Morgantown, West Virginia
I’d heard rumors that hitchhiking on the East Coast was tough. It was fourth dimension to seat that theory to the exam too hitchhike amongst strangers into Washington DC.
Day xxx of my hitchhiking journeying starts inwards Morgantown, West Virginia. After spending the black inwards the woods on the side of the road, I walk to a McDonald’s too instruct online for posting photos too responding to email.
When logging into Instagram I discovery a comment from a stranger named Brad. He lives a few miles away too wants to know if he tin help.
How well-nigh a two-hour ride into Maryland? He said yes!
Ride #26: Brad the Festival Promoter
Brad picks me upwardly inwards his car, too nosotros caput East on Route 68 towards Maryland. He plant every bit a music festival promoter inwards West Virginia, designing & publishing a local festival magazine too.
An avid kayaker too whitewater rafter, he explains that West Virginia has fantastic rivers that boast some of the best whitewater East of the Mississippi.
He’d been next my adventures later coming across the spider web log a spell back. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 like-minded soul next the philosophies of Tim Ferris & Rolf Potts. Design your ain lifestyle too build go a priority.
We stopped halfway through the drive to catch a beer inwards a town called Cumberland earlier continuing on to Hagerstown, MD. Pulling inwards every bit the Sun went down. Brad hence drove me around to search for a goodness camping ground topographic point where I could pass the night.
Hitchhiking Signs
Slinging my hammock betwixt 2 trees off the side of the road, I roughshod asleep watching deer & rabbits out for a late-night stroll nether the stars. Apparently, I’d laid upwardly close a wild fauna trail.
Checking Google Maps satellite sentiment on my iPhone the adjacent morning, I couldn’t honor whatsoever goodness onramp spots to hitchhike from at this exit. So my best endure would endure walking well-nigh 2 miles to the adjacent one. But first, I’d demand some cardboard for a sign.
Grocery stores (like Safeway) are commonly best because you lot tin but walk inwards too inquire individual stocking the shelves.
But when that isn’t an option, I become dumpster diving!
Restaurants, gas stations, too retail shops commonly receive got a dissever dumpster out dorsum specifically for recycling cardboard. So you lot don’t genuinely wade through rotten nutrient or anything. Most of the fourth dimension it’s non necessary to climb inwards either.
Ride #27: Sean the Fish Guy
After climbing a chain link debate I instruct inwards to a overnice spacious on-ramp expanse for I70 too line out my build novel “Take Me To Your Leader” sign, hoping to instruct a ride into Washington DC. But it doesn’t seem to run at first.
So I give-up the ghost along to trip the lite fantastic toe similar a fool inwards a bid to entertain passing cars too entice individual to stop. While I instruct enough of laughs, it takes xc minutes earlier Sean in conclusion stops for me.
Sean plant every bit a client service rep, too collects tropical fish inwards his spare time. He also oft gives rides to homeless people. Sean thinks I’m homeless.
Well, technically, I gauge I am. But I’m non destitute. So he’s a fleck confused at outset every bit I gain total him inwards on what I’m doing. It’s a brusk xxx infinitesimal ride, too he drops me off at a burger articulation inwards Frederick, MD.
Ride #28: Carrie-Anne the Florist
With no identify for me to stand upwardly safely at the on-ramp inwards Frederick, I loiter inwards forepart of a gas station amongst my sign. Soon the attendant comes exterior too asks me to leave. The same affair happens at the adjacent gas station.
I surrender for the twenty-four hours too hang my hammock inwards a groove of trees inwards the middle of town that night. Yay urban camping!
The next morn I grade a ride from Carrie-Anne spell standing inwards the pelting at a dissimilar on-ramp a few miles away. Bad conditions tin endure a hitchhiker’s best friend. People experience sad for you.
Carrie-Anne is a retired florist. Who also rides Harley Davidson motorcycles. That’s a pretty bad-ass combination if you lot inquire me. She’s non going far, but gets me to the town of Clarksburg where she grew up.
Ride #29: Walter the Environmental Scientist
In Clarksburg it didn’t accept long earlier I was picked upwardly past times Walter, a quirky older human being on his means into Washington DC. He striking the breaks too squealed to a halt on the rain-soaked road.
He never picks upwardly hitchhikers, but idea I looked harmless. Plus it was raining.
Although earlier I could go inwards the truck, he asks if I’m wearing cologne. Nope. I genuinely hadn’t showered for a few days either. “Perfect!” he says. Um, ok…
It turns out Walter is severely allergic to chemic fragrances. It’s called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. So stinky torso odor was genuinely preferable to deodorant.
Who knew that beingness smelly could endure an property spell hitchhiking!
Walter used to run for the Department of Energy, specializing inwards environmental cleanup too toxic waste product sites similar Yucca Mountain inwards Nevada.
He wasn’t comfortable amongst me taking his photo. But he dropped me off inwards the ticker of Washington DC. ★
UPDATE: Mission Accomplished!
My hitchhiking journeying across the United States is at in ane lawsuit complete. You tin read well-nigh the whole opportunity using the links below.
Have you lot e'er been hitchhiking before? Have whatsoever questions well-nigh it? Let me know inwards the comments below!
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