USA coast to coast by Greyhound Bus (1998)

Sorting through old files, I stumbled across a pack of photo negatives from the summer when I graduated from university and lived in Charleston South Carolina.  At the end of the summer I bought a 30 day Greyhound Bus ticket and headed across the country.

The photos proved to not be that exciting - they were pre digital, so I guess I rationed my use of the camera - but the accompanying travel journal is more interesting - or at least is is for me!  I have resisted the desire to fill in gaps in the entries with my memories and this is the diary unedited.



Wednesday 26th August 1998

Left Charleston SC at 5am - first leg of the journey is Charleston SC - Columbia SC - Atlanta GA - Montgomery AL - Mobile AL - New Orleans LA

Hurricane in the morning - hit North Carolina, no storms in Charleston but incredible sky

Columbia SC - lots of army guys in uniform, one asked me how the tickets worked as he'd never been on a bus before

Columbia is like Charlotte NC but fewer, shorter sky scrapers

Driver and guy sat at front are discussing funerals (presume the guy is an undertaker) - "if a family member dies, can you do their body?" answer - "only cousins"

Apparently if a Greyhound bus hits and kills a deer, they report it to the police and the deer is delivered to the school food service and 'processed / ground up' and served in the school food system

Atlanta GA - driver is asked by the bus station staff to take an 'extra' passenger with no ticket with the right 'put him off if he causes trouble', thirty minutes of arguing later the driver refuses and sets off advising us over the PA system "if there is anything I can do to make your journey more comfortable just come up and tell me, if you don't feel like coming to the front then send someone else"

Montgomery AL - put watch back one hour to Central Time - groovy new bus station

New bus driver - "...no cigarettes, marijuana or crack - that includes the bathroom; chewers - you can chew but you can't pop"

Atmore AL - passed a 'mobile home outlet centre'



Thursday 27th August 1998

Met English couple on bus - Amanda and Martin from Potter's Bar - shared a cab to the New Orleans LA Youth Hostel

Went out at 2.30pm with them and a New Zealand girl called Cherie - streetcar was $1 - had coffee at Cafe du Monde - very touristy and over-rated - incredibly hot

Went back to sleep until 7.30 then we all headed out to Bourbon St - tacky and touristy - good covers band / awful 'po boy' sandwich; got wasted, got put in taxi, threw up in hostel and got into trouble



Friday 28th August 1998

Woke late - awful hangover - went straight to Greyhound depot as no interest in staying longer in New Orleans

Bus to Santa Fe NM will be over 24 hours - had ticket endorsed until 27th September

Bumped into Amanda, Martin and Cherie at depot - swapped addresses

Several English people on the bus - too tired to speak - bus left at 12.30pm

Lost double seat at 4pm

Due to hit Dallas TX at 1am - long layover - will talk to English people I guess

Driver "...one more thing. Get off my bus!"



Saturday 29th August 1998

Arrived Dallas TX at 2am (late) due to leave at 2.30am but actually left at 4.30am

Talked to English guys from Sussex Uni

Almost decided to stay in Dallas but would be pricey and only JFK museum to see - (should) get long layover in Albuquerque NM

Bought cheesy JFK postcard

Dallas depot - good camaraderie between delayed passengers as we sit on our bags on the floor

North Texas is very flat - soil an amazing red colour - saw a 'nodding donkey'(?) oil well in a small house's back yard

Very large cockroach between seats in front for most of journey

Stopped at Amarillo TX for 1.5 hours - walked to a Subway and around deserted downtown - usual mix of second hand shops, pawn shops and bail bond stores - took some photos - a contrast of 1930s and 1950s architecture

Spoke to English guys again - one called Steve - the other unwell

Set off at 1pm for Albuquerque NM - driver haring around bends

Passed 'Happy Tracks Horse Motel with stables'

Bus delayed at rest stop - when a woman had to be forcibly removed by the police fro refusing to show her ticket

Incredible scenery - orange rivers, tabletop mountains and prairie (?) as far as the eye can see - drive is interminably long

Long wait at Albuquerque NM - wandered round downtown for half an hour but backpack is heavy and there are few stores

Bus delayed for Santa Fe NM - arguments broke out over separated families, swearing and headphones!

