Scenes from the Inter Island Ferry, San Juan Islands, Washington

On my first solo trip, I took a break from my time in Bellingham to stay at a hostel at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island (it was a cozy hostel and I made many friends there, but, sadly, it shut down a few years ago). I took a lovely ferry ride over— and this soon became my favorite way to travel around the sound.

During my week on San Juan Island, I soon learned that there was an inter island ferry that ran between the four largest islands of the group: San Juan, Orcas, Shaw, and Lopez. And what’s more, the inter island ferry was free. (This is unfortunately no longer the case— as with the other ferries, you can ride one direction for free, but have to pay on your way back.)

Many times that week, I took my laptop, boarded the ferry and sat down at one of the tables, working on my editing for a few hours. Every time I looked up, I saw a new vista before me. At intervals I’d stand up, stretch, wander out onto the open bow, taste some sea air, stroll back inside, work on a puzzle for a while, and then return to my editing. If I could choose anywhere in the world to edit student papers the rest of my life, the San Juan inter island ferry would be it.

I think I’ll be posting more about the San Juan Islands in upcoming weeks. I’ve been missing them lately, and maybe telling you stories about them will help.

Where to Go: Seattle-Bainbridge Ferry, Washington

I happened upon one of the most amazing views I’ve ever seen when all I wanted was the equivalent of a bus ride. I had to get from Seattle to Port Townsend, and the first leg of the trip was the ferry. I had ridden on Washington’s ferries before, from Anacortes to the San Juan Islands and back, so I was excited. However, I wasn’t quite prepared for the breathtaking beauty of a trip across Puget Sound. I traveled twice, once on a cloudy morning and once on a clear afternoon. Both were incredible, but I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The cost for a round-trip ticket to Bainbridge Island and back is currently $7.70 for a passenger. If you have some time to kill in Seattle, it’s one of the most scenic cruises around.

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Europe: Why I Now Have Trust Issues with European Trains

In both cases, it was supposed to be a simple ride. Amsterdam to Hamburg. Nürnberg to Amberg. Simple routes, simple transfers. A total breeze. 

The European train system is the envy of the world, and rightly so— with high speeds, comfy chairs, efficient service, and excellent coverage, it blows away every other part of the planet as far as public transportation goes. So I had no qualms boarding one for the first time, and despite a little confusion about my ticket (darn you, language barrier), I was confident that it was going to be fine.

Ready to board the bus with 50 of my closest friends...

Let’s start with Amsterdam to Hamburg. Everything was going swimmingly until an announcer sounded over the loudspeaker. I had no idea what he was saying, but the word “Hamburg” showed up at least four times. So I asked my seat-mate (named Juliana) about it, and she answered, in halting but clear English, that there had been a bomb threat on the tracks near Hamburg, and the train was going to stop at a different station, load us onto buses, and then take us to Hamburg. That sounded complicated, so I asked Juliana, “Can I follow you?” She agreed.

Within minutes, the situation had rapidly complicated into “Now we’re stopping at a station, but we missed the train that was supposed to pick us up, so we have to wait for the next one, which will take us to a place with a bus, and then the bus will take us to another train station, and then that train will take us to Hamburg.” Thank God for Juliana. She helped me navigate the crowds, glancing back over her shoulder to make sure I was following her. We waited at the train station together, crammed onto a bus (my arms got exhausted from holding my backpack in front of me), and then hopped on the train to Hamburg, where we said goodbye. Yeesh!

Ahh... now this is livin'.

The second incident happened three days ago, on what should have been a simple ride from Nürnberg to Amberg. I saw that the train had different compartments for different destinations, so I hopped into the car that I thought was correct. Within a few minutes, a conductor came by and stamped my ticket. Then he did a double-take, examined my ticket, and pointed to the car behind me, saying something in German. I mimed, “I go to that car?” and he nodded. Relieved, I took my place on the rearmost car of the train.

On the train zoomed through rolling farmland, passing through quaint villages, none of which were Amberg. I glimpsed the ruin of a castle peering out from the crest of a wooded hill. Nothing seemed amiss, until I realized that I should have arrived in Amberg ten minutes ago. When the car was almost empty, I approached a family and asked if we had passed Amberg. What? the woman said. This train didn’t even go to Amberg. 

My stomach dropped into my guts, and nearly in tears, I got off the train. I wandered around, found a telephone, called my upcoming host Michaela, let her know what was going on, then booked a train back to Amberg, which would be an extra two hours. Fortunately, it was a cheap ticket and I had the cash to spare. I paced the platform, glad that I had a full meal in my stomach, and realized that it really could be much worse. Think if this had happened with Amtrak— I would have had to wait several hours, if not a full day!

At last I was back on the train, headed to where I needed to go. Thinks went smoothly after that. However, Europe’s trains now make me wary, and I’m not likely to relax on them too much. But all’s well that ends well. At the end of the day, I sat in my new host family’s dining room, and ate cheese and bread and drank apple juice and watched the Olympics. Then, after dispensing of three gigantic spiders, I went to sleep in my own  private room, with the sound of a millstream rushing like rain outside my open window. And everything was okay.

