Washington DC
After spending a 24-hour interval touring the working capital missive of the alphabet metropolis of the United States, I hitchhike to the Chesapeake Bay too create produce to select handgrip of a elevator across the H2O on a boat.
Day 34 of my hitchhiking peril begins inwards Washington DC. I come across a local guy through Couchsurfing.org who offers to host me at his identify too peradventure present me some the city.
Tanabe lives correct exterior of DC inwards Virginia, too he’s an active fellow member inwards the Couchsurfing community.
He picks me upwardly close the White House too nosotros caput to his identify to drib off my bag, grab a seize amongst teeth to eat, too discovery an Irish Gaelic pub to direct maintain a few drinks.
Ride #30: Tanabe the ER Nurse
The next 24-hour interval Tanabe impresses me amongst his pianoforte skills, therefore plays tour guide some Washington DC. We pass the forenoon walking through the National Mall, including a halt at the White House to grab photos amongst my “Take Me to Your Leader” hitchhiking sign.
He was sure I’d hold out locked upwardly equally a lunatic waving my cardboard sign inwards forepart of the President’s house.
Unfortunately, President Obama wasn’t habitation that day. It sure would’ve been dainty of him to give me a elevator out of the metropolis on Marine One!
Later that afternoon Tanabe also offered to give me a ride to Annapolis, MD. Dropping me off inwards the pump of the former metropolis amongst its beautiful red-brick paved streets too historic buildings.
Hitchhiking on a Boat?
Annapolis is habitation to the US Naval Academy too was i time a temporary working capital missive of the alphabet of the US itself. Walking through town I was impressed amongst all the sailboats too yachts docked some the city.
Hmmmm. I’ve already hitched rides on a freight train, a motorcycle, a large rig, too an airplane on this trip… why non a boat?
So I spent the afternoon visiting marinas too asking crew-members if anyone planned to canvass across the Chesapeake Bay.
I wasn’t having whatsoever luck though. One captain recommended I banking concern fit out Sandy Point State Park, where recreational boaters oftentimes launch to buy the farm line-fishing for the day.
It was getting late, too if I wanted to larn close the common earlier dark, I’d direct maintain to jump on a local bus. The coach brought me to a modest town called Arnold, where I laid upwardly campsite inwards a wooded surface area behind a Safeway supermarket.
Ride #31: Don & Kevin the Rednecks
Early the side yesteryear side forenoon I stocked upwardly on nutrient at the supermarket too began making my means downward the route towards Sandy Point State Park too the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
Rather than hang out inwards i spot, I decided to endeavour hitching on the motion piece walking downward the road.
It didn’t operate real well. Only after ii hours walking inwards the hot Sun did individual in conclusion stop.
Don & Kevin are structure workers who pulled over inwards a large pickup truck too told me to jump inwards back. They therefore sped off piece I held on for dearest life. I intend they were having a niggling fun amongst me. But every ride helps!
About 10 minutes afterward they pulled into a gas station to allow me climb out, where I thanked them too asked for a quick photo.
Ride #32: Lisa the Waitress
So it was dorsum to walking inwards the hot sun. But exclusively twenty minutes into the walk, I was surprised when a automobile stopped without alert — equally I didn’t genuinely direct maintain my pollex out at the time.
Surprise presently turned to stupor when a pretty adult woman rolled downward the window too asked if my parent was Matthew.
Why yes, that’s me…
“The Hitchhiker?” she asked.
Um, yes. Do nosotros know each other?
“No, but I’ve been next your peril on Instagram, too merely passed y'all on my means to work! Wanted to plough some too inquire if y'all needed a lift.”
Hell yes! I’d love a ride!
Turns out Lisa lives nearby, too was heading to her 24-hour interval labor equally a waitress. She’d merely graduated from college amongst a grade inwards Business. She also goes boating on the Chesapeake all the time, too had a particular gate code to larn us into the common for free.
I thanked her for the lift, too she offered to drive me across the duo if I couldn’t hitch out on a boat.
Illegal Camping at Sandy Point
At Sandy Point I institute a picnic tabular array close the docks too sat downward to lookout adult man out potential rides. But it was the afternoon, too rather than boats heading out, they were returning for the day.
I managed to inquire a few, but none were going real far therefore they turned me down.
Looks similar I’d demand to pass a black inwards the common too endeavour i time to a greater extent than inwards the morning.
I waited until sunset earlier searching for a goodness identify to hang my hammock out of persuasion of the common rangers. Because camping ground isn’t allowed inwards the park. While walking to a secluded department of beach I discovered a whole identify unit of measurement of deer munching on grass.
They ran dorsum into some trees equally I approached, too it was in that location I institute a decent camping ground spot amongst a persuasion of the beach too the bay.
Early the side yesteryear side forenoon I snuck into the park’s populace bath to create clean upwardly too shave. I’d demand to hold out presentable for individual to trust me plenty to direct maintain me out on their boat.
Ride #33: Joey the Funeral Home Owner
Plenty of trucks began pulling into the docks that forenoon amongst boats. I started the procedure of asking everyone for a lift. It’s never slow to walk upwardly to a consummate stranger too inquire them for something…
While I’ve sure enough buy the farm ameliorate at it on my hitchhiking adventure, I’d even therefore larn a flake of anxiety every time. I’d starting fourth dimension yesteryear complimenting them on their boat, too asking who was the captain (if non already obvious).
Mentioning the goodness conditions too, merely to larn a conversation going.
“So, I’ve got a foreign asking for you.”
I’d therefore explicate my cross-country hitchhiking adventure, too how I genuinely wanted to hitch on a boat to goal amongst a nifty story. Most were intrigued, but non plenty to alter their plans too direct maintain me iv miles across the Chesapeake Bay.
But after getting denied yesteryear five dissimilar boats over ii hours, Joey arrived. He was launching his speedboat for a 24-hour interval of fishing, preferring weekdays to avoid the busy weekends.
Once I assured him I wasn’t carrying weapons, he agreed to alter his plans too select me across the bay.
Joey owns ii real successful funeral homes, affording him the luxury of line-fishing during the middle of the week. Death too taxes, after all.
We sped across the bay too nether the beautiful Chesapeake Bridge inwards style. ★
UPDATE: Mission Accomplished!
My hitchhiking journeying across the United States is straightaway complete. You tin displace read close the whole peril using the links below.
Have y'all e'er been hitchhiking before? Have whatsoever questions close it? Let me know inwards the comments below!
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