I will be homeless from May 31st to September 1st. How should I kill the time?

At least it will be summertime. That’s a good time of year to float around the country. Are you in California now?

One suggestion I have is getting a last minute cruise or two if you like cruises. You’ll have a room with a bed, and all the food you can eat, some entertainment. The negative is going as a single is more pricey than sharing a room with someone. If you look at cruises less than two months out they can be incredibly cheap. When you are near ports during your train trek you could see what’s available. The repositioning cruises can be really an amazingly good price, but then you might wind up in another country.

If you are in CA, you could do a Panama Canal last minute, which is usually 14–15 days and you end in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. If you’re interested in going to Florida, June would be the best month in the summer. Amtrak stops right in some really great towns in FL. Winter Park is one example where you get off the train and walk right over to their main drag full of beautiful shops and restaurants. On the north end is the Morse museum which is less than $10 and it has one of the largest collections of Tiffany. It’s not a very large museum, but the collection is breathtaking.

You can work your way up the east coast on the train. DC, NYC, upstate NY. Maybe you have been to those places already? Other cities to consider on the Easter seaboard are Charleston, SC (I’m not sure if Amtrak stops close to the downtown??) There are cruises from NY or Boston into Quebec.

Other stops along Amtrak to consider are Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, there are so many.

What do you like to do? Are you very tight on money?

Here is a link to www.vacationstogo.com where you can look at cruises. I look there and then usually buy my ticket directly from the cruise line I’m interested in rather than from vacationstogo.

Most of the places I named are cities, but I really like spending time in the countryside too. I wonder if there are cheap places to stay for a few weeks out in more rural areas? That I don’t know. Or, if from Amtrak stations that are sort of in the middle of nowhere how much of a chore it is to get to what you would want to see there?

I’m in Oregon. My roommate is moving because the rain is making him suicidal.

The cruise idea is good except that I can’t really handle boats when I can’t see land. I turn into a vomit machine.

What parts of the country have you been to already?

Technically I have been to 38 of the states. But that was just driving through. I pretty much have a intimate knowledge of the west coast but haven’t spent any real time anywhere else. I did do a week in NYC in 2002 and a week in Boston and DC for the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.

Edit: Yeah, the money thing. I will be eating bread and cheese. I need to do this on the cheap.

Might look into airbnb instead of a hotel, for your relax nights. I know if someone were staying in my house overnight, they’d get fed a hot meal or two.

@johnpowell Do you work from anywhere? On the internet maybe? Or, you won’t be working?

If you’re not working and would consider working, you could work for a resort for the summer? They sometimes have places to house the staff? I’m sure it’s a lot of work, but also can be at a very nice place in the countryside, at a beach, or in the mountains.

Airbnb sounds like a good suggestion too. I’ve never used it, but I know people who have. Since money is tight, if you do the Amtrak thing, you’ll want cities where you walk right out into an easy area to get around without always needing a taxi I would think. Taxis are expensive. Memphis you are right downtown and can easily see most everything except Graceland you will need a taxi to. I think NOLA is the same. I’m just trying to think of the cities to stop in in the middle of the country if you travel to the other coast.

@JLeslie :: I have a lot of contracts that are pretty much “Something broke so fix my shit” that I can take care of with a internet connection at Starbucks. This rarely happens. I am basically nerdy hurricane insurance. You are really glad I am there when shit goes down but ideally you never have to think about me.

And the resort thing actually sounds nice. I have no problem cleaning toilets and I might be able to sex a member of the staff.

@johnpowell I don’t know if you drive or own a vehicle, but you might want to consider a driving/camping tour. I did something like this in 1977, with my GF at the time. We traveled from the Chicago area, and ultimately reached San Diego and went back. We converted a van, put in a bed and some cabinets, and took off. We would sometimes stop, when necessary or desirable, to do some temp work for a day or two, filled up the tank and moved on. We sometimes stayed with friends, or just camped.

Granted, things have changed a lot in the past 40 years, but I think the idea still has merit. You would not be restricted geographically by Amtrak routes, and you have the flexibility of staying on an extra day or two, or week, or if a particular place isn’t what you anticipated, you can just leave.

Save your money and be one of those trainhopping hobos. I forget what the site is, but those guys are all linked up on the Internet and many, many people totally love the lifestyle, including people with desk jobs.

To follow up with @JLeslie, a gig in a national park has all that flavor including the sex. I think there’s an article on Vice about that.