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Travel Tip Tuesdays: Methods of Transportation

“Which do you prefer for traveling long distances— airplanes, buses, trains, or a car?”

Good question. The answer is, I enjoy all four. Here’s an overview:

Airplanes: If you’re flying from one major city to another (for instance, St. Louis to San Diego), this is often the cheapest option. I swear by Southwest Airlines, which consistently have the lowest fares of anywhere I’ve looked. To be honest, I don’t like bargain-hunting and scrambling around on several different websites poking around, so I’m happy to stick with the airlines I know. The downside of Southwest is that they only fly to major cities, and the seats are pretty small. I’m skinny so this isn’t a problem, but it would be pretty uncomfortable for someone of larger girth. All in all, airplanes are the quickest and most convenient way to get to any city, but not always the cheapest.

Buses: I have tried charter buses before, but honestly, it’s better to ride the train if you’re going to go for that option (see next point). Then there comes the big issue of Greyhound. Most people would rather walk over hot coals that set food on a Greyhound bus, and horror stories abound. That said, I still consider Greyhound a valid (and often fun!) way to get around. Between medium-size and small cities, it’s usually by far the cheapest, and if you buy tickets more than three weeks in advance, you can often get fantastic deals (I got from St. Louis to Miami for a grand total of $74). If you have a calm disposition, a don’t-mess-with-me attitude, a good dose of patience, and something to occupy your time, you’ll be fine. Warning: if you get carsick easily, do not take the Greyhound under any circumstances. Also be prepared to take a shower after reaching your destination.

Trains: Oddly enough, this is consistently the most expensive option of the three— I’m still not sure why. It’s also one of my favorite ways to travel. It’s smoother and less cramped than a Greyhound, but still has the amazing “road trip” feel. When I traveled by train in California, we departed from the highway and ran through open fields next to the Pacific ocean, giving me breathtaking views of ocean, mountains, and waving grassland in between, a maze of rills with remnants of old towns standing stark brown against the green. If you’re traveling a direct route, it’s worth it to give trains a try. However, if you live somewhere off the main path, give up on getting anywhere for less than two hundred dollars one way. 

Car: What can I say? Road trips are amazing, but they’re best when you can share them. If you have two or more people wanting to travel a long distance, this might be cheaper than buying flights or bus/train tickets. Use Gas Buddy to calculate what your trip will cost, then stock up on non-perishable snacks and hit the road!

The short answer to the question is, I love many different kinds of transit, but Southwest Airlines, Greyhound and Amtrak are my three go-to options for solo travel. What are your favorites?

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Have a travel question? Leave a comment and I’ll try to answer!

Travel Tip Tuesdays: Traveling Without a Car

“How can I travel without a car?”

It’s pretty difficult for me to utter these taboo words: I don’t have a driver’s license. Whenever people discover this, they are shocked and horrified, then proceed to tell me, “You need to get one.” I have to explain that, once again, the reason that I don’t have a license is because I don’t wish to afford one (there are other reasons as well, but that’s the shortest explanation). I’d rather spend the roughly $2,400 every year on something different (preferably something tax-deductible!). I work from home and live in a city where I can easily walk to the grocery store, bank, post office, and river (read: mental wellbeing area), so there’s not much incentive there. When it comes to traveling, though, the question of money comes up. Public transportation in the United States is not exactly thorough. How in the world can I (or you) travel without the use of a car?

Besides, getting off at the wrong bus stop in Nowhereville,
Washington, makes for a much more exciting story.

Plan ahead. I love the freedom that travel in a car gives me, but I don’t mind wrangling the public transportation. If you plan to take a trip without a car, figure out a good place to go. For instance, if you’re flying straight into Portland, Oregon, you’ll forget that you ever needed a car for anything. However, if you’ve caught a bus to Burnettsville, Indiana, you’ll probably be stranded. Use Google maps’ public transportation option by clicking on the bus icon when you look up directions. If they don’t have anything, check out the city’s chamber of commerce site to see if there are any buses that run. They often have a number you can call, where someone can help you plan out your trip.

Consider all the different kinds of transportation. Walking is my favorite. Mary and I walked the 2.9 miles from the San Diego airport to the Point Loma International Hostel— and the five bucks that we saved bought us a pizza to split. Also, you can often save an hour or so on the bus if you’re willing to walk to a slightly further-away (but more directly-routed) bus stop. Also check out rideshare options— Google-search “Rideshare in [destination city]” or join a couchsurfing rideshare group. If you’re staying at a hostel or couchsurfing, you’ll often find friendly people who are willing to drop you off somewhere nearby.

Don’t be in a hurry. This is the surest way to become frustrated about anything. You’ll miss the bus. You won’t be able to find the station. The Greyhound won’t show up and will leave you stranded in Fort Collins at four in the morning in the sleet and ice as your digits freeze off and you wonder when the hypothermia is going to… oops, sorry, nostalgia. Leave lots of margin in your schedule. Bring along books, an mp3 player, and a lot of patience. 

The bottom line is, unless you’re in a major city, the easiest way to see the US is in a car. If you don’t have one, though, don’t worry— there are a lot of ways around it. Happy travels!

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Have a travel question? Leave a comment and I’ll try to answer!