Green Tortoise Adventure Travel

As we get ready to leave on our Green Tortoise trip it occurs to me that not all my friends and family are familiar with the Green Tortoise Adventure travel program. For those of you who are not, here is a brief history and description.

It started out with a stripped down old school bus that carried passengers between San Francisco and Seattle back during the hippie era. Since there were no seats, travelers were able to just throw their packs on board and find a place on the floor to sleep. In the 70's Green Tortoise began to offer cross country trips with some camping and sightseeing along the way. Gradually they added more trips and better buses until now there are many choices. (Check out their website for the many trips available.)One thing remains the same though. While there are some benches and tables on the bus, sleeping arrangements are still as follows; pick a spot, throw your sleeping bag down on the provided pads, and spend the night.

There are regular rest stops along the way as there are no bathroom facilities on the bus. (Well, there are. But they are not available for use.) Some night time rest stops may consist of pulling over to the side of a country road with the men going one direction and the women another. Hot showers are rare. Actually, showers are rare.

Meals are a community project with all pitching in to set up, peel, slice, stir fry, clean up, etc. The food is mostly vegetarian! Healthy stuff! Not my usual diet! But very enjoyable.

Participants may come from every corner of the world, every walk of life, old or young, etc. However, with all the differences, there is one common thread, a willingness to give up some comforts to experience a real travel adventure. There are five members of our travel group, Frank, Carol, Joan, Les, and myself. Some of you would have liked to come with us but were unable to get away at this time (or so you said!) Others among you listened to a description of the trip with eyes glazing over and then politely, but firmly, turned it down. That's okay! It really is not for everyone and I still love you even if you did not want to come.

This trip, The Gold Coast Loop, consists of 15 days, evenly divided between sleeping on the bus, pitching a tent and camping on the beach, and staying in town at a small hotel (Shower Time!!) Activities on this particular trip include whale watching, kayaking, snorkeling, riding a mule, crossing to mainland Mexico on a ferry, riding the Copper Canyon train, and an excursion into the canyon from the town of Creel. All these are optional except for the ferry ride. Those who are interested will also be able to eat fish tacos and drink margaritas at various stops along the way. Count me as one of those interested!

Next on the agenda is packing for the trip.