Bus Stop
| Bus Stop | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Location |
| Address | Bus Stop |
| Open Hours | 10am to 5pm |
The Bus Stop is where a save begins. The farmer steps off the bus here on the first morning, and the map stays the main corridor between the Farm to the west and Pelican Town to the east for the rest of the game. The bus itself breaks down on arrival and sits dead until the Vault bundles are paid off or the repair is bought from the Joja Community Development Form, at which point Pam starts driving and the Calico Desert opens up. A minecart in the northwest corner is broken too, and fixing it links the Bus Stop to the Mines, the Quarry and the town. Between the two repairs this little map turns from a footpath into the valley's transport hub.
Area
The road runs straight through, west to east. Following it west leads to the lower half of the Backwoods and on to The Tunnel, which is also where Linus loses his basket in the fall. Following it east is impossible: Pelican Town is reached by the path rather than the road.
The minecart sits in the northwest corner. Completing the Boiler Room bundles has the Junimos repair it, and from then on it runs to the Mines, to the stretch of town beside the Blacksmith, and to the Quarry. That turns a long walk up the mountain into a few seconds, and it is the single biggest time saving available early in a save.
Foraging
The verges here are generous. Spring gives Daffodils, Dandelions and Leeks, summer brings Sweet Peas, Spice Berries and Grapes, fall is heavy with Wild Plums and Hazelnuts, and winter leaves Crocuses, Holly and Crystal Fruit on the grass. Spring is the richest of the four, which lines up neatly with the Spring Foraging bundle in the Crafts Room wanting a Daffodil, a Dandelion and a Leek.
Artifact spots are worth the detour as well. The Bus Stop is a reliable place to dig up the Prehistoric Handaxe, the Prehistoric Tool, the Prehistoric Vertebra, an Ancient Doll, an Arrowhead and an Ancient Drum, and it is one of the few maps where both coloured Strange Dolls can surface. Clay and Lost Books come up far more often than any of those. Spots are uncommon for three seasons and then appear all over the map in winter, so a cold afternoon with a hoe here fills Museum slots faster than anywhere nearby.
Notes
Pam opens the ticket machine when she arrives mid-morning and closes it when she leaves at five, and the fare covers the ride back from the desert as well. A farmer in a hurry can cheat her timetable: standing in Pam's way outside her trailer at half past eight makes her walk through the farmer and then move much faster, so she reaches the stop an hour early.
On days when Pam cannot work, she leaves a sign on the bus explaining herself and inviting the farmer to drive it instead. That covers her clinic appointment on Spring 25 and her holiday at the Ginger Island resort, and the fare is still charged. Warping to the desert and then taking the bus home puts the farmer behind the wheel too, whether Pam is standing there or not.
Leaving a horse at the stop is safe. Coming back from the desert brings a line about the horse waiting patiently, or wondering where the farmer has been, which is the game's way of confirming the horse stayed exactly where it was left.
All Locations
Every entry in this group, with its key details.
