Washington, USA
On my means through the province of Washington I hitched a ride on a bicycle, couchsurfed inwards Seattle, as well as was invited to a fairy festival inwards the woods.
Day 8 of my cross-country hitchhiking peril begins amongst me rolling out of bed at Motel six after hopping a freight train from Portland the nighttime before. My mission was to acquire to Seattle past times nightfall.
I stopped past times the Subway store inwards Kelso, WA to catch a sandwich too every bit some fresh cardboard for a novel route sign. The ladies working the counter surprised me past times handing over a pocketbook total of the previous day’s cookies — 20 of them inwards total!
While sitting downward to write out “Seattle — goodness stories” on the cardboard amongst a Sharpie, a human named George strolled over as well as offered to purchase me a prepare ticket demand there…
I explained to him that I wasn’t destitute, as well as was hitchhiking to run into cool people as well as accept an adventure. Just to a greater extent than proof of my theory that most people some the Blue Planet are variety & generous.
Ride #7: The Hot Tub Men
Another pleasant surprise interrupted my morn when Bret offered to crusade me 47 miles North to Great Mound, WA. Not all the means to Seattle, but ameliorate than nothing!
He saw the cardboard sign as well as overheard my conversation amongst George, as well as so it wasn’t fifty-fifty necessary to leave of absence Subway to locate my side past times side lift.
Bret was on his means dorsum from a hot-tub delivery inwards a function truck amongst ii other guys, Trevor & Shaun. In their costless fourth dimension the 3 of them fished, hunted, rode dirt-bikes as well as wake-boards.
Ride #8: John the Ex-Hippy
Now it was fourth dimension to reckon how good my Seattle sign would work. Standing inwards the glaring Sun at the side of an on-ramp for I-5, John picked me upwards after a xxx infinitesimal wait. Not bad!
John’s thumbed his portion of rides some the U.S.A. of America inwards the 70’s. He estimates a total of well-nigh 8400 miles. Plus a few long-distance route trips inwards a schoolhouse charabanc amongst a grouping of hippies.
These days he’s a calculator technician working for the modest Chehalis Native American tribe. He drove out of his means to leave of absence me at a ameliorate acquire out for hitching my side past times side ride.
Ride #9: Wendy & Christine the Faeries
I wasn’t fifty-fifty asset upwards my sign when Wendy & Christine pulled over inwards their Honda minivan xv minutes later. I jumped inwards dorsum as well as was attacked (with love) past times their picayune domestic dog Tucker as well as his hilarious underbite.
They weren’t going far, simply upwards the route to Walmart to alternative upwards a tent for the Faerieworlds Festival that weekend…
Oh, as well as past times the way. Would I similar to bring together them? It’s simply a crazy 3 twenty-four hr menses political party inwards the woods where everyone dresses upwards every bit faeries…
Now commonly I’m pretty open-minded well-nigh materials similar this. But I’d accept to commit to 3 days, as well as I’d simply spent 4 days inwards Portland. My hitchhiking trip therefore far was moving a flake slowly, as well as I was feeling a force to movement faster.
So I reluctantly declined their generous offer.
Ride #10: Nan the Gymnastics Coach
I walked out to the highway on-ramp inwards Lacey, WA as well as threw out my pollex in i lawsuit once again until Nan stopped inwards his pickup truck after well-nigh forty minutes of road-side rejection.
Nan is an ex-Marine who’s working every bit a gymnastics teacher as well as personal trainer. He spends his costless fourth dimension preparation inwards mixed martial arts. We had a goodness conversation well-nigh faux first-impressions as well as what life inwards the armed services is like.
He dropped me off inwards Tacoma, WA. I presently learned how hard it tin live hitchhiking out of cities when after ii hours of waiting I received no lifts.
A few unlike police force cars passed me, some to a greater extent than than once. But none of them stopped. Eventually ,the Sun brutal below the horizon as well as I walked to the nearest local charabanc station. No i picks upwards hitchhikers after dark. So I purchased a $3.50 ticket to Seattle as well as spent the nighttime at a hostel.
Ride #11: Pam the Tour Guide
The side past times side morn I got some function done earlier coming together upwards amongst my friend Pam from Nerd’s Eye View for breakfast. She’s a talented author as well as ukulele rockstar.
The ferry ride over the bay to West Seattle was beautiful. We chowed downward inwards the Sun at Ma Kai, a Hawaiian eating topographic point on the pier. My tasty Korean fish taco as well as a giant Spam Musubi striking the spot!
Then Pam was variety plenty to give me a tour of the expanse on the dorsum of her bicycle. She fifty-fifty offered to lend me her sweet-looking (literally) watermelon helmet. Safety first…
Ok, as well as so nosotros solely traveled well-nigh v feet earlier nosotros realized it wasn’t going to work. But hey, when you’re hitchhiking, every mile (foot?) counts.
Couchsurfing inwards Seattle
All the hostels as well as inexpensive motels inwards the expanse were completely booked upwards that weekend for the Capitol Hill Block Party. While I’m a big fan of non over-planning your travels, sometimes it backfires.
No worries. Social media to the rescue! I jumped onto Facebook & Twitter to enquire for a couch to crash on, too every bit throwing upwards a last-minute couch asking on Couchsurfing.org. Soon the offers came rolling in.
I decided to rest amongst an one-time friend from my college days inwards Montana. Justin is a talented breaks music producer as well as bartender inwards Seattle.
We spent the even out at a wild secret warehouse party, consummate amongst 12 human foot tall scantily-clad women on stilts, earlier I finally crashed out on his couch for the night.
When I awoke, at that topographic point was a consummate stranger named Deja betwixt my legs. I don’t squall upwards precisely how she got there.
She left without giving me her publish either… what a b*tch! ★
UPDATE: Mission Accomplished!
My hitchhiking journeying across the United States is forthwith complete. You tin read well-nigh the whole peril using the links below.
Have y'all e'er been hitchhiking before? Have whatever questions well-nigh it? Let me know inwards the comments below!
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