Arrived Santa Fe NM very long walk to Youth Hostel and told that I have to do 'chores' - I choose to do the trash as it was the least involved - weirdo guy kept talking in the room - free breakfast

Amarillo TX

Amarillo TX

Amarillo TX

Sunday 30th August 1998

Santa Fe NM disappointing, all gift shops and paper cup cafes - not feeling too great hope it is altitude and not something else

Santa Fe NM

Went to cool photography gallery then walked back to hostel (via Taco Bell)

Walked (in hellish heat) to bus station, which was closed until bus due - lost $1 in snack machine

Santa Fe NM

Guy called Kevin got on bus at Albuquerque NM and we talked pretty much solidly until Flagstaff AZ - he's a dancer / engineer

Arrived Flagstaff AZ 11.15pm - ride arranged to hostel

Slept badly - now have sore throat



Monday 31st August 1998 (Labor Day)

Woke up in Flagstaff AZ - it's pouring with rain - decided to skip Grand Canyon - too wet and delaying trip by a day would mess up my schedule

Set of at 9am for Las Vegas NV - Aussie gave me a lift to bus

Unbelievably stunning journey over mountains and dessert

Sore throat is worse and now have a dodgy stomach

Arrived in Las Vegas NV at 4.30pm  - checked bags into locker and took bus to The Strip

Las Vegas NV

Las Vegas NV

Las Vegas NV

Tuesday 1st September 1998

Waiting for 3am bus to San Francisco CA - desperately tired but feeling better - must phone for accommodation from rest stop and do laundry on arrival - meeting Ollie tomorrow

Dirty old man on bus kept pestering me - otherwise a dull journey across agricultural land

Arrived in San Francisco CA 5pm-ish - hostels all full, paid $68!! for a box with no bathroom at Pension SF - did laundry, felt ill, bed at 7.30pm



Wednesday 2nd September 1998

Checked into Globe Hostel for $18 - much better

Did the shops - Banana Republic is amazing - lots of drunks and beggars around the town - did cable car and bought bus pass

Met Ollie at 4pm despite giving him the wrong coordinates, checked him into same hostel then went out walked round a bit then had an awful TexMex meal - couldn't eat it as too ill

San Francisco CA

Bed at 9.30pm - didn't sleep - felt terrible



Thursday 3rd September 1998

Up at 6am to drugstore - the remedy seems to work

Brakfast at Laundromat, wandered round to Golden Gate Bridge - too foggy to see it - bought Alcatraz tickets for evening - lunch at a lovely Italian in North Beach - back to hostel to change for the evening and Alcatraz

Alcatraz is amazing - cold, misty, dark we get the boat across, tour guide walks us to the prison, then we have an audio guide around the prison then  another tour guide to take us back to the boat

Alcatraz - San Francisco CA

On to Castro - used the subway - Castro is unimpressive just three small blocks and very dull - awful dinner at restaurant - drink at Irish bar beneath hostel, didn't sleep again but felt better



Friday 4th September 1998

Up early - breakfast at Laundromat again

Checked out and walked to cable car then to Union St (shopping), Fillimore St (steep), Haight district (hippies) - good lunch but not hungry - finally sent postcards

San Francisco CA

Changed and collected bags

Bus at 3.30pm for Portland OR - doesn't seem to take coast road


Saturday 5th September 1998

Arrived Portland OR in the morning - awful journey, coughed all night

Journey from bus to hostel is miles - walked to Burger King then got a ride - bloke with a beard and bedding in the back of his car (a bit scary)

Hostel seems ok - go for breakfast in Hawthorne district nearby

Hostel is actually pretty bad - twenty bed subterranean dorm with communal bathroom

Shopped in Portland - bought a watch

Went to advertising museum - bus trek to middle of nowhere - awful meal at a brewpub - then bed at the hostel with a chronic snorer in the room


Sunday 6th September 1998

Great breakfast at Hawthorne Cafe - eggs benedict

Managed to avoid 'chores' and hung out downtown instead

Feeling really ill - bad mexican meal - tried to go to brewpub but it's shut, so went to same one as last night - awful service, awful beer


Monday 7th September 1998

Left early for Seattle WA - bus full so had to wait a few hours for the next one

Arrived Seattle WA and checked into Green Tortoise Hostel - a bit happy clappy but clean and bright - and private bathrooms!

