The Voyage Home

Up after a good nights rest.  Milled around for a while before going to the lobby for the free breakfast.  It was great and had lots of choices including, but not limited to biscuits, sausage, eggs, gravy.

Checkout at eleven so I hung around until then because of having my backpack to deal with.  My departure was at 14:45 so I had time on my hands with nothing to do but wait so I went on over to the bus station and rescheduled my ticket for today.  Bus stations are really boring places to kill time!

Finally depart on schedule heading for Knoxville where I change buses after about an hour layover!  Heading for Atlanta after dark and in the rain.  A new thing now is that commercial buses have to pull into the weigh stations along the interstates.  After doing so we also got a free safety inspection, courtesy of Tenn. Dept of Transportation and Highway Patrol.  Forty five minutes later we were again on our way to Atlanta and arrived at near midnight, in the rain.

After off loading and retrieving my backpack from under the bus, I inquired about MARTA's (Metro Area Rapid Transit Authority) location and fortunately it was in the same terminal, just around the corner.  No hiking in the rain at midnight!

I have to buy a Breeze Pass to board the train.  That in and of itself is an experience to endure.  When I arrived in Atlanta to start my hike, I found a window with a live person at the airport terminal and bought a single ride pass from the airport to North Springs, the northern most point on this same "red" line.  However, near midnight at a remote terminal, there are no live persons to be seen for assistance.  While trying to interpret the vending machine for the pass a young man showed up and offered assistance.  I thought he was just being kind and helping out a confused old man but then he asked for help as he did not have the where with all to add a ride to his empty breeze card and make his way home.  So, another $2.50 (from me) and we are we are both inside the terminal waiting for a south bound train!  I think he earned it, I could have been there a while trying to figure out that system!

Its too late to get a room, and midnight arrival at the airport meant that I still had seven hours to kill.  Nothing is more boring that a large airport at midnight!  Not even a Gray Hound bus station. At least there you can see some interesting people!  I know there is no way I'm going to sleep, so I just try to get a little rest.