I realize this has the potential to be super vague and unhelpful but I'm going to try to give some info/details! (and bc I put in a lot of detail this got pretty long I apologize)
I decided I want to hitchhike this summer after my lease ends, so I would ideally be leaving mid May-early June. Originally I was just going to wing it, but as I've been reading more that seems kind of overwhelming. Overall I'm interested in what some of the best routes/places are for someone with zero experience.
I'm starting in SE WY/Northern Colorado. I kind of want to go east for a little bit, but I'm looking at what seems like the wall from North Dakota down to Texas. From what I've been reading these are some of the hardest states to hitch through... what route would be the most doable for a beginner?
I've been trying to think about places I would want to hit. I have a friend in Chicago who I haven't seen in years and would love to visit. I'm kind of intrigued by Virginia. I lived in ABQ for a couple months and miss the desert soooo much... that could totally change when I'm actually on foot though. Still kinda wanna go back. And I would love to end up in Washington in early August for the Jamboree if it happens.
Some places/events/features I would like to see: would love to hit cool swimming spots along the way (waterfalls, etc.) I love hot springs too so that would be awesome. Art museums, art parks and centers. Have never seen the Grand Canyon and would love to go back to the Utah salt flats. And I'd kill to swim in an ocean again.
I would also love to meet other people on the road on this trip so if I could wind up in any hotspots and hang out with people that would be awesome.
I do have very tentative time restraints? Making it back around to Washington by August. Also I'm supposed to go to a show at Red Rocks at the beginning of July that was supposed to happen last summer but who even knows if they'll go through with it this year... but my friend who I was supposed to go with now lives in St. Louis, so if she still wants to go I could always catch a ride with her.
I have no idea how long it takes to hitch so please tell me if this is realistic? I guess my basic, very first plan could be: make my way east at the beginning of June on whichever route seems doable? Head to Virgina I guess? Swing back around and go to Chicago to see my friend, meet my other friend in St. Louis and drive to Red Rocks by early July. Then head to the southwest, then up to Washington for early August? After that idfk.
Honestly have no problem dropping Red Rocks if it seems like I can't get there and then I'm totally open until the Jamboree. I don't want to feel rushed so that might be what I have to do. I also want to acknowledge that who even knows if I'll have it in me to do this, I've never done anything like this before, but I would really love to love it.
I have a lot of other questions but those can all be addressed in other threads bc this is long. My main concerns here are: picking a route that isn't too difficult for a beginner, avoiding places that might be rough for a beginner, and having a general idea of how long travelling around might take. If it makes a difference I'm a 23 y/o nonbinary trans person who still looks pretty female, and I'll hopefully be travelling with someone else, but might go alone. Not against train hopping but it does kind of freak me out and I would only do it with someone who knows what's up.
And I'm totally open to throwing all this out the window when I'm actually out there and just going wherever I end up going.
Seriously take this post and run with it, even if you can't answer my direct questions give me everything you've got, I want to know all of it!
I decided I want to hitchhike this summer after my lease ends, so I would ideally be leaving mid May-early June. Originally I was just going to wing it, but as I've been reading more that seems kind of overwhelming. Overall I'm interested in what some of the best routes/places are for someone with zero experience.
I'm starting in SE WY/Northern Colorado. I kind of want to go east for a little bit, but I'm looking at what seems like the wall from North Dakota down to Texas. From what I've been reading these are some of the hardest states to hitch through... what route would be the most doable for a beginner?
I've been trying to think about places I would want to hit. I have a friend in Chicago who I haven't seen in years and would love to visit. I'm kind of intrigued by Virginia. I lived in ABQ for a couple months and miss the desert soooo much... that could totally change when I'm actually on foot though. Still kinda wanna go back. And I would love to end up in Washington in early August for the Jamboree if it happens.
Some places/events/features I would like to see: would love to hit cool swimming spots along the way (waterfalls, etc.) I love hot springs too so that would be awesome. Art museums, art parks and centers. Have never seen the Grand Canyon and would love to go back to the Utah salt flats. And I'd kill to swim in an ocean again.
I would also love to meet other people on the road on this trip so if I could wind up in any hotspots and hang out with people that would be awesome.
I do have very tentative time restraints? Making it back around to Washington by August. Also I'm supposed to go to a show at Red Rocks at the beginning of July that was supposed to happen last summer but who even knows if they'll go through with it this year... but my friend who I was supposed to go with now lives in St. Louis, so if she still wants to go I could always catch a ride with her.
I have no idea how long it takes to hitch so please tell me if this is realistic? I guess my basic, very first plan could be: make my way east at the beginning of June on whichever route seems doable? Head to Virgina I guess? Swing back around and go to Chicago to see my friend, meet my other friend in St. Louis and drive to Red Rocks by early July. Then head to the southwest, then up to Washington for early August? After that idfk.
Honestly have no problem dropping Red Rocks if it seems like I can't get there and then I'm totally open until the Jamboree. I don't want to feel rushed so that might be what I have to do. I also want to acknowledge that who even knows if I'll have it in me to do this, I've never done anything like this before, but I would really love to love it.
I have a lot of other questions but those can all be addressed in other threads bc this is long. My main concerns here are: picking a route that isn't too difficult for a beginner, avoiding places that might be rough for a beginner, and having a general idea of how long travelling around might take. If it makes a difference I'm a 23 y/o nonbinary trans person who still looks pretty female, and I'll hopefully be travelling with someone else, but might go alone. Not against train hopping but it does kind of freak me out and I would only do it with someone who knows what's up.
And I'm totally open to throwing all this out the window when I'm actually out there and just going wherever I end up going.
Seriously take this post and run with it, even if you can't answer my direct questions give me everything you've got, I want to know all of it!