People are going there is no way you can do all that for $56 (Price went down megabus posted new fares it's cost is now down to $37) so here ya go. Ya need to understand that I don't like to travel on planes, get stuck in airports for hours on end and really appreciate the oddities in life. This is one of the oddities.
The overall view. Please understand that I will do this just because I can. There is no other reason.
Kansas City--One day of sight seeing
Cleveland--One day of sight seeing
Memphis--Two days of sight seeing, (sorry I really have to see the Peabody Ducks and Graceland.)
Minneapolis--One day of sight seeing
Chicago--multiple days of sight seeing.
There is an option for one day in St. Louis which would add a day in Chicago.
I have us starting in Chicago and time along with days of the week is an importance essence, along with the all important advance purchase. The fares were valid as of today.
August 19--Arrive in Chicago--I didn't count this fare as it will be different for me & the person I want to travel with. For me it will be somewhere around $15-$20. It will be more for the other person. Look around Chicago for the day
August 19 Chicago to Kansas City Leave 11:55 PM arrive 10 AM Look around KC Fare $1
August 20 Kansas City to Chicago Leave 8:45 PM arrive 6:50 AM clean up some, drink some coffee and look around Chicago some more. Fare $1
August 21 Chicago to Cleveland Leave 11:59 PM Arrive 7:30 AM Savor Cleveland Fare $8
Glitch, tried to find a hostel in Cleveland, didn't find one handy enough for me.
August 22 Cleveland to Chicago 11:59 Arrive 5:15 Enjoy Chicago Fare $8
August 23 Chicago to Memphis 10:00PM Arrive 7:45 AM Fare $1
August 24 Memphis hostel $15 for room in dorm
August 25 Memphis to Chicago 11:00 PM Arrive 8:45 AM Chicago Fare$1
August 26 Chicago to Minneapolis Fare $1
August 27 Minneapolis to Chicago 10:30 Arrive 6:30 AM Fare $1
So that is the bare bones itinerary, although I really do like Saint Louis and I am thinking aobut adding a day there but because it is on a weekend, it would be expensive. The trip would be $16 to go there and $15 to return. I tried to look up a hostel, but that won't work as it is $20 a night.
At the moment I am looking at $100 per person for the time period I am gone and would need the rest of the $100 for fees to get into various sites. For $100 total, I now have $63 for fees to get into places and the city bus systems. Should I decide to spend more, say $150 or $200 for the two week trip I will let you know and update the blog, but it seem unnecessarily spendthrift to me. The idea is for a frugal trip.
Food is a tough one for me. I am not one that has to eat in a fancy eatery, but on a trip of this type at times food costs will rise as one needs a place to park one's assets, (their butt) or your assets get worn out. Local gas and sips don't really work well for this type of a trip.
I gotta decide for sure by the first and get my ticket should I decide that I really want to do this; cause the price goes away if the ride starts to fill.
Any sightseeing ideas that are awesome and cheap? grin
Live long and prosper. Ride safe.
Marty
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
So Anyway
My bike is down for a tire, but that of course should never stop life. Anyway. I get myself in a situation where I decide to try the megabus. It was fun. A really different experience.
After I managed to backtrack to get to Union Station in Chicago, I purchased my ticket via my pda to STL. When I went to look around for the place to catch the bus I saw a sign that said:
Megabus does not have a cooperating agreement with AMTRAK. Unless you are using the services and businesses inside the terminal, please wait outside. Outside there are many people awaiting the megabus service. I laugh and go find a place to sit inside. There are a lot of spaces inside, I have never seen the Chicago Union Great Hall filled and well, it is quite a while before I am to leave. Besides, I need to charge my cell phone and play on the puter.
The megabus came on time, was clean, non-smelly and I was so happy to not be on a greyhound that life seemed really good. Up on the top deck there is a place where one can sit in the window and look out at the traffic. I really enjoy watching the traffic as we rolled down the road even though it took a bit of adjusting to see how close the bottom of the bridges were to the top of our bus. I am quite sure my eyes got big at that one.
I took a couple of tylenol pm as I was a little achy from all the stuff that I had done earlier in the day. Shouldn't have. The bus was thirty minutes early and dumped us out on a street corner in Downtown STL at 5 AM while I was still pretty much asleep.
I didn't feel unsafe, but it felt really strange to be sitting on a piece of concrete at 5AM not really knowing where I was. My first thought was to scream, find out a number for a cab to the Hilton and get the fuck out of there. I tried to berate myself a couple of times for what I had done, but decided to just breathe and assess my surroundings. I relaxed and waited while things got lighter as the sun slowly started to rise. I saw a bus stop and some buses. That was a good sign. The bus stop didn't have gang symbols printed on it. Another good sign. Snicker. Like it mattered as I was already there with no transportation.
