Mike Breiding's Epic Road Trips: 2024

Betsy's Greyhound Adventure
12 October 2024

As you may or may not recall, Betsy was originally going to fly out of Pittsburgh to Fort Wayne, visit with her sister, and then on to Tucson. The plan was for me to drop her off at Pitt, return home, and fly out on November 2nd.
Between the time she bought her ticket to Fort Wayne and the time of her departure, her nephew Scott from Laramie, Wyoming, took a job in Columbus and had moved there. We seldom get to see him, and it had been years since we visited.
I suggested to Betsy that she cancel her flight from Pittsburgh to Fort Wayne, and then we could drive to Columbus to visit her nephew, staying overnight and then driving up to her sister's in Fort Wayne the following day.

The plan was for both of us to spend that first night in Fort Wayne with her sister and brother-in-law, and then the next night I would stay with our Tucson friends there in Fort Wayne before heading back to Morgantown. We had all planned on cycling together, and I was looking forward to that.
After several weeks, I felt like my lung malady was not getting much better, and I decided to cancel my visit with our Tucson friends in Fort Wayne. I was sure I was not going to be able to do much more than sit around their house, so the visit seemed pointless as I would see them when I got to Tucson in November.

As the departure time for Columbus drew closer and I was feeling worse and worse, I finally told Betsy we should cancel the trip to Columbus to see her nephew and I would just drive her straight to Fort Wayne, stay overnight, and then come back the next day.

She knew I was feeling poorly, and so did I, and I came close to suggesting that she just take the Greyhound bus from Wheeling to Fort Wayne, but I didn't have the heart to suggest this because it's not a very fun trip. Betsy is no Greyhound virgin having made this trip before. She knew what was in store for her.
Of course my darling Betsy suggested she take the Greyhound, and I reluctantly agreed.

So on Saturday we drove to Wheeling to the Greyhound bus station, which is not really a bus station but just a place with some benches on the sidewalk out in the open.
It is also a county bus stop, and there was constant bus traffic in and out, and at one point we sat there with five buses noisily idling and spewing out diesel fumes while we waited for the Greyhound.

At one point a fella who looked to be in his 60s got off one of the county buses carrying what I have heard referred to as "matching Puerto Rican luggage" —his "suitcases" were two garbage bags.

The time for the Greyhound bus came and went, and Betsy got a text that the bus was going to be an hour late arriving in Wheeling.
She then got another text saying it was unlikely she could make her connection to Fort Wayne at the bus terminal in Columbus. This meant that she would have to spend the night at the bus terminal in Columbus. Ugh.
Betsy told me there was no point in my waiting until the bus got there, so we said our farewells and I asked her to text me when the Greyhound arrived.

The bus finally arrived in Wheeling, and the driver told everyone that he would put the pedal to the metal in the hopes of them making their connections in Fort Wayne, but he said it was unlikely that that would happen unless the bus there was late as well. I got a text when Betsy boarded the Wheeling bus and anxiously awaited news about her arrival in Columbus.

Several hours later I then got a text saying "I made it!" and the bus driver got her luggage off first so she would make her connection to Fort Wayne.
Whew! A close call...

A defunct gas station serves as the new location for the Greyhound bus station on the west side of Columbus. Source: © Columbus Dispatch

I should mention this: Betsy did not realize until she arrived in Columbus the bus was not going to the main station, but the "new and improved" station on the west side of Columbus. If she missed the bus to Fort Wayne, what would she have done - spend the night in the terminal? The obvious thing would be to call her nephew, who lived about an hour away, to come and pick her up. Fortunately, it did not come to that.
However, if Betsy had ended up staying overnight at the station she might have had some company.

A Greyhound passenger takes a nap while waiting for his bus.
Source: © Columbus Dispatch

Betsy arrived at the Greyhound bus station in Fort Wayne at the appointed time, where sister Charlotte and brother-in-law Joe picked her up. After visiting Char and Joe for a few days, they took Betsy to the airport, and she arrived in Tucson without incident on October 16th.

Now it was my turn. After driving back and forth to Tucson from both Wheeling and Morgantown more times than I can remember, I decided to give flying a try. I was able to get a ticket for $215.00. I estimated the gasoline alone for the trip would have been $375.00.
I hate flying. I hate everything about it. I admit it, I am a control freak, and from the minute you buy a ticket, you are no longer are in control. I hate the noisy, confined cabins; I hate the close proximity to other people; I hate the noisy, busy airports. I hate it all. But, I have to admit, arriving in Tucson the same day I departed would be something I wouldn't hate.

My departure day started early. I was up at 4:00am, and after my usual morning routine, I started getting things ready for the arrival of Tombstone Tommy. Tom graciously agreed to help me winterize the house and drive me to the airport. Everyone should have a friend like Tom. If they did, we would all be a lot happier.

We arrived at the Pittsburgh airport in plenty of time. Tom and I said our farewells, and since I only had carry-ons, I headed straight to security. It was less busy than I expected, and I breezed through in about 15 minutes.

My connection at O'Hare was close but not tight, and according to my boarding pass, my connection was at the same concourse where I disembarked. Or so I thought. When I found the gate, there was no activity at the check-in station and only a few people seated in the area. Something ain't right here. Gate change! After walking for what seemed like a mile, I arrived at the departure gate to find boarding had already started. I grabbed a seat and waited for my group to be called. And I waited and waited and waited. Finally, the dreaded announcement. There were engine problems with our plane, and mechanics had been dispatched to take a look. To make a long story less long, it was announced we would be flying out of another gate on a different plane. Finally, after a three-hour delay, we were in the air. When we arrived in Tucson, I was greeted by this vision of lovelyness.

It was funny; I saw Betsy as I came down the escalator, and she showed no sign of recognition. Finally, when I was just a few feet away, I called out her name. My mask was the culprit, and when that came off, she came close, and we enjoyed a loving embrace I did not want to end.

I had no luggage to collect, so we went straight out to the car, where I found a small cooler with beer and snacks. Such a thoughtful wife have I.

Soon it was the end of a long day, and I finally got to bed at about 11:00 eastern time.
My first day in Tucson could not have been better. A lazy morning with Betsy and on and off rain all day.  By the end of the day, there had been .50" of rain in the Tucson basin and about 3" of snow in the mountains. A perfect start to my winter stay in Tucson.

 

See you next time...

 

Back to TOP