# Hitch/hopping FL to Slabs



## BrisVatne (Apr 2, 2013)

So I've just concluded my first trip across the country and back. I spent a lot of time staring at the sun with my thumb out and a couple of the trains I hopped took me too far South and then too far North expending a lot of time. Point is, is that I want this trip to just be Better. More streamlined; less accident prone. I might even get a tablet PC and be more in touch with the rideshare/couchsurfing community.
In a few weeks I'll be going back across, hitching up to Tallahassee or so and taking UP to around Del Rio, TX, hitching to Lordsburg, NM, and hopping to wherever in SoCal from there.
Any one have advice or criticism? (this might be more apt in a thread of its own but: ) Has anyone had any trouble with border checkpoints taking the Southern line? I myself rolled through a check point around Yuma, but I have a feeling that the guy on the gantry turned a blind eye--but that's my only experience.


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## iHaveRabiez (Apr 3, 2013)

It's getting hot in the slabs yo. There's a border checkpoint a couple miles away too, and they're not very nice.


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## BrisVatne (Apr 3, 2013)

103 at night and when a few other peoples and I tried to do a spange mission to San Diego we hit trouble at the checkpoint going that way, so I'm Experienced there.


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## BrisVatne (Apr 3, 2013)

Oh..I see the context of your post, alright; thanks for the headsup.


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## nati (Jun 8, 2013)

i go the slabs every winter thats the best time to go i think


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## skitter (Jun 17, 2013)

Yeah. The "season" for visiting the slabs is something like October through April... I suppose you can go whenever you want really, but it's mercilessly hot. I just checked the 7 day forecast for Niland and the "coolest" temperature all week long is a balmy 104 degrees (down from 108, and we aren't even to the dog days yet!.

If you go in the winter, there's all kinds of people from all over the place coming and going, so you're more apt to meet interesting people. 

My (gentle) criticism: It's June, man. Lots of folks go north to enjoy all the parts of the country that are usually frigid dead winter wastelands any other time of the year. I guess there's nothing inherently *wrong* with your itinerary but if you headed North, you could drift all summer and then dip south when all the snowbirds start arriving at the slabs and save all of your south and southwest destinations for winter time. Like a great big circle. 

As for your desire for a streamlined, less accident-prone trip... the only way you're going to really ensure that is by driving your own vehicle or taking a greyhound I guess. Shit happens... one must expect the unexpected and roll with the punches. Staring at the sun with your thumb out and nothing happening, and getting on the wrong train or going somewhere completely unexpected... just kind of part of the lifestyle I guess. Enjoy the ride!


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