They unlocked union station around 5:30 and I went inside to find a restroom and look for some transportation information. I found a place to go to pick up the metralink and bought a ticket. The first thing I did was to get on the damn thing going the wrong direction, then realized in another stop I would be under the arch and decided to ride by it. It is a great sight. In case you didn't know it the dimensions are 630' by 630'. Way cool.
I then got off, walked around a bit, but my luggage bummed me out, so I headed out to the airport so I could catch the shuttle for the Hilton.
We are now in meetings for the trainings.
BTW I did figure out a ten day travel and lodging included five city tour by megabus that will cost a total of $111.50 for two or $56 if i end up doing it by myself. Whoohoo, life can be a RIDE. We are looking at August. I am trying to keep lodging and sightseeing fees under $200 for the ten days. They should pay me to advertise for megabus. LOL
Actually, the best part about megabus is that the drivers don't mistreat you about the tickets. You just need to take reserv number. Way cool.
Happy trails, Marty
After I managed to backtrack to get to Union Station in Chicago, I purchased my ticket via my pda to STL. When I went to look around for the place to catch the bus I saw a sign that said:
Megabus does not have a cooperating agreement with AMTRAK. Unless you are using the services and businesses inside the terminal, please wait outside. Outside there are many people awaiting the megabus service. I laugh and go find a place to sit inside. There are a lot of spaces inside, I have never seen the Chicago Union Great Hall filled and well, it is quite a while before I am to leave. Besides, I need to charge my cell phone and play on the puter.
The megabus came on time, was clean, non-smelly and I was so happy to not be on a greyhound that life seemed really good. Up on the top deck there is a place where one can sit in the window and look out at the traffic. I really enjoy watching the traffic as we rolled down the road even though it took a bit of adjusting to see how close the bottom of the bridges were to the top of our bus. I am quite sure my eyes got big at that one.
I took a couple of tylenol pm as I was a little achy from all the stuff that I had done earlier in the day. Shouldn't have. The bus was thirty minutes early and dumped us out on a street corner in Downtown STL at 5 AM while I was still pretty much asleep.
I didn't feel unsafe, but it felt really strange to be sitting on a piece of concrete at 5AM not really knowing where I was. My first thought was to scream, find out a number for a cab to the Hilton and get the fuck out of there. I tried to berate myself a couple of times for what I had done, but decided to just breathe and assess my surroundings. I relaxed and waited while things got lighter as the sun slowly started to rise. I saw a bus stop and some buses. That was a good sign. The bus stop didn't have gang symbols printed on it. Another good sign. Snicker. Like it mattered as I was already there with no transportation.
They unlocked union station around 5:30 and I went inside to find a restroom and look for some transportation information. I found a place to go to pick up the metralink and bought a ticket. The first thing I did was to get on the damn thing going the wrong direction, then realized in another stop I would be under the arch and decided to ride by it. It is a great sight. In case you didn't know it the dimensions are 630' by 630'. Way cool.
I then got off, walked around a bit, but my luggage bummed me out, so I headed out to the airport so I could catch the shuttle for the Hilton.
We are now in meetings for the trainings.
BTW I did figure out a ten day travel and lodging included five city tour by megabus that will cost a total of $111.50 for two or $56 if i end up doing it by myself. Whoohoo, life can be a RIDE. We are looking at August. I am trying to keep lodging and sightseeing fees under $200 for the ten days. They should pay me to advertise for megabus. LOL
Actually, the best part about megabus is that the drivers don't mistreat you about the tickets. You just need to take reserv number. Way cool.
Happy trails, Marty
Friday, April 11, 2008
Great Riding until it rained hard, sigh
Got home last night. We made it. Whoohoo. We tied the trailer to the top of the Grand Am, shoulda got a pic. I streaked across Michigan and part of Illinois.I got to where I just wanted out of the car. LOL Matt told me that we are really getto because I had the guts to tie the trailer on the top of the car. We thought about telling Berta that we had done it, but decided that we didn't want her to worry. big grin. She figured it out when we got home and she said, "If you had broken the glass out of teh back window I would have been pissed. Hmm, she had a point. I'm more broke than usual. LOL
Here's a pic of me & the best grandbabies in the world.
Here I am with my nephew and niece. Cute little buggers aren't they?
Here is mom & dad with the gk's.
And here are Steve and Mandy with the kids.
We try really hard to be a conventional family and take only nice pics. Usually we can get one good pic if we promise to take a fun one later.