Dinner at fish and chip place by water - fun and a different angle on fish and chips to the UK

Went to Alibi Room Bar - very nice


Tuesday 8th September 1998

Good night's sleep - feel ok - went to Pike Place Market - amazing fish and flowers

Pike Place Market - Seattle WA

Walked Seattle, shopped etc - Space Needle is crap for $9

Russian pie type thing for late lunch - very good

Coffee and photos in very first ever Starbucks shop - then watched bad parking

Seattle WA

Bought a book in an indie bookshop - sign states ' don't steal the anarchist texts'

Went to Capitol Hill / Broadway gay area - great fun - sex shops, bars etc and got cruised repeatedly

Poor meal on fake pub type bar then coffee at Seattle's Best Coffee


Wednesday 9th September 1998

Poor night's sleep - ignorant sods kept  turning light on - left for 12 noon bus

Waited for bus and talked to a Canadian - suddenly no bus, never had been a bus, despite tickets sold that morning and bus sat there with destination sign - French woman is thrown out of bus depot for complaining

We go to Starbucks (94 branches in Seattle) then caught the 1.30pm - saw incredibly fat Greyhound driver

Bus driver - Seattle WA

Awful group of noisy passengers at rear

Got cross-examined at border - Aussie guy forced to get off bus

Arrived in Vancouver BC - nice station - Skytrain to city centre - hostel is $6 (Canadian) for a private room! with queen bunkbeds! free breakfast!

Found a fab restaurant - the Water St Cafe - wonderful halibut, wine etc for $80 = £30 for two!

Chinatown very scary - offered coke, weed and sex just walking round


Thursday 10th September 1998

Went to Stanley Park - walked round shore then took bus to downtown then bus to Granville Island Market  - crap touristy and naff - took bus to Yale Town  arty district - soulless - walked to Robson St - main shopping area - very cheap!! CDs £6 at Virgin Megastore, M&S, FCUK, Armani, Club Monaco etc

Vancouver BC

Met Ollie back at hostel then back to same restaurant - fab meal again - Ollie paid

Saw Double Jeopardy being filmed - rain scene

Drink in hostel bar and then bed


Friday 11th September 1998

Frid breakfast at hostel then shuttle service to airport - saw Ollie off then on to bus for me

Sent postcards then left

At customs I was cross-examined - "why Charleston?"

Had to look after bus for driver then talk to depot on phone for driver while he watched customs guys check the bus - cool driver!

Long layover at Portland OR before boarding with Driver Savage "Morning Class!" for Salt Lake City UT


Saturday 12th September 1998

On bus all day, arrived in Salt Lake City UT at 6pm ish - walked to hostel - the one NOT recommended by the Rough Guide - I can see why - owner is wired and rude - I had to wait 15 mins for him to finish a conversation before checking in

Went out between 7 and 9 to a shopping mall - Borders bookshop - awful meal at McDonald's , no OJ, tea or coffee - so settled for milk


Sunday 13th September 1998

Went to the Temple, immediately adopted by Korean missionary - she quickly realised I was a lost cause!  Interesting in a weird kind of way, everyone (all day) in Sunday best 'Christian' clothes, within the Temple teeth everywhere, but outside the Temple no smiles

Salt Lake City UT

Salt Lake City UT

Walked up to the State Capitol and lay in sun for a while looking at amazing views

Salt Lake City UT

Bus at 7pm - Driver Savage again - stopped at Kum & Go gas station


Monday 14th September 1998

Awful journey through the night - no seat on driver's side so couldn't get comfy to sleep

Arrived in Denver CO 6am ish - old guy in depot booked hostel for me after quizzing me about Glen Miller??  Walked to hostel - allowed in room straight away so got two hours sleep!

