We caught up with William to get his final thoughts on the adventure. Read the interview post-trip here.
What were you planning to do as you embarked on this journey?
My overall goal was to get as far south as possible using transportation.
What surprised you on this trip?
I was surprised by the service areas. Even in very rural areas, there were some that offered services to help with commuting and medical appointments. Looking at the schedule, there was a note that they could arrange custom pick-up and drop-off services slightly off the normal route for those in need.
Do you have any safety tips for traveling alone on public transport?
Be mindful of being “worldly” and careful about how much information you reveal to other travelers. When asked where I was from, I would often reply with the last place I was visiting (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco). I also kept in touch with close friends on WhatsApp who knew I was traveling.
How far did you walk? Did you count your steps?
I tracked my steps on my phone and found that, despite the long bus rides, I averaged about 24,000 steps per day. The layovers along the way provided great opportunities to explore on foot and helped me break up my itinerary nicely.
Have you kept all your travel cards?
Yes I do! I have a smartcard collection that I started when I was working on the Compass project.
Did anything stand out?
The Wi-Fi on some buses was excellent and I was especially impressed with the service on buses travelling through rural areas.
Where do I sit on the bus?
For me, when I’m on the bus, I like to look out the window. I don’t usually listen to music or read anything. If it’s a new place I’ve never been to, I look carefully out the window for good photos. I try to look up the route beforehand to see what’s on the way. Google Maps helps. But often there’s something to see on both sides of the bus, so I just pick one side. I also take into account which side the sun is on (to avoid it appearing in the photo). Sometimes I make a decision during the match depending on whether one side of the bus window is particularly dirty. Sometimes the seats are filled or dirty, so in these situations, the decision is already made.
What was the most challenging or most memorable part of your trip?
If you call the dispatcher to let them know you have a connecting flight, they will have the bus waiting for you if you call ahead to ensure you catch your connecting flight. This was very helpful for our layover in Lincoln City. We also enjoyed seeing some small towns and nature that we wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise. The Oregon coast and the California redwoods were particularly memorable and stunning.
Having completed your trip, what are your final thoughts?
The journey was definitely more important than the destination. Going from Vancouver to Mexico on this layover road trip was a lot of fun. Maybe this isn’t for everyone. In fact, it’s for very few, so I wouldn’t recommend it to most people I know. But for me, it was a very fun experience. One of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. It’s really amazing to be able to travel across a country as big as the US with layovers.
I never had to walk more than 15 minutes to reach my next layover point, but if I had the time, I would try to walk around the town or city before catching the next bus or train.
When we think of road trips, we think of long hours in the car. But that wasn’t the case on this road trip. We got to explore the connecting towns and cities, and walked over 20,000 steps every day except one. It’s surprising that while public transport is available long distances south, you can’t go any further north than Brunswick Beach from Vancouver, or any further east than Hope. We hope that trips like this will inspire Canadian communities to consider connecting their communities to allow for long distances on public transport.
All in all, transportation alone cost me just under $200. Compared to flying or Greyhound, it’s not cheaper than either option, as the one-way fare is about the same, but either option will get you to Tijuana quicker than public transportation.
The majority of my personal expenses were for accommodation, as I had to spend a lot of time traveling, and food was also quite expensive. The exchange rate (1.4 Canadian dollars = 1 US dollar) didn’t help matters much either.
One thought that was probably purely off the cuff: I was able to manage this entire trip fairly confidently, mainly because I spoke the local language (English), was reasonably confident I could get cell signal, and had the means to support myself. It would have been much more difficult if I had had to speak a foreign language (one of the reasons I didn’t bother to look up buses from Tijuana, although I was certainly interested), couldn’t consult Google Maps, or had no idea where I was going to spend the night.
In particular, Google Maps/GTFS is an incredible tool and without being able to cross-reference schedules and see bus stop locations in advance, this trip would not have been possible. Being able to virtually experience parts of the trip before actually going on the trip was extremely helpful and boosted my confidence.
It was a great experience to go from bus to bus (and occasionally train) meeting people and talking about life no matter where they come from. Thank you to all the transport providers whose service made this journey possible. A huge thank you to all the drivers who drove me. Thank you for keeping to the schedule (which was most of the time). Thank you to the maintenance workers who worked behind the scenes to make sure my vehicle didn’t break down.
Special thanks to the Lincoln County Transit dispatcher who had a North County bus waiting for me to transfer from Tillamook. Special thanks to the Curry Public Transit bus driver from Coos Bay to Brookings. It was a fun conversation. I wish you the best of luck in your search for a second part-time job.
A huge thank you to my close friends who kept an eye on me through WhatsApp while I undertook this adventure. You were constantly connected through text messages while I was traveling alone. However, as this journey draws to a close, I feel a little sad that this epic adventure is over. It’s a little surreal that everything worked out just as I planned (when was the last time everything went according to plan?). As I sat on the various buses and looked out the windows, I realized how lucky I am to have been able to do something that so closely reflects who I am and what I’m passionate about.
Exploring the West Coast of North America with a layover. Great concept, great trip!
What trip are you planning to take next?
I’m not sure. This trip will be fondly remembered for a while to come. I’m not sure how to top this trip, but suggestions are welcome. I would do this trip again. I would take a different route. Maybe a more direct route from Portland to Salem to Redding to Sacramento. Maybe I would like to spend more time on the Oregon Coast and explore Mendicino (thanks, Tasia!). I might change some parts of the itinerary. Sure, some days are more tiring than others, but these are the experiences we live for. I will travel again. Until then, safe travels everyone. And thank you for supporting this journey.
