only his weariness was heavier than the dew that morning

i like the bus. i don't take the city bus ala the busblogger. i take greyhound and leave the driving to them.

the bus has been the mode of transportation from massachusetts to minnesota and back many times. i like the leisure of the bus. granted, it does take a helluva lot longer than the plane, but it's cheaper and offers a whole other kind of experience.

you meet many different kinds of people on the bus. poor college kids like me. people trying to pick up and start a new life somewhere else. low-income families going to visit other family members. military people hitching a ride to whatever base they're headed. mormons. it's all good. but the fascinating part is the bus stations. and today i'm going to take you on a tour of the main destinations of my route.

worcester
it smells and looks old. mint green walls of the 70s, uncomfortable vinyl chairs, not nice bathrooms. but it is the start of the way, and no journey of a thousand miles can start without a single step.

new york city
this place is gi-normous. 200 some gates and a lot of people. most of it is underground, so you don't really get to see a lot. i like going here because you get to ride through the city to get to it--down little streets with peculiar shops and even more peculiar people. another fave is the people that come up to you and ask you if want some help going to your gate. they are usually bums and they ask you for a tip afterward. i tend to ignore them and let them try to take some other sucker. i also met a guy from costa rica there once. he was headed to worcester like me. we discussed differences in culture and i taught him some american slang. i dislike the usually 4 hour layover i have there starting at 1 in the morn.

cleveland
cavernous is the best way to describe this place. probably the most efficiently run station that i've stopped at, as well. cnn's headline news is usually on the tvs, so you can get some current event info. one time there were a bunch of mormons there getting ready to go out on their apostilizing. there must have been 150 of them. i think jesus was even there. also, this is the best place for lunch and dinner. they have fantastic italian sausages and one damn fine blt. so i recommend planning a meal break for your stop in ohio. my only complaint: the metal wicker chairs.

chicago
no matter what time i roll into the windy city, this terminal is packed to the gills with people. the waiting area could definately be expanded by at least 50%. they have sports pictures and the logos of the chicago teams on the wall, so it has a nice theme going for it. the vending machines there are ridonkulously expensive, but the breakfast at their little cafe is quite delicious. if you can catch the hash browns on a crispy day, snatch some up. besides being super packed, the other downfall of the chicago stop is the drug dealers. my average is about 3. i get asked if i want some weed, e or coke by some shady, shady characters there. the only redeeming quality of the dealers is that they are very indiscriminate about who they ask. grandmas, kids, businessmen, college kids, everyone is an equal opportunity sale for them.

tomah, wi
the quad is bigger than the tomah bus station, but i mention it for the building right next door: mcdonald's. i'm usually not a big fan of mcdonald's food most of the time, but of all the mcd's that i've ever eaten at, this is by far the best one. and they are open 24/7. which is good because we usually stop there around 2am on most schedules. a large strawberry shake and a mcchicken. mmhmm.

minneapolis
they recently redid this bus stop. it is the nicest looking one of them all. decent food, good help. but i like that it is in minneapolis and i actually know that town, so i can go wandering and not worry about too much. the last time i was there, this bum took me to this little hole in the wall restaurant cuz i said i was hungry for a steak and cheese. his taxi on foot only cost me a dollar, and let me tell you, the steak and cheese was most definately worth that extra dollar. i don't really remember the name of the place, but i remember where it is and could find it again if i had to.

duluth, mn
very small, but close to home and it has a hardee's about a block away. people do not know the joy of hardee's in new england. for that i pity them.

virginia, mn
my usually final destination--about 25 minutes from my house--it's a rinky-dink stop at the lakeshore motor inn, but it's familiar territory. and, if it's on my homeward trip, i'm greeted by smiling family member(s), glad to see me again. which sure does make the 36 hour trip more than worth it.