into the nowhere zone. We hit this dirt road, shared by a few cars... then no cars. It's definitely still daylight. We climb up narrowish curves, to his place. At first all the fears within me are just running around my head like no tomorrow, trying to find some flaw in his stories, visually scanning the contents of his personal belongings, looking for gun or knife, evidence of fowl play, anything for me to bail as well. I see nothing. What I do see is a camp, 3 busses in a triangle pattern, a 17' pool in the center of a makeshift garden (potted plants, stone walks, pallets layed out for walkways. Behind is a couple of large storage sheds, plastic lined and inside all the creature comforts of home. True, there is no phone or outside services what so ever, the busses are each self contained domicile units with their own generators for power (kinda loud). But, with the places that I have been before (hornitos, ca)(bohemian grove)(etc) this is all to be expected and all i can say is "Wow! this is what I want or wanted all my life" (secretly, i had been in a place like this before somewhere either in conscious reality or sub consciously). What could I really say? I didn't know this person, didn't know his intensions, just the whole situation was to amazing not to pass it up. At the same token I was taking a hugh risk with my own life to investigate this. It's so risky, It's so me! Roy is a gay-bear type person, with a most wonderful piece of property in which I attemted to videotape the sunset, unfortunately it was all too blurry and nothing would have been noticeable. The View - (to be filled in) Tis a shame. Wierd gets better... food, shelter, way to Reno, pay. I believe the negotiation was for a bus ticket to michigan! I hope that he lives up to his end, everything seems to be as said, mentioned, kidded about, etc. So, the remainder of Day 3 was spent at his place, doing a few odd things, hanging out mostly and enjoying life for a change. Gimme a week at this guys camp and OMG... I would be such a changed person. Day 4 Right now, it's Day 4 10:55pm. We met up with his lover, Arellio (project manager at MCI) and we are transporting a 1983 bluebird original bus fully outfitted as a mobil home. The price of gas is like OMG! $250 for 50 gallons! We are enroute to burning man, in which I will be dropped off in Reno (with bus tix?) and a hearty handshake of a job well done. Anyway, time to get some sleep, leaving the sacto area for reno at 2:00-ish, should be there just as dawn starts hitting the horizon. There's so much more to tell about the camp, the view, etc. All I can say right now is that its 22 miles up a private road, just outside anderson. OK... it's after 1:00am, bought coffee's for myself and the guys. Sitting here in a mazda mpv. looking at a lic. plate 1POV858 CA of one of 3 busses. almost out of battery power. Been writing story for over an hour. waiting for these members of the bear clan to wake up so we can get over the mountain and into Reno. Day 5 9:25 am - notes - Reno, NV Bus Station. Pack weighed in at 50.7 lbs Laptop bag prolly 15 lbs Sleeping bag 5lbs Bus Tix $189.00 leaves at 7:00am going to try to jump schedules so I don't have to spend night in Reno. OK... I bought coffee for the guys only to get massively shot down for Entering without knocking not getting creme & sugar, getting them nothing but lousey brown water; this is as Roy put it. Arellio on the otherhand is a nice person. I never ever felt so bad about doing something nice to/for anyone. Roy has serious control issues. Personally felt like ramming the back of the bus, but realized that would only cause myself harm and the bus would have barely felt anything. Ah well... I was handed the car keys with the obvious motion of Roy being pissed off and holding the 2 cups of coffee in a carrier (which he found) and made the obvious motion to the dumster at Denny's. The fuck head. We started off at 3:15am up the mountains, stopped at lorraine exit and slept till 6:30am, nearly peak time of the sunrise, prolly another Royism because he was pissed off at the coffee. Made it to Reno at 8:00am. Bus tix purchased and hearty handshake. The End. So, I guess, deal met and made. Promises kept. Should I just leave this all behind? It's definitely a memory or was it all a dream? Divine intervention, dumb luck; Who really knows. All that I know is that I am semi tired, almost in dream state, not quite. Pissed off about this morning, but it's over. Done with end of story. Now, a boring bus ride with $15.00 to my name. Pondering over what to actually do... still thinking about jumping schedules so I can get out of this area. 'sides can't go play any, no money. Need internet connection ASAP, and this is what I need to do, BUT with pack and everything it's not going to be good. Should wait until on road and locate better station area. Jumping schedule with offset by 12 hours, therefor I will be able to sleep tonight and rejoin schedule in a much nicer area. Oh yeah, the 9 day schedule I started out with, is going to be 1 day shorter! BONUS! 11:30 am - Day 6 on Greyhound, heading to Denver Colorado. Bus #2. Almost left 2 people behind after driver stating that we must be on-time. Having good conversations with various people. Al in all, typical bus ride. Changed busses in Salt Lake City, security check took entire layover time. Hvae $6.00 left, going to have to sell something cause there's 2 days left before reaching final destination. So far, unable to locate internet service since leaving coastal california. Either it's just no access known or store clerks being unaware of technology bases (being the fact that they themselves don't deal with laptops or wireless services). Last hope of access is going to be chicago, but have been making attempts at each major bus station & meal stops. Scenery is well.. scenery. Some great while others (central wyoming) becomes less and less interesting. Right now, have mountains in background and going through foothills of Rockies, soon to become flat lands then change into farm land and back to greenness. Major cloud system as far as eyes can see, storm clouds on horizoon (right side). Honestly very tired, might be hungry but not as hungry as one can be. 03:10 am - Day 7 on Greyhound, "Parked in Chicago". I arrived last night in chicago around 5:30pm, immediately went to customer service as I had a feeling that there was going to be another bus going through Grand Rapids. My assumption about being 12 hours ahead of schedule was wrong, we all make mistakes here and there, but it actually was not a mistake in the grand scheme. As the internet issue had been solved and had chance to talk with friends to let them know that I was alive and well. So, I got here in Chi-Town at 5:30pm and have to mandatorily wait till 7:45am (14+ hours) for my next bus which will put me into Traverse City, Michigan at 7:20pm. I will still have 3 hours of layovers between Chicago and Traverse City. just over 2 hours in Grand Rapids. A town maybe worth investigating. My comment about Des Moines, IA is basically this: historically and marginally messed up as far as busses & drivers. Every time that I have gone through Des Moines, I have always wound up on a messed up bus, old and unconfortable. This particular time, I can thank Greyhound for massive headache due to the fact that the door was left open while other busses were idling excessively and the carbon monoxide had built up in the passenger section of my own bus. The bus driver, was not a nice person did the minimal as far as his job; did not give proper greeting speech, and was not seemingly concerned about keeping on-time. Not the greatest driver either. Does not keep the bus steady - hits gas, adds like 10mph then coasts till 5mph below starting point. This is very annoying as a passenger, and somewhat dangerous in vehicle operation (goes against everything taught about driving). No other drivers from any other location do this. just the drivers going in/out of des moines. So, there's got to be something happening in the driver training in that area of the country. Here now at 3:37am watching 3 peoples' luggage while waiting. Which I don't mind photodave2004@yahoo.com - seeking volunterring in peoria, illinois (forrest park nature center) David Wilson.