Today was a good day. I went to a luncheon with ladies from the church. While I was gone the people who hand out the Watchtower left a note on my door. See, I told ya it was a good day, I was gone. LOL
Then after the luncheon, I went by to return the car to Berta, got my luggage from the trip yesterday, and then retrieved the motorcycle. Whoohoo. It was a great day. What a ride. I didn't really go anywhere, but I rode around. And Around. And Around. What joy.
Then at 9Pm I went to the kids to pick up my m/c cover and got caught in a torrential downpour. It was one hard ass rain. It was raining so hard it hurt. I wished I had grabbed my full face helmet. It stopped pretty quick but I was drenched. Ya know, I can't move from here. All the little old ladies and little old men wouldn't have anything to do. There would be no amusement for them.
There's a workshop at church that I would like to do tomorrow, but the weather doesn't look good. That darn storm that is coming across the midwest is heading this way and they are predicting snow. I don't like to ride in snow, even if it won't stick around for very long.
Gotta go, have a delightful night.
Happy trails, Marty
I also worked on a workshop and a plenary that I am presenting on Sunday, Hope that Rocks and Things you put in a recovery toolbox. I need to work on them some more, but I got started.
Here's a pic of me & the best grandbabies in the world.
Here I am with my nephew and niece. Cute little buggers aren't they?
Here is mom & dad with the gk's.
And here are Steve and Mandy with the kids.
We try really hard to be a conventional family and take only nice pics. Usually we can get one good pic if we promise to take a fun one later.
Today was a good day. I went to a luncheon with ladies from the church. While I was gone the people who hand out the Watchtower left a note on my door. See, I told ya it was a good day, I was gone. LOL
Then after the luncheon, I went by to return the car to Berta, got my luggage from the trip yesterday, and then retrieved the motorcycle. Whoohoo. It was a great day. What a ride. I didn't really go anywhere, but I rode around. And Around. And Around. What joy.
Then at 9Pm I went to the kids to pick up my m/c cover and got caught in a torrential downpour. It was one hard ass rain. It was raining so hard it hurt. I wished I had grabbed my full face helmet. It stopped pretty quick but I was drenched. Ya know, I can't move from here. All the little old ladies and little old men wouldn't have anything to do. There would be no amusement for them.
There's a workshop at church that I would like to do tomorrow, but the weather doesn't look good. That darn storm that is coming across the midwest is heading this way and they are predicting snow. I don't like to ride in snow, even if it won't stick around for very long.
Gotta go, have a delightful night.
Happy trails, Marty
I also worked on a workshop and a plenary that I am presenting on Sunday, Hope that Rocks and Things you put in a recovery toolbox. I need to work on them some more, but I got started.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Another perfect riding day
I wasn't able to come home and get my bike, the weather pretty much stayed crappy through Friday. The blessing in that was that I got to ride home with Heather McDonald from Connecticut. She was headed home on the thruway; I know that some of you think that life ends at the edge of the country, but it doesn't. You just drive through and pick things up again at Niagra Falls.
While we were riding home, we found out that Heather got a grant that she really wanted to get. That is so awesome. It will just about if not double the size of For-U which is awesome, isn't it? It's a good Consumer Driven Program. How do I know that it is good? I spent the week with Heather, got to know who she was as a person and really liked what I found. Also, their website, when you read the about me section has the right vision and values. I would give you a direct link to their vision and values, but they don't have their website set up so I can do that.
So I have been home for two days and why haven't I written? Cause I was riding--whooo. Yesterday Boo and I rode up to Lexington and had A&W Rootbeer in frosty mugs while sitting outside. It wasn't very warm, but it was warm enough. Marty does happy dance.
I can handle life now. I have ridden out of town. LOL
I have to bring my website down later this week, it won't be tonight. I have to put it into another program so I can co-host websites. What I have isn't working and I am getting more visitors than I was before so I need to fix it now so I can not get a massive interruption later.
I have adjusted to the ebay download situation. It did take a while, even if I understood why they chose to do it. It just makes it harder and more expensive for people who wanted to get a copy of Views From the Trail or Recovery that Rocks as a download. I hate that it did that. I can't say that sales were booming, but they were picking up slowly.
Earlier today as I was out cruising along, I was thinking about the situation and realized that the intense irritation that I felt isn't here any more.
I also thought about how, when I get an idea, I need to do it right then. If I don't then I don't have time to do it later as I have another idea, and then another idea. What a joy to have so many ideas, what I need is a heck of a lot more discipline than I have. grin
I am still awaiting a turn signal assembly and a front tire so I haven't had the opportunity to do as much riding as I wish I had. I did get enough to take the edge off. Now I can go back and plan a route 66 trip so I can jam it in somewhere.
