traveling the west coast, hitching Washington, Oregon and Cali

[keystone]

any advice, tips, possible meetups for traveling this time of year? heading south, I'm a 22 year old newbie. -thanks, peace and love

 

[beersalt]

Luckily, WA is the easiest hitch in the US. In my opinion. I encountered this as a solo traveler with a dog, as well as two folks, and two dogs.

 

[beersalt]

Don't let the anti-hitchhiking signage on certain on-ramps scare you off. (A thumb in a red circle with a red cross through it)
Never had an officer stop and talk to me about it being illegal.

 

[noothgrush]

I started hitching backwards with the east coast and the south and did the pnw last and I was amazed at how easy it was. You can even walk on the highway in Oregon. Wish I learned the ropes out there instead of the east coast.

 

[BardoBard]

Easiest hitching in my experience was through Colorado, but had an easy time in Washington back in 2013

Id be down to meet Sunday or maybe Monday if you pass through Portland

 

[HotWheels]

any advice, tips, possible meetups for traveling this time of year? heading south, I'm a 22 year old newbie. -thanks, peace and love

Try to make it to Slab City CA! This place is amazing!

 

[PeaceLoveHarmony]

It's such a beautiful place to hitch. Enjoy the beauty of the Earth and all the amazing humans and creatures along the way !

 

[ScumRag]

When you get to San Francisco, call it by name. Or call it SF. Or SFO. Or The City by the Bay.

Don't dare call it "'frisco". The "'frisco" moniker seriously pisses off natives & those who have lived there for a minute.

 

[keystone]

hahaha thanks! no doubt!

 

[BardoBard]

What about calling it the Bay area?

 

[ScumRag]

What about calling it the Bay area?

The City by the Bay is kinda inclusive of The Bay Area

 

[Dameon]

Don't let the anti-hitchhiking signage on certain on-ramps scare you off. (A thumb in a red circle with a red cross through it)
Never had an officer stop and talk to me about it being illegal.

That's because it's not illegal, as long as you're hitching before that sign. Those signs mean no hitching past that point, not that hitching is illegal.

Some useful general advice: You can get down about half the coast by public transit, so if you get stuck, look for public buses. I'd take the bus from Seattle to Tacoma, then from there to Olympia; hitching out of Seattle can be a pain. Once you're in Oregon, it's legal to walk and hitch on the interstate (illegal in WA and CA). Avoid I-5 in California; you're generally better off on highway 101. Most of the towns along I-5 in CA suck, although you can make fast time on the freeway.