Well, I recently got back from my first hitchhiking trip. SO heres the story. Enjoy 
I first started out from wichita, ks, and headed SE to Ark City, near the OK/KS state line, courtesy of a friend who lived there at college. I spent the night sleeping in his van in my sleeping bag, which was pretty uncomfortable, but not that bad. I woke up around 430am, packed my stuff, and headed out between 5am-530am. I headed south to Highway 166 i believe it was, and from there headed west towards I-35, about 30 miles away. I flew a sign that said "Id pick you up", and shortly after the sun rose, about 10 miles down the road, I got my first ride. An older gentleman with an orange pickup, stopped down the road, and backed up. He didnt have alot to say, and let me out at the truck stop next to the interstate. From there I got a coffee, which the clerk gave to me for free, and pulled out the atlas.
I knew i couldnt hitchhike down the interstate, and that particular truckstop/onramps etc was pretty dead. So I headed west along Highway 166. I was headed towards Enik, OK. I walked about 6 miles or so west to a small town called South Haven, and headed west through that, to another town called Caldwell, about 15 miles west of South Haven. That was one lonely road. I picked up some cotton lying around as tinder here and there, and after about 8 miles of no rides, i switched my sign to "Caldwell", and shortly after I got my 2nd ride. It was a man in his 30's Im guessing, wearing dark round glasses. He seemed cool enough and chatted on about his unemployment. He took me to the town, and gave me 10$. I bought some food, and headed South to Renfrow, OK.
This was one of my worst times on the road. Nobody picked me up, it was hot, nothing but lonely corn fields, people who drove by doing 90+, and I was slowly running out of water. I flew various signs because at this point i didnt give a fuck, "I wont kill you", "I dont stink" . ...It should have taken me no more than an hour and a half to get to this town, but because of morale, it took me about 3 hours. I finally got to this town, which was simple pathetic, around 5pm. I sat down exhausted both mentally and physically, and flew a sign for Enid, OK. SHortly after half an hour a lone lost trucker, stopped and picked me up in his 18 wheeler. He took me to Oklahoma City. He smoked alot, and listened to talk radio. He was cool enough, and since he said I looked cool enough, he'd pick me up, as he used to hitchhike when he was my age.
When i got to OK city, i was at exit 137, just outside the city. I got a beer, and then prepared to head South to I-40 west. My plan had changed now, and i was flying a sign that said simple "Albuquerque". I met a homeless man, named Tim, who had a big black dog, outside of the truck stop. I stayed with him for 1.5 days, and he taught me how to make money by panhandling, dumpster diving, where to sleep, how not to get killed etc. He had been doing this for 15 years. We spent the night sleeping behind the Mcdonalds there at that exit. The next day we headed South along I-35 till we stopped at a Conoco. We both got a beer, and then after lying around resting, Tim went out to this young looking guy in a white pickup truck. He got us a ride down to 23rd Street, close to I-40. So i through my shit in the back,a nd got in with it. ANd then we went flying down the highway, at 80+, and I thought it was exhilerating. People gave us funny looks and my morale was lifted. When we got to where we were going, me and Tim went over to a camp of his. I went to Walmart shortly after, panhandled, made 12$, and got ran off by the police. I headed back west on 23rd, and caught the bus with Time down to some other street further S. From there I said my goodbyes and headed west to Corelina or something, then down to I-40.
I stood out on I-40's onramp for about 30 mins with no luck. I noticed on the S. side of I-40 was another hitchhiker, he waved me over, and we talked for awhile. He told me to switch my spot, down on the onramp loop around, and Id catch a ride in no time. So he went and panhandle on the onramp going up, and I went and stood on the onramp going to the highway. He got ran off by the cops, and When i saw this i went over and got dinner with him at the mcdonalds there. Then i went back to the onramp, and within 5 minutes a man in a white f350 picked me up and took me to Amarillo, TX. He chatted on and on about his oil drilling lifestyle, and gave me a beer. He drank 5 beers and I was slightly worried as he swerved to and fro. When we got to Amarillo, he gave me 20$, from there i bought some food, and went and stood down the on ramp quite aways, had no luck, and went back to the actual gas stations. Around 11pm a local pulled up into the gas station behind me, and yelled over he could take me to the other side of town. I agreed and he dropped me off about 2 miles from the Western city limits. I spent the night in a ditch behind a waffle house, and woke up with ice crystals on my sleeping bag and pack. I then walked about 8 miles west down I-40 to a Loves gas station. I bought me some donuts and an energy drink, and then after 30 mins sitting on the onramp, I got a ride by 3 hikers heading out to the grand canyon. They took me to some small town in new mexico, where we went to the "Blue hole" some kind of naturally blue pool. Then they took me to Williams, Arizona, 20 miles west of Flagstaff.