A cruise will throw all kinds of rules at you. My buddy worked one and in the contract it said he had to wear underwear at all times. They also killed a crewman by attempting to hoist him on deck by crane. He fell.

Check out
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www.couchsurfing.com
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Couchsurfing: How it Works: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLETr5Hq7_NBUc2EKe-_1g2IK9uQfS65oO
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It sounds sketchy but it really isn’t and they do have a safety team and a half dozen brief YouTube clips on tips.

And since you have a few months yet before you need to be out, you can check it out by meeting other couchsurfers in your local area.

They have regular parties, events and meet up so this would give you the chance to meet other people near you and check out what their experiences have been like, both as a guest and host.

@johnpowell resorts hire lots of waiters, car valets, bellboys, and janitors. All sorts of positions. I really like Mohonk in the Catkills in NY, but working there is probably a ton of work, and I’m not sure if they have housing. I also don’t know if they let staff hang out or use the facility when off duty. Or, if they feed the staff, which would be a bonus. I’m just think if you took the train to NY you would have a couple of weeks to see other parts of the country. I think Amtrak has a 14 day ticket. Mohonk is about 40 minutes from West Point, a nice day trip, and just over an hour from Hyde Park where the Roosevelt Museum is, another nice day trip. You could take a two hour cruise up the Hudson one day too, if that appeals to you at all? It’s a fairly narrow river so you can see land the whole time.

Another idea is Club Med Sandpiper in Florida. It wouldn’t surprise me if Club Meds have quarters for staff since they come from all over the world. I’m just guessing though.

A house siting gig is another idea? If you have really strong references that might be a possibility. Live for free, maybe even get paid for doing some errands and tasks. I’m not sure how that works.

Spend 3 weeks in Milwaukee and take in Summerfest music Fest and then later in the month head over to German Fest for some yummy beer and grub. The Milwaukee lake front is really nice and a great place just to hang out.

Expanding on @JLeslie ‘s suggestion; From Oregon you could go to Seattle, catch a cruise up to Alaska (7 days mostly within sight of land) ending up in Seward where you can take the train to Anchorage if you want, hitch or bus to Denali for a couple of weeks. See some more of the state (as long as you want) then start your way back down through Canada back to the US.

How about this (could be combined with above suggestion) Driving Motorhomes across country

I might have an offer for you if you are interested in hanging out in Western NY for a while. I’ll PM with some details.

I have some alternative ideas for the 90-day thing, but I think yours is much better.

I really like your idea of being on the train for ninety days. I’ve thought of that. I don’t think you have to rely on Starbucks for wifi anymore, though. I’m pretty sure there is free wifi on the trains now. If you could afford a coupé, that would be excellent. I imagine the cost of food onboard would be outrageous, though, but that’s fixable I think. I would look into raw diets. It won’t kill you to eat raw for 90 days, if you know what you’re doing and with breaks in the real world for real meals. I would consider it the price of the passage, the experience.

This is a really cool idea. It fires my imagination. You’ve turned a problem into an adventure. I would love it if you would keep us posted here on your progress or in a little blog. America would be so interesting from a train window with the option of getting off whenever you wanted. It would be like a huge travel menu flying past. Especially the Northwest and Southwest. Everything is so bloody BIG out there. This is a great idea.

If you come help @LuckyGuy, you can also help me move several states away. Seriously. None of us have experience trailing a car… and we have toddlers to take care of.

Western/Upstate/Finger Lakes/Adirondack regions of NY are so beautiful…

You can crash at my place for a few days if you comr as far East as NJ. I have great beaches nearby and a great music scene. Also, the couch surfing is a great idea.

@johnpowell You are welcome in our second bedroom. Come for a visit. See DC. The nation’s capitol has a whole bunch of free sites: monuments, museums and more to explore.

What are you doing with your cats for the three months?

As @Espiritus_Corvus said, Amtrak offers free wifi now. Sometimes it even works. And yes, the food offered on their trains can be expensive, but you don’t have to partake. Amtrak does allow you to bring your own food on board, they just put restrictions on where you can eat it.

Oh, I just thought of another idea. People pay people to drive their cars from one state to another. Especially, snowbirds in FL, but your timing is bad for that. It’s still possibly an idea to get from one place to another that isn’t on a train route and have a night paid in a hotel. I don’t know where they advertise that stuff.

With all those offers on the east coast that’s looking good to me, I don’t know about you. I’d offer myself, but I’m “homeless” right now, and living with my inlaws.

