Personally, I refuse to fly any more. (unless I really have too). It's such a damn hassle these days. But it does get you there in a few hours, mostly refreshed. I don't get much sleep on the train, so I'm pretty groggy when I arrive someplace.

I'm leaving Gorham, NH in the middle of April and going to Florida to visit my Dad for his birthday(he'll be 95!) before I head out to go hiking. Since I don't fly, I first need to take the bus from Gorham to Boston. The bus leaves Gorham about 8 AM, arrives Boston at noon. I will then wait until 11PM and take a MEGA bus to Washington DC which arrives at 10AM. I will then wait until 3PM to get the train to Tampa. Which reminds me, I need to buy my tickets soon.

The reason for this crazy scheme is the train to Florida (or GA) leaves Boston at 6AM. The only way I can catch the 6AM train is to spend the night in Boston. Even the earliest bus from Concord (5 AM) doesn't get to Boston in time to catch the train. (it would be cheaper to spend the night in Concord then Boston).

The cheapest place to spend the night in Boston is the Youth Hostel (about a 15 minute walk to the train station) which runs about $80 a night. A hotel would cost at least twice that. Spending the night in the bus or train station is not an good option. Sleeping outside in the bushes with the homeless isn't a good option in Boston in April, but I once found a nice spot under the highway on ramp not far from the train station. But that was summer time.

By taking the Bus to DC first, I can spend the day in Boston, get some sleep on the bus overnight (I actually sleep better on the bus then on the train), then get to spend some time in DC. I think I will invest in one of those U shaped neck pillows and a travel blanket for this trip. If it lets me get some better sleep, it will be worth the $10. I'll abandon them on the train when I get back to DC to start my hike at Harpers Ferry.