They bought me taco bell, and then left. I Spent the night in a gas station, after standing in the rain/snow for about half the night, and getting hassled by the local sheriff, who told me if he found me sleeping anywhere in town, he'd ticket me or worse. The gas station own (conoco) was cool and let me have free coffee, he also let me sleep in his SUV for like 5 hours. Then I woke up in the morning and went back out on the onramp. Around 12pm I got a ride from two guys heading to Sacramento, but the took me to Las Vegas instead. And from there the trip went bad. I spent 3 days in soaking went clothes, and a soaked backpack standing on onramps both at I-215 and I-15 trying to get first to Cali, the 2nd to Utah. Everyone was a total dick and completely rude. I eventually was in complete distraught and decided to head South to try and go to the Lake Meade Parkway that would take me over the mountains then conenct me to exit 96 on I-15, as a cop had already told me that HE would le tme hitchhike on the insterstate, but MPD would prolyl stop me and ticket me. So I stopped at a gas station at Nellis Blvd and Charleston Blv, called my folks, and come to find out they filed a missing person at large report on me, and from there shortly after a cop came and searched me, ran my records, than took me to the Greyhound bus station. (MY folks wired me money to head home, as I was too tired with shit to stick around any longer). I missed my first bus at 620am, was very pissed, and then shortly before i caught my bus out at 815, my wallet got stolen, along with my ID, my SS, and my birth certificate. I now hate las vegas even more. and here I am back in my home town, planning a 2nd trip for the spring. And im going to go North first, and then west, to stay away from the south.
All in all i had a great time minus the bad times, and would do it again in a heartbeat. BUT STAY AWAY FROM LAS VEGAS!. they hate hitchhikers.
Alfred Hitchcok made a movie called Psycho 1-4, and also Norman Bates movie about this hotel where this guy murdered people. I thought this sign was the original. SUre looked like it.
I first started out from wichita, ks, and headed SE to Ark City, near the OK/KS state line, courtesy of a friend who lived there at college. I spent the night sleeping in his van in my sleeping bag, which was pretty uncomfortable, but not that bad. I woke up around 430am, packed my stuff, and headed out between 5am-530am. I headed south to Highway 166 i believe it was, and from there headed west towards I-35, about 30 miles away. I flew a sign that said "Id pick you up", and shortly after the sun rose, about 10 miles down the road, I got my first ride. An older gentleman with an orange pickup, stopped down the road, and backed up. He didnt have alot to say, and let me out at the truck stop next to the interstate. From there I got a coffee, which the clerk gave to me for free, and pulled out the atlas.
I knew i couldnt hitchhike down the interstate, and that particular truckstop/onramps etc was pretty dead. So I headed west along Highway 166. I was headed towards Enik, OK. I walked about 6 miles or so west to a small town called South Haven, and headed west through that, to another town called Caldwell, about 15 miles west of South Haven. That was one lonely road. I picked up some cotton lying around as tinder here and there, and after about 8 miles of no rides, i switched my sign to "Caldwell", and shortly after I got my 2nd ride. It was a man in his 30's Im guessing, wearing dark round glasses. He seemed cool enough and chatted on about his unemployment. He took me to the town, and gave me 10$. I bought some food, and headed South to Renfrow, OK.
This was one of my worst times on the road. Nobody picked me up, it was hot, nothing but lonely corn fields, people who drove by doing 90+, and I was slowly running out of water. I flew various signs because at this point i didnt give a fuck, "I wont kill you", "I dont stink" . ...It should have taken me no more than an hour and a half to get to this town, but because of morale, it took me about 3 hours. I finally got to this town, which was simple pathetic, around 5pm. I sat down exhausted both mentally and physically, and flew a sign for Enid, OK. SHortly after half an hour a lone lost trucker, stopped and picked me up in his 18 wheeler. He took me to Oklahoma City. He smoked alot, and listened to talk radio. He was cool enough, and since he said I looked cool enough, he'd pick me up, as he used to hitchhike when he was my age.
