Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Back in the 70s I used to hitchhike to Amherst to visit my girlfriend at UMass. I go up there every weekend and it was always an adventure coming. The story is about hitchhiking back in the day.

“Hitchhiking from the bus stop to Sandy Beach at the Mystic Lakes. And we were all 11-13 years old. More locally, hitchhiking to Davis Sq. to save the bus fare.”

“The first time and the last that I hitchhiked was with my friend Linda we went to Revere Beach in the 60s lol.”

“The Lakes all the time. Hampton on occasion. Then the year after we couldn’t play Connie Mack Ball anymore my friend and I thumbed to Albany NY to watch Somerville play in the tournament there.”

“Somerville to Lynn. We would call it Nahant the Bath House. Great Times!”

“I actually met who is now my wife in Davis square she and her friend were hitchhiking. Funny how things happen.”

“Hitchhiked everywhere! Had some scary situations! Then … when I got my license and a car, I would pick up hitchhikers. Had some scary situations! YIKES!“

“Bob M and I hitchhiked up to Montreal, across to Vancouver, down to LA, then back to Boston, straight out of graduating SHS in ‘72, at the tail end of the hitchhiking era.”