Walked Denver then went to State Capitol and joined tour with 'Edna' - very interesting / informal

as featured in Dynasty opening credits - Denver CO

Met an English girl called Q - hung out together all day - went to the Mint (dull), historic district and Tattered Corner Bookstore

Did laundry then walked historic district before early to bed

Denver CO

Tuesday 15th September 1998

All day bus to Dallas TX - pleasant muffin and coffee next to hostel in Denver before setting off

Empty bus at 11 - passed an Emu or Ostrich farm

Stopped at 5pm for (surprise surprise) McDonald's rest stop - phoned Paige and actually spoke to her - aim for 3.30 on Friday - bus is very comfy and has low window sills

Saw a drive in cinema in Springfield CO called 'KarVu' - a desperately depressing small town

Stopped in Campo CO a bizzarre one block two - went into store - all counters and glass cases with stock decades old - faded medicine packets etc - one large soda fridge with a handful of cans and about ten candy bars - sort of diner counter at rear

Campo CO

Bus laid over in Amarillo TX for 1 hour - scary guy on phone to customer services needing money to buy food to go with his medication or he "might go crazy" - strange eyes!  Lots of old ladies on bus


Wednesday 16th September 1998

Arrived in Dallas TX at 7am in torrential rain - no sign of it stopping

Asked at customer services for recommendation for breakfast - response: "what you don't like McDonald's??"  

Lots of flying cockroaches outside the depot, scary people in McDonald's - chatted to mad woman

Walked in rain through downtown Dallas - Neiman Marcus appears to be the only store - eventually found a Starbucks, absolutely drenched, waited two hours - rain didn't stop, went to Neiman's - dull and I felt like a shoplifter in my holed soaked t-shirt

Walked to Dealey Plaza and went to JFK Museum  - excellent audio tour for $8

Looked at West End - extremely tacky

Back to depot at 12.30 - customer services couldn't suggest any eastbound buses so I found my own to Nashville TN - who knows?  Sat opposite an incredibly hairy woman was stares at me

Mean driver - old school grey uniform etc - only allowed 5 mins at rest stops - preceded and followed by a lecture

JFK Museum Dallas TX

Thursday 17th September 1998

Messy bus change in Nashville TN - driver tried to be friendly but failed - no-one knew what was going on, which bus was going where etc - plus toilets closed by aggressive hispanic cleaner

Arrived in Atlanta GA at 7am - treated myself to $60+tax night at Hotel Super 8 - wonderful!!  Took a bath and a shower, watched VH1, wandered round Atlanta in the morning - shops etc then changed and headed to Centennial Park / CNN - then back to hotel - slept all afternoon

Woke at 7pm  and went out - unsatisfactory McDonald's - everything else closed - then back to hotel for Friends wedding episode on TV

Atlanta GA

Centennial Park - Atlanta GA

Centennial Park - Atlanta GA

Atlanta GA

Friday 18th September 1998

Up at 5am for 7.15 bus - Starbucks not open at 6am as it should be!  Fell over and grazed hands, cut my lip and lost my dignity! - non-one acknowledged or helped, went to wash hands at depot and look at cut lip - aggressive beggar asks for money - couldn't deal with it

Uneventful trip to Charlotte NC - saw tobacco fields on way to Raleigh NC


Customer mix:

Charleston SC to Atlanta GA - poor black
Atlanta GA to New Orleans LA - poor black and white backpackers
New Orleans LA to Dallas TX - black and white trash and backpackers
Dallas TX to Santa Fe NM - white trash
Santa Fe NM to Flagstaff AZ - white trash and hispanic
Flagstaff AZ to Las Vegas NV - hispanic and backpackers
Las Vegas NV to San Francisco CA - hispanic
San Francisco CA to Portland OR - asian (Oriental)
Portland OR to Seattle WA - white and asian
Seattle Wa to Vancouver BC - white and asian
Vancouver BC to Seattle WA - elderly white
Seattle WA to Portland OR - white
Portland OR to Salt Lake City UT - white trash
Salt Lake City UT to Denver CO - white trash
Denver CO - to Dallas TX - elderly white and black
Dallas TX to Atlanta GA - black and hispanic
Atlanta GA to Charlotte NC - black and white
Charlotte NC to Raleigh NC - black