When i got to OK city, i was at exit 137, just outside the city. I got a beer, and then prepared to head South to I-40 west. My plan had changed now, and i was flying a sign that said simple "Albuquerque". I met a homeless man, named Tim, who had a big black dog, outside of the truck stop. I stayed with him for 1.5 days, and he taught me how to make money by panhandling, dumpster diving, where to sleep, how not to get killed etc. He had been doing this for 15 years. We spent the night sleeping behind the Mcdonalds there at that exit. The next day we headed South along I-35 till we stopped at a Conoco. We both got a beer, and then after lying around resting, Tim went out to this young looking guy in a white pickup truck. He got us a ride down to 23rd Street, close to I-40. So i through my shit in the back,a nd got in with it. ANd then we went flying down the highway, at 80+, and I thought it was exhilerating. People gave us funny looks and my morale was lifted. When we got to where we were going, me and Tim went over to a camp of his. I went to Walmart shortly after, panhandled, made 12$, and got ran off by the police. I headed back west on 23rd, and caught the bus with Time down to some other street further S. From there I said my goodbyes and headed west to Corelina or something, then down to I-40.
I stood out on I-40's onramp for about 30 mins with no luck. I noticed on the S. side of I-40 was another hitchhiker, he waved me over, and we talked for awhile. He told me to switch my spot, down on the onramp loop around, and Id catch a ride in no time. So he went and panhandle on the onramp going up, and I went and stood on the onramp going to the highway. He got ran off by the cops, and When i saw this i went over and got dinner with him at the mcdonalds there. Then i went back to the onramp, and within 5 minutes a man in a white f350 picked me up and took me to Amarillo, TX. He chatted on and on about his oil drilling lifestyle, and gave me a beer. He drank 5 beers and I was slightly worried as he swerved to and fro. When we got to Amarillo, he gave me 20$, from there i bought some food, and went and stood down the on ramp quite aways, had no luck, and went back to the actual gas stations. Around 11pm a local pulled up into the gas station behind me, and yelled over he could take me to the other side of town. I agreed and he dropped me off about 2 miles from the Western city limits. I spent the night in a ditch behind a waffle house, and woke up with ice crystals on my sleeping bag and pack. I then walked about 8 miles west down I-40 to a Loves gas station. I bought me some donuts and an energy drink, and then after 30 mins sitting on the onramp, I got a ride by 3 hikers heading out to the grand canyon. They took me to some small town in new mexico, where we went to the "Blue hole" some kind of naturally blue pool. Then they took me to Williams, Arizona, 20 miles west of Flagstaff.
They bought me taco bell, and then left. I Spent the night in a gas station, after standing in the rain/snow for about half the night, and getting hassled by the local sheriff, who told me if he found me sleeping anywhere in town, he'd ticket me or worse. The gas station own (conoco) was cool and let me have free coffee, he also let me sleep in his SUV for like 5 hours. Then I woke up in the morning and went back out on the onramp. Around 12pm I got a ride from two guys heading to Sacramento, but the took me to Las Vegas instead. And from there the trip went bad. I spent 3 days in soaking went clothes, and a soaked backpack standing on onramps both at I-215 and I-15 trying to get first to Cali, the 2nd to Utah. Everyone was a total dick and completely rude. I eventually was in complete distraught and decided to head South to try and go to the Lake Meade Parkway that would take me over the mountains then conenct me to exit 96 on I-15, as a cop had already told me that HE would le tme hitchhike on the insterstate, but MPD would prolyl stop me and ticket me. So I stopped at a gas station at Nellis Blvd and Charleston Blv, called my folks, and come to find out they filed a missing person at large report on me, and from there shortly after a cop came and searched me, ran my records, than took me to the Greyhound bus station. (MY folks wired me money to head home, as I was too tired with shit to stick around any longer). I missed my first bus at 620am, was very pissed, and then shortly before i caught my bus out at 815, my wallet got stolen, along with my ID, my SS, and my birth certificate. I now hate las vegas even more. and here I am back in my home town, planning a 2nd trip for the spring. And im going to go North first, and then west, to stay away from the south.
All in all i had a great time minus the bad times, and would do it again in a heartbeat. BUT STAY AWAY FROM LAS VEGAS!. they hate hitchhikers.
Alfred Hitchcok made a movie called Psycho 1-4, and also Norman Bates movie about this hotel where this guy murdered people. I thought this sign was the original. SUre looked like it.
