wm@tekchips.UUCP (Wm Leler) (07/04/85)
Anyone have any experience with Green Tortise (good or bad)? I'm looking at their Alaska trip, which goes up via the Washington State Ferry, and back via the AlCan and through Banff and Jasper. Looks like a good deal, but I'd like to know what other people's experiences have been. Does 4 weeks with the same people in a modified bus get too weird? Wm Leler usenet: tektronix!tekcrl!wm csnet: wm%tekcrl@tektronix arpanet: wm%tekcrl%tektronix@csnet-relay
bothner@Navajo.ARPA (07/11/85)
> Anyone have any experience with Green Tortise (good or bad)?
Two summers ago I took their express bus (4-5 days) from SF
to NY, with a week's stopover at the Rainbow Gathering (that
year in Michigan). I found it an enjoyable and interesting
experience, but you have to know what you are getting into.
Green Tortoise is apparantly the only survivor of the hippy
bus companies that sprang up in the sixties. The buses have
the seats taken out; instead they have a large matress-
covered platform, a few tables, seats and bunks. At night
they convert things so that there is more sleeping space.
Even so, you are likely to share a bunk either with someone,
or with a ton of luggage. As long as you're not claustrophobic,
you get to sleep in a horizontal postion in reasonable comfort.
(Each bus has two drivers, and they drive through the night.)
At least on the cross-country trip, there was a very interesting
mix of people, though I guess yuppie executive-types tended to
be absent! Many of them still considered themselves hippies.
The (main) meals were communal affairs, with those interested
chipping in a couple bucks, and helping with cooking and the
dishes. It was mainly vegetarian, but they might for example
have an optional meat sauce to go with spaghetti for the
carnivores. This is probably pretty flexible.
Even on the express trips, they would stop at hot pools or
other swimming places; preferably places where you didn't
have to wear a suit.
The "No Smoking" sign had been amended to read
"No \Tobacco/ Smoking.
During the driving, people might play drums or guitars,
play cards, read a book, or just watch the scenery unfold.
As long as you are willing to make friends with people who
are different from just the usual computer nerds most of
us spend most of our time with, you should have a great
time. Of course four weeks is a long time; I think I would
get a little tired by then, but the kind and length of vacation
one would like is very individual.
At least you'll have something to remember!
--Per Bothner
UUCP: {decwrl,ucbvax}!shasta!bothner ARPA: Bothner@score.ARPAfollmer@hplabs.UUCP (07/16/85)
I rode 'em from NYC to SanFrancisco once, and from SanFran to Portland once. It's alot of fun. People with good energy. Good music, taped and live. Little alcohol, the occasional joint. Better than Greyhound.
bobn@bmcg.UUCP (Bob Nebert) (07/20/85)
> know what other people's experiences have been. Does 4 weeks > with the same people in a modified bus get too weird? > >> 4 minutes in a modified bus is to long if the people are strange >> then again 4 years are to short when your around the right people. >> Try to sit next to a non-snorer |- >> >> >> sdcs!bmcg!bobn >> *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***