The journey from Grand Forks, North Dakota to Minneapolis, Minnesota was probably the worst one I've done. It wasn't the longest, not by a long shot, but it's the only journey I've been on where I have sat on the bus for nine hours with the air conditioning not working. And, just to be clear, it was over 80 degrees outside and very sunny so it was like being in a greenhouse on wheels. We were late leaving because, being so close to the Canadian border in Grand Fo...

I was disappointed in North Dakota in many ways. My guide book says North Dakota is the least visited state in the US, so I my expectations should have been pretty low. It is a surprisingly long way from Milwaukee to Grand Forks, North Dakota, involving an overnight bus ride. The other thing that was surprising, based solely on my previous thirty or so Greyhound trips, was that from Minneapolis (where I transfered buses) to Grand Forks the bus was full of white p...

Milwaukee in my mind is associated with beer production, Happy Days and a reference in Wayne's World. I'd just come from Chicago and loved that so I didn't have much hopes for Milwaukee because it's a tough act to follow. I needn't have worried because it turned out well. The Greyhound station is fantastic and reminded me of an airport departure lounge. I think this is because it's shared with Amtrak so there was more money available to build it than the usual b...

After so many towns and cities where downtown has no soul or vibe at all it was a relief to finally get to Chicago. It was like hitting an oasis after miles and miles of desert. Even on my first evening, tired from a bus journey and carrying my 50 pound backpack, I was able to soak in the fact that there were shops, restaurants and people on every street. It was bliss! Overall I loved Chicago. I'd describe it as a more manageable New York. By that I mean it's sm...

On my journey from Nashville to St Louis, Missouri I could see some evidence of the flooding from the heavy rain they've had in the midwest out here. And I'm still very far from the submerged places I've seen on TV. When I came into the city the famous Gateway Arch was clearly visible rising far above everything else. The hostel was a little rustic but was appropriately called the Huckleberry Finn Hostel. I had started reading that book on the bus ride and was i...