The general idea is that we meet up in my hometown and hitchhike to North Carolina where we camp out for 4 or 5 nights. The trip is more about camping and playing at the waterfalls than hitchhiking. Be prepared for lots of physical activity, swift water, no electricity, and pooping in the woods. (enough disclaimers?)
We will meet in Van, Texas on June 3rd around around 5PM for a BBQ and Gym night. The race starts at 830AM, June 4th.
Ideally, each team is made up of 2 guys and 1 girl, with each team having at least one experienced hitchhiker.
You do not need a team to come, we will pick those the night before the race.
100% of your transaction (even CC fees) will go towards the community funds that will cover food, a support vehicle, & camping supplies.
Its easier to say what i wont provide! Let me know if you have any questions about this after viewing the yearbook from last year. Also, I have a packing list I can send you via email if you need it.
no real requirements. You should pack your own camping gear and you will carry it to the falls yourself.
Its called the hitch hiking race, but its more about hanging out at the falls. Make sure you enjoy outdoor activities and being a strong swimmer helps.
This trip is limited to 30 people and will sell out. I will only accept reservations from people i’ve talked with on the phone prior to booking. Please message me first if you are interested in going.
The trip is non-refundable.
Although I was initially tentative about hitchhiking, Aaron did a great job of explaining all of the etiquette associated with it, as well what to look for to ensure safe and effective rides. We ended up meeting a ton of interesting people and I had so much fun. The experience really entails a roller coaster of emotion, but Aaron’s fervor made the whole trip stress free. Really worth trying!
Taking a hitchhiking trip with Aaron completely changed how I thought about world travel. A $50 bus ticket will get you a few hundred miles. Investing that in knowledge with Aaron landed me 2,700 miles, and up to that point, the best trip of my life. After learning how to get rides quickly, and most importantly, which rides NOT to take, I was able to travel without fear, from Texas to Toronto, back down through the east coast, and everything in between.
More than just teaching you how to get rides, Aaron will teach you what to do when the fish aren’t biting, and you have to make an impromptu layover in some unfamiliar terrain about a thousand miles from home. That’s when you realize the world isn’t some dark and scary place. More than anything else, it’s full of bright and kind and generous people. If it takes a little bit of cash to learn that, I haven’t found a better investment.
With this experience under your belt, you will never feel trapped in a life you are unhappy with. The open road is always out there, ready to take care of you, if you are ready to take that first step.
Aaron is a busy guy! Between teaching, traveling the world, finding new and exciting ways to earn a bit of extra cash, hitchhiking and many other various outdoor activites he finds time to provide awesome and unique tours. Me, my wife and a few friends went on the full moon island tour. Aaron paddled us and about 20 other people each way!!! It was a great time! Now I need to do his scooter tour!
I only date Aaron for the adventure—caving, kayaking, cliff jumping, tandem biking, moped riding, rock hopping, hitchhiking, frisbee golfing, camping, night hiking, glow-in-the-dark ultimate frisbee, bonfires, sliding down waterfalls, unicycle football—everyone knows these are essential elements of any successful relationship.
I have known Aaron all his life and am still being amazed at his creativity and ability to see what others do not. He can take you places you’ve never been while doing so safely and thriftily. He truly finds joy in life. You will find joy and adventure with Aaron.
I’ve been friends with Aaron for a couple of years and he is easily the most active, adventure-seeking person I know. Aaron is the poster boy for a GuideHop guide: he’s passionate about the activities he guides, he’s an excellent instructor and experienced guide, and he’s just a good, down-to-earth guy that loves meeting new people and showing them his city. I highly recommend you go on one of Aaron’s (very unique and fun!) activities.
Aaron is a very energetic and extraverted person. he is able to talk or communicate with any nationality from around the world (just look at the pictures). He is always looking for adventure wherever he goes, or plans on going, to include getting there with spending as little a possible while doing it. He is responsible, and knows the limits (whatever they may be). You will be amazed at the things he can find to do when you think there is nothing going on around you. If you are looking for adventure, then you have found your match. Just remember, be careful what you ask for. Aaron will take you to the limit and you will enjoy it for a lifetime.
Aaron is a founding member of Guidehop and its first guide. He is an expert on Austin’s outdoor offerings and is willing to give you the keys to his city. He finds adventure in places where others see none, and can discover more about an area’s outdoors in a single week than others find in a lifetime. Aaron is a seasoned world traveler who has been to over 30 countries, mostly via hitchhiking and other forms of ultra-cheap travel. He is passionate about sharing his way of life and bringing people along with him, whether through organizing a massive hitchhiking race from Texas to North Carolina, hosting an island camp out, or convincing his friends to start a scooter gang. Aaron holds the record for the longest field goal ever in the Unicycle Football League where he is a two-time national champion with his team the Hot Dogs. When he’s not traveling, Aaron can be found playing ping pong and teaching Speech at a local high school.
I have hitchhiked for 10 years now in more than 30 countries.
I have guided this exact trip 6 other times and won the race 3 of those times.
Search “aaron bell hitchhiking” and you’ll find a few articles on my travels, including a guide to hitchhiking.
Search for ” the great hitch hiking race 6 blurb” and you’ll find an ebook “yearbook” from last years race.
English (Fluent)
