TRAVEL THIS SUMMER ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET
By Richard Livsey
years, I wanted to travel cross country, but I didn’t think it was financially possible. Until I discovered a way to see the
country without sinking into unnecessary debt.
Most people don't know this, but for $522.00 you can buy a 30-day Discovery Pass from Greyhound and enjoy
unlimited travel for a month. Now I know what you’re thinking, traveling by bus, that must be horrible? Of course this trip
isn’t for everyone, but for the student or adventurous traveler, it’s an opportunity to have a unique and exciting vacation
at an affordable price.
I left New York with a backpack, a 30-day unlimited bus pass, and burning desire to see it all. I couldn't wait to get out
west, and as the bus sped toward Denver in the early morning traffic, I searched the gray horizon for the first signs of
the Rocky Mountains. I asked the guy next to me, a skinny kid from the area, how long? Soon he said, soon.
Slowly, like a giant apparition, those jagged snowcapped peaks began to appear. Each mile revealed more detail of the
range’s tremendous size. It was then, that my dream was truly realized.
The Discovery Pass is similar to the popular train pass in Europe. Passes range from 7 to 60 days and offer unlimited
travel throughout the United States and Canada. You can get on and off whenever and wherever you want at over 3100
destinations.
The best feature of the Discovery Pass is the freedom to alter your travel plans at a moments notice. You don’t need to
have a set itinerary. As long as there is an available seat on another participating bus, you can change your schedule
without any hassles.
From Colorado, I headed North toward Montana, then west to Seattle and stayed in a western styled hostel on Vashon
Island in Puget Sound. I tried to spend at least one day in each stop, but sometimes I found myself not wanting to leave.
After seeing the sights around Seattle, and paying my respects to Jimi Hendrix at his grave site. I headed north to
Vancouver BC. And like Columbus, I felt like I had discovered a new country when I stumbled upon Wreck Beach. Does
the words absolute freedom mean anything to you? It's clothing optional and a great place to party if you're into hanging
out and getting a full body tan.
I stopped in Seaside, Oregon for a couple of days, then I headed down to San Francisco. Since this trip was inspired by
the novel On The Road by Jack Kerouac, my first stop was the City Lights Bookstore and Jack Kerouac’s Alley.
The best part about traveling by bus was that I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. They were
out there just like me, experiencing life for all that it was worth, and I felt glad to be apart of it. I couldn’t believe how far I
had gone on such little funds. And besides saving money on transportation, I was able to cut cost on lodging too.
Instead of staying in hotels and motels, I slept in hostels.
There are over 300 hostels in the United States and Canada offering travelers an affordable place to stay close to
national parks and tourist attractions. The average price to stay in the dorm room at a hostel runs somewhere around
$20 a night depending upon the city. Rates may be lower for Hostelling International members. Some hostels offer
private and family rooms for about $45.00 a night.
In San Diego, I stayed at a hostel called the Banana Bungalow. It was so close to the ocean, that if you tripped while
walking out the back door, you would practically land on the beach. The crowd was young and hip and every night, I
went to sleep to the sounds of breaking waves.
People always ask me, would I travel by bus again? Absolutely, because there is still so much I want to see. And by
traveling with the Discovery Pass and staying in hostels, I can tour the country without having to sell the farm.
Here are a few things to remember when traveling by bus: Make sure that you buy one of those U shaped travel pillows.
You will sleep like a baby. Also pack a light sheet, a good book, an iPod and try to plan some of your destinations so
that you travel for 9 to 10 hours at night. This way you wake up in the city that you want to explore and you didn’t spend
any money on lodging.
For more information on the Discovery Pass visit Greyhound’s website at: www.greyhound.com or call:1-800-231-2222.
For more information about Hostels or Hostelling International membership. Go to www.usahostels.org, www.hostelweb.
com, www.hinyc.citysearch.com or pick up a copy of “Hostels U.S.A.” by Paul Karr at your local bookstore.
Published July 10, 2006
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