@rojo He says he gets sea sick if he can’t see land. Most of the Alaska trip through the inside passage you can see land, but still a little risky for him I guess.

@JLeslie good idea about the driving, although I’m not sure if JP drives. MY son did that once – drove someone’s pick-up cross-country. I’m sure there are sites that arrange it.

You could be Dean Moriarty! (I’d love to get my hands on a ‘49 Hudson for 3 months.)

^ I think the Crow wants to go with you.

That train trip might actually be doable for me. I wouldn’t mind John for a pard. The food thing has to be figured out, though.

If I had that much time off I would probably go volunteer somewhere and do something really cool.

Swim to your southwest.

Hey @johnpowell !
I don’t know whether or not you feel you’re getting useful info here. But one thing is absolutely certain: From the responses so far it is clear you are well loved.
You are one lucky guy!

If you make it up to @janbb‘s area, you might as well take one of those Amtraks to South Station. There’s tons to do in Boston, including seeing me. And there’ll be a futon here if needed.

@Cruiser Nah. Been there, done that. They don’t want me anymore. Heart attack. Buncha pussies.

@Espiritus_Corvus What did you do that soured you so? I myself would find a Special Needs summer camp and volunteer to give swim lessons and life guard at the pool and also teach them the fine art of shadow puppetry and play musical chairs while making animal noises. We would have so much fun!

I agree with @Buttonstc about Couchsurfing. I’ve done it in Europe and it was great. If you’re really broke, it’s much better than airbnb, because it’s free and they might just feed you. However, you will be rated as a guest, so be nice to your hosts if you want to keep doing it. :)

Have you thought about travelling through Canada, since you’ve seen so much of the US already? I’d put you up for a couple of nights, assuming I’m here and you get this far east.

@dappled_leaves

I have a strong hunch that both his generous nature, personality and computer skills would make him a highly rated guest on the couchsurfing site :)

Not to mention welcome at all his big Jelly sisters’ homes!

Lots of good answer here. I don’t have anything to add. I just want to ask although I know this scenario will not happen: have you ever considered travelling here? The fact that USD has much more value than VND alone is an advantage. If you want to travel somewhere without wasting too much money then you can consider my place.

And if you ever come, I won’t be able to put you up because of my parents, but I will be willing to be a guide ir anything if you need :p

@Cruiser I did disaster work. Loved it. I was made for it. I enjoyed disaster work so much, there wasn’t a drop of altruism in it for me. It was almost a selfish act on my part. Then I had a heart attack and that eliminated me from the team. They can’t take people with cardiac histories like mine, you can’t become casualty in the middle of a crisis. I understand, but it still hurts. I applied with other groups like Peace Corps, etc. and it was the same. I even have friends on Dominica who run a clinic on the north end of the island for Peace Corp. and they could do nothing. It’s policy. They don’t like sending American volunteers home in a box. Bad for business. There’s still a little bitterness on my part, I suppose. I planned on spending my retirement doing this work and my retirement plan didn’t work out. So, I’ve moved on and do what i do now and that’s that. I’m not the first guy in the world to have his plans fall through. No big deal. You adapt.

@marinelife :: Apparently cats were not allowed at my current apartment and my landlady flipped out. So about six months ago the cats went to live at my moms. Good news is that I got the new apartment with my mom and pets are cool there so I will be reunited with my feline friends. And thank god too. My mom doesn’t really believe in vets. First thing I am going to do is take them to the vet.

And yes, I don’t know how to drive.

I have thought about it a bit and talked to my sister. My sister wants me to watch her twins and Ladybug for a few weeks while she goes to London for a vacation. And my mom will be moving into the apartment with me so I should probably plan on a few weeks to help her pack up her house. So I am thinking a 45 day Amtrak pass would be best.

And to be clear. I can totally crash at my moms place for the three months. She has a spare room I used to live in for a few years. I just think it would be fun to get intimate with America.

I do appreciate all the offers of spare rooms and couches. I might just take you up on the offer if Amtrak goes to your neck of the woods.

Right now I am thinking I would take the train up to Seattle. Then from there Chicago, NYC, and Boston. Then work my way down to Atlanta and then come back west to San Diego. Then up to Santa Cruz to hang out with my sisters son (current roommate) and then head up to Eugene.

I have a few months to fine tune things. But I prefer to wing it. Maybe Chicago isn’t as glamorous as it is portrayed in Shameless and I will want to bounce right away.

