I'm genuinely shocked by how many people still believe in the American dream. I'm just curious if you keep an overall running yes/no tally on this question?
Your trip reminds me of my trip from Hartford to St. Louis in 2012. In Pittsburgh the driver warned of “not sparking up” inside the bus. Or the culprit “would definitely be bounced.” Indianapolis bus stop was across from Lucas Oil stadium. DT Indy was dead like you said. I’d advise everyone to take a long distance bus at least once.
Way back in the day I moved to San Francisco and then south down the peninsula for work. My parents lived in Sacramento. Overnight, I80 became a never-ending traffic jam. While I loved to drive, being stuck in traffic is no one's dream. My husband suggested I try taking Greyhound. So, every few months he'd drop me off downtown and I'd ride down to Sacramento. The bus terminal was seedy but maintained. Same for the bus. HTG, I usually rode the bus with no more than ten other passengers. The drivers were never friendly. No one spoke. The most interesting aspect of the trip was that I never made the time in our Corvettes or Cadillacs that the buses made. It usually took an hour and a half while me in pedal-to-the-metal mode took closer to two hours. While I started farther away with my vehicles, those drivers defied physics.
I’ve been at my parents’ house this month helping them get ready to move, selling and giving away lots of furniture and other things on Facebook Marketplace.
You don’t meet the people that ride the Greyhound, but all the same quite an interesting cross-section of types you would otherwise be unlikely to speak to.
I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to get to know their city better. Though I hasten to add, you have to be patient with ghosting.
Agree with Anna - "beautiful". Great piece. Thank you, Chris. It was also painful or bittersweet - the subject matter. I live in Australia, but not where you are going, or intending to go? Why Sydney to Darwin? Open to giving Australian advice.
As a reader, it was hard to part with Patrick and Benji. x
I’m so bummed that I’m visiting Chicago from Dallas and am leaving early tomorrow morning, July 20. Would have loved to say hi and thank you for all you do. Enjoy!
Thanks for this essay Chris. You might know Paul Theroux's book about the south, "Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads" that discusses the prevalence of Patels in ownership of hotels and convenience stores across Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. A good read!
Thank you for your writing, and this piece. I loved it all and appreciated so much the photos. Benji melts my heart as did Corlas and the last older gentleman’s stuffed front pockets and incredibly sweet eyes behind his glasses. Your note about ‘Patel-run’ resonated. My dad used to drive across country for several years between Austin and Chantilly, VA visiting my stepmother’s family and he and my stepmom set as their halfway mark, the “amazing, Motel 6 where we always stop because it is run by the most incredible Indian man and his wife” 🥰 (I don’t know if their last name was Patel). ❤️
Your note about Patel hotels reminds me that at the start of the year when people took a look at H1B visas and the like there was a certain rumbling of scandal regarding Indians (possibly named Patel) running schemes to get their friends and relations jobs in hotels as H1Bs instead of trying to hire locals as they are supposed to.
I'm genuinely shocked by how many people still believe in the American dream. I'm just curious if you keep an overall running yes/no tally on this question?
Your trip reminds me of my trip from Hartford to St. Louis in 2012. In Pittsburgh the driver warned of “not sparking up” inside the bus. Or the culprit “would definitely be bounced.” Indianapolis bus stop was across from Lucas Oil stadium. DT Indy was dead like you said. I’d advise everyone to take a long distance bus at least once.
This is wonderful! Found you via Sarah Hoyt at Instapundit. Would you consider adding a tip jar to your site?
Way back in the day I moved to San Francisco and then south down the peninsula for work. My parents lived in Sacramento. Overnight, I80 became a never-ending traffic jam. While I loved to drive, being stuck in traffic is no one's dream. My husband suggested I try taking Greyhound. So, every few months he'd drop me off downtown and I'd ride down to Sacramento. The bus terminal was seedy but maintained. Same for the bus. HTG, I usually rode the bus with no more than ten other passengers. The drivers were never friendly. No one spoke. The most interesting aspect of the trip was that I never made the time in our Corvettes or Cadillacs that the buses made. It usually took an hour and a half while me in pedal-to-the-metal mode took closer to two hours. While I started farther away with my vehicles, those drivers defied physics.
I’ve been at my parents’ house this month helping them get ready to move, selling and giving away lots of furniture and other things on Facebook Marketplace.
You don’t meet the people that ride the Greyhound, but all the same quite an interesting cross-section of types you would otherwise be unlikely to speak to.
I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to get to know their city better. Though I hasten to add, you have to be patient with ghosting.
Agree with Anna - "beautiful". Great piece. Thank you, Chris. It was also painful or bittersweet - the subject matter. I live in Australia, but not where you are going, or intending to go? Why Sydney to Darwin? Open to giving Australian advice.
As a reader, it was hard to part with Patrick and Benji. x
I’m so bummed that I’m visiting Chicago from Dallas and am leaving early tomorrow morning, July 20. Would have loved to say hi and thank you for all you do. Enjoy!
One of your best. You are ideally suited to write about both the American Dream and the American Nightmare.
Thanks for this essay Chris. You might know Paul Theroux's book about the south, "Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads" that discusses the prevalence of Patels in ownership of hotels and convenience stores across Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. A good read!
Keep walking and writing Chris. My day will be better for having begun it with this essay.
Thank you for your writing, and this piece. I loved it all and appreciated so much the photos. Benji melts my heart as did Corlas and the last older gentleman’s stuffed front pockets and incredibly sweet eyes behind his glasses. Your note about ‘Patel-run’ resonated. My dad used to drive across country for several years between Austin and Chantilly, VA visiting my stepmother’s family and he and my stepmom set as their halfway mark, the “amazing, Motel 6 where we always stop because it is run by the most incredible Indian man and his wife” 🥰 (I don’t know if their last name was Patel). ❤️
Lovely essay and a nice read to start the weekend. Thank you.
Your note about Patel hotels reminds me that at the start of the year when people took a look at H1B visas and the like there was a certain rumbling of scandal regarding Indians (possibly named Patel) running schemes to get their friends and relations jobs in hotels as H1Bs instead of trying to hire locals as they are supposed to.
Man, this is depressing, reading about all these drug-addled bums infesting what sounds like every American city's downtown and McDonalds.
I've only been to the US a few times, not in a hurry to visit again.
While I also make it a habit to interact with _everyone_ regardless... it pains me to read of so much suffering in the heart of these big cities.
Have you ever seen the documentary "Meet the Patels" ? It's fantastic.
😲