Happy trails, ride safe.
Marty
While we were riding home, we found out that Heather got a grant that she really wanted to get. That is so awesome. It will just about if not double the size of For-U which is awesome, isn't it? It's a good Consumer Driven Program. How do I know that it is good? I spent the week with Heather, got to know who she was as a person and really liked what I found. Also, their website, when you read the about me section has the right vision and values. I would give you a direct link to their vision and values, but they don't have their website set up so I can do that.
So I have been home for two days and why haven't I written? Cause I was riding--whooo. Yesterday Boo and I rode up to Lexington and had A&W Rootbeer in frosty mugs while sitting outside. It wasn't very warm, but it was warm enough. Marty does happy dance.
I can handle life now. I have ridden out of town. LOL
I have to bring my website down later this week, it won't be tonight. I have to put it into another program so I can co-host websites. What I have isn't working and I am getting more visitors than I was before so I need to fix it now so I can not get a massive interruption later.
I have adjusted to the ebay download situation. It did take a while, even if I understood why they chose to do it. It just makes it harder and more expensive for people who wanted to get a copy of Views From the Trail or Recovery that Rocks as a download. I hate that it did that. I can't say that sales were booming, but they were picking up slowly.
Earlier today as I was out cruising along, I was thinking about the situation and realized that the intense irritation that I felt isn't here any more.
I also thought about how, when I get an idea, I need to do it right then. If I don't then I don't have time to do it later as I have another idea, and then another idea. What a joy to have so many ideas, what I need is a heck of a lot more discipline than I have. grin
I am still awaiting a turn signal assembly and a front tire so I haven't had the opportunity to do as much riding as I wish I had. I did get enough to take the edge off. Now I can go back and plan a route 66 trip so I can jam it in somewhere.
Happy trails, ride safe.
Marty
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The weathers been crappy, f'in hey
This week, I have been in Grand Rapids and then in Lansing. Did I mention that the weather has been absolutely crappy? I mean it has rained and spit snow off and on for over four days now. I didn't take the Vulcan, but damn, I am close enough that I could go home to get it if the weather would just clear up.
It's April, I am so ready to ride, even if I am still buying bike parts to replace the cracked and broken ones from the January slide.
I bought new bags, new sissy bar, and I am working on getting some new turn signals, new relays, and I think the repair will stop there. I could use a new tank, but I think I will bide my time and find one used later on this year.
I am thinking about buying a new bike, but haven't done so yet.
I really hope that it clears as I need to go home next week for my father's 80th birthday celebration. I would love to ride there. I so need to ride. I so, so need to ride.
Am I ever going to be able to cruise again? Am I ever going to be able to tour again? If not, am I just in love with the idea of touring? Personally, I think that would make me a freaking wimp and I hate to be thought of as a wimp.
I so need to get the heck away. All the way away. Miles and miles away. Far, far away.
I don't think I am courageous, just filled with wanderlust. Lots and lots of wanderlust. I don't have an atlas with me so I can't futher plan out either the perimeter tour or the route 66 trip. I always get cabin fever in April and this month because of the weather, my attitude is worse than usual.
My friends who are going to sail on Georgian Bay this summer are closing the house in a couple of weeks and then will set sail before May 31st. Right now, I think that sounds cold, at least to me.
Have a happy day, my battery is dying. Marty
It's April, I am so ready to ride, even if I am still buying bike parts to replace the cracked and broken ones from the January slide.
I bought new bags, new sissy bar, and I am working on getting some new turn signals, new relays, and I think the repair will stop there. I could use a new tank, but I think I will bide my time and find one used later on this year.
I am thinking about buying a new bike, but haven't done so yet.
I really hope that it clears as I need to go home next week for my father's 80th birthday celebration. I would love to ride there. I so need to ride. I so, so need to ride.
Am I ever going to be able to cruise again? Am I ever going to be able to tour again? If not, am I just in love with the idea of touring? Personally, I think that would make me a freaking wimp and I hate to be thought of as a wimp.
I so need to get the heck away. All the way away. Miles and miles away. Far, far away.
I don't think I am courageous, just filled with wanderlust. Lots and lots of wanderlust. I don't have an atlas with me so I can't futher plan out either the perimeter tour or the route 66 trip. I always get cabin fever in April and this month because of the weather, my attitude is worse than usual.
My friends who are going to sail on Georgian Bay this summer are closing the house in a couple of weeks and then will set sail before May 31st. Right now, I think that sounds cold, at least to me.
Have a happy day, my battery is dying. Marty
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