Please visit Rochester on your way to NYC. You can crash here for a bit and I’ll show you around.
I can see where the offer I PM’ed you would not be so useful. From the GPS coords you can see it is pretty remote. It’s fantastic if you want solitude and a place to work.

If you do get (or make) some layover time in Chicago, catch a museum or two (or three or four!). My top four picks would be: 1) Shedd Aquarium; 2) Museum of Science and Industry; 3) Art Institute of Chicago; and 4) The Natural History Museum.

I actually envy you, enjoy the hell out of this. It would be really hard for me to decide what to do but it would be a toss up between doing a significant portion of the appalachian trail or zipping around the west on a motorcycle visiting all sorts of people and places. Probably would choose the AT since it’s practically free and you would end your time in top physical shape.

It sounds like a lot of fun. If you come to the northeast, maybe @janbb, myself and any others can get together for dinner in NYC or Boston.

@johnpowell Great news for the cats! I think your plan sounds wonderful. Chicago is a great city to visit. The music scene is wonderful, the neighborhoody feel of the various parts of the city is great, the Lake is amazing, and the Museum of History and Industry is not to be missed! The food is good too. You will also love Boston! Come visit us in Washington DC. Your own bedroom! You can contact me through Facebook or I’ll PM you my phone number (So 20th century!; I still have a landline.)

@jca I’m down! Jellies untie!
@johnpowell From a nomad at heart, I’m excited for you. Hope you have fun!

And I’m en route from Boston to DC! Amtrak comes about 40 minutes from my house.

I’ve been looking into this. Amtrak is offering 45 day passes for 18 “segments” for $900. The clock starts upon the day of embarking on the first segment. But what is a segment? Is a segment a fixed ride from one specific city to another, or are they any one ride from any city to another? Like, is a segment completed anytime you change trains, or are they pre-planned such as SF to LA, or LA to Denver? Can one segment be SF to NYC, or does that trip involve four or five segments? It’s pretty confusing.

Any time you get off the train, that’s a segment. From the site:

To travel from Spokane, WA to Portland OR, you could ride the Empire Builder train directly to Portland using one segment or you could ride the Empire Builder train to Seattle (segment 1) and then ride the Amtrak Cascades train from Seattle to Portland (segment 2). Both journeys take you to Portland but use a different number of your allowable segments

Yeah. I also found a couple of blogs. This definition says it much clearer: “A segment is defined as anytime you get on a train and then switch to another.” That’s what I was hoping for.

I called and asked about this. From Seattle to Chicago is around 48 hours on the train. It would only count as one leg. So I don’t think that is a huge concern. And I have a place to crash in NYC and Austin and I could spend a three or four days in each.

Lets see… 18 segments in 12 weeks so if you average 5 days at each spot you’re good. You can figure me for a week or so. You can do laundry, swap clothes and tour the area. Public transportation is not the best but I’m willing to show you around – andI’m sure @Cupcake would be willing if the dates line up.
We have nice beaches Hamlin Beach State Park, Ontario Beach Park are on the south shore of Lake Ontario. It is so huge. It looks like a ocean but is fresh water! And my office is very close if you are curious.

Chicago is amazing. You’ll love it.

Damn, let me know if this dinner happens. I might be up for that.

Shit just got real. I was talking with my sister and she thinks I should take her 15 year old twin daughters with me. At first I thought she was joking but I think she is actually serious.

The thinking is they could take the train with me to Chicago and NYC and Boston and then I would stick them on a plane back to Portland.

I googled out of curiosity for myself too, and found two websites for house sitting. Pretty interesting. You can post your profile and read through opportunities. Many involve taking care of a pet.

http://www.luxuryhousesitting.com/search-house-sitters.php?location=Florida

https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/house-and-pet-sitting-assignments/united-states/florida/

Having two teenage girls in tow does not sound very restful.

It also changes things as far as safety is concerned, staying in safe places, etc.

Is your sister paying for your trip? Their food? Taking teen girls on a trip like that will be more complicated if only because you will have to concern yourself with their well bring obviously.

My suggestion is don’t take the girls.

I don’t think two teenage girls would appreciate hanging around all the neat equipment we have at the hill. You’d like it though. A lot!

Take that trip around the perimeter of the country. I’ve heard it is just great.

Two teenagers? Fuck that noise.

Are you going to agree to that?

I wonder if your sister has really thought that through.

Rent a small motorhome or converted van and go camping across the U.S.

Take a class that has a residence or campus that you can live in over the summer.

My response to:“will you take my two teenage daughters?”
No fucking way.