Here's my problem. Arlo is doing shows in Feb at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA, Charlottesville, VA and the 2 shows in Hampton, VA. With Mike being passed on I have lost my concert going buddy. My friend Debbie is going with me to the Charlottesville show. My mom is willing to go to Hampton with me, altho I think I could drive that far alone okay. We'll leave my dad in the motel room while we're gone to the shows. No probs for those 3 shows.

Well my mom doesn't want to go with me to the Birchmere show as she's not too keen on going up near DC these days at her age. I don't want to drive alone to the DC area with all that traffic. I don't mind it with someone else with me but alone would not be easy.

Is there anyone coming from the Richmond area that I could hitch a ride to the show with? If not is there anyone in VA along the way between Richmond and Alexandria that I could hitch a ride with? I could meet you at your house and also help with gas if needed. Thanks folks...

If I lived in Virginia I would give you a ride. Since I live in Connecticut that would be as least 400 miles away. I know, if you see Arlo's bus halfway on the interstate jump on the bus, climb up to the roof and pose as a canoe.

Thanks for the support! Hey Arlo can I hitch a ride? I mean you gotta be there too so. Jest kiddin lol...

Cheryl, Texas is also too far, or we'd take you. Have you thought about taking an Amtrak train? Maybe someone could give you a lift to/from the station. Just a thought. (Plus, it always makes John C. and Regina happy when we take trains.)

Ceashel, Amtrak only serves a handful of towns in Virginia, and Pixley isn't one of them. Unless she's near Petersburg or Lynchburg, she can forget about Amtrak.


mikey

Yah, I know, Mikey. I was just thinking ... if Cheryl is an hour south of Richmond, she's roughly half an hour from Petersburg, so driving to that station would be easier than driving to Hampton. Just thinking ... I hate for anyone, but especially Cheryl H., to miss a gig they want to go to.

Thanks for the info folks. I oughta check into that cuz the I am right next to Petersburg almost now. I was only 20 mins from there when I lived with Mike. I'd have to take a taxi from the train station to the Birchmere tho. Hope the train and the taxis there aren't high. I've never been on a train before so that would be fun...

Looked up the train and that won't work. It maybe only $25 but the station is not open all night and the train back home won't leave until the next morning at 10 something am. I would want to leave after Arlo and all the concert goers are gone (when they all leave) and go on home. With that kind of schedule I'd be stuck in Alexandria all night and nowhere to go hang around until the train left the next day. And I don't want to spend the nite overnite either. Yikes. I looked up the bus and the bus from Petersburg does not go to Alexandria. Yuck. Sigh...

Cheryl, I'm going from DC, with friends from DC, who are the ones with the cars, and we all get lost in VA, so I'm not much help either. Best I can suggest is:

If you're up for driving as far as the Huntington or Franconia Metro stations (the southernmost Metro stations in VA), you could park at either of those stations, take the Metro to the Pentagon City station, and then take a taxi or bus to the Birchmere. Go to http://www.wmata.com/rail/stations.cfm for specific information on where the various stations are. The Birchmere concert is a Friday night, so Metro should be open till 3 AM.

Finally, if you're on Facebook, and you haven't already, you might want to post the same request on Arlo's Facebook page -- more people might see it there. Because, even I (who walk and public transit everywhere) think the Birchmere is a pain to get to without a car. I admire your dedication, though.

Thanks for the info. I wonder if the Metro goes to Fredericksburg, VA. If so that would be more doable. I', trying to avoid all that DC traffic and getting lost...

Here's a map for driving from Fredericksburg to the closest metro station--as Eileen said, the Franconia-Springfield station:

Richmond to Franconia-Springfield Station

It looks to me like you wouldn't be getting into the city traffic, but someone who lives there would know more than this Texas gal knows about that.

This may be too much--it would be a long drive home at night. But it's good to know your options.

Cheryl -- Unfortunately, Metro doesn't go to Fredericksburg. VRE does (the Virginia commuter rail -- http://www.vre.org/service/schedule.htm), and you would be able to get to Alexandria on Friday that way; the problem is that it only runs M-F, so you'd have to wait till Monday for a train back.

I wonder, if you left earlier in the day, would you avoid the traffic coming up? (I'm guessing there won't be much going back. Being a DC girl and non-driver, though, I probably know even less than Ceashel about VA traffic) You could hang out in Old Town Alexandria, or at Pentagon City Mall, go to a movie, sit around the Birchmere...there's plenty of stuff to do within a few miles of the Birchmere. Just a thought.

[As to getting lost -- I find that, when going to Virginia, one must just accept that it will be an existential experience. Getting lost is part of the process. Just don't panic and do realize that you will be a better person in the end for having navigated your way through it.]

Eileen

Where's the friggin' blundercopter when you need it!?

Thanks for the info ya'll. The problem is I have gotten lost up there before and that was with Mike riding with me. Local there esp ones of foreign descent will give you wrong directions cuz they don't know where anything is other than their home. I know my mom wouldn't want me driving in all that traffic up there by myself and the problem is I'm afraid I might miss my turn or something and get lost and no on is with me to help me get turned around. He needs to come to Richmond instead. It's much for closer lol...

What you need is a GPS system...get a Garmin or a Tom-Tom. It will tell you which way to turn.