The End.

Alas, our adventure has come to an end. The bus rolled into Starkville at 4pm Monday, running on waste oil. Having gone approximately 6,500 miles, well over half of which on waste oil, the bus performed like a champion. Days afterward, its still a strange state of shock that any of us feel when we think about what just happened. The things we've seen and done will stay with us for a lifetime, but for now it just seems surreal. On a less sappy note, the rest of this summer has been devoted to perfecting the filtration and collection systems that could stand to be a bit stronger, and no one has even mentioned getting rid of the bus. So, despite the title above, this is by no means the end.

Flat as Kansas...

Well, its come to that point in the journey where there isn't a whole lot to talk about that hasn't been said yet. Words like unbelievable, breathtaking, gorgeous; they still describe the skyline of the Great Plains around us, but everyone on the bus has decided that all good things must end. Our first stop this morning was Denver International Airport where, due to a range of reasons, the bus became three people lighter. Since Denver we have declared that our only stops will be for food, oil, and diesel. At this posting we are approximately eight-hundred miles from home, and we intend on closing that distance as quickly as possible. We are getting warm receptions from people we contact about waste oil, so hopefully our journey back will be a smooth one.

the landscape shifts

i keep trying to write this and i keep getting diverted by this view in front of my face. sometimes one has to pause mid-reach of the camera and retract the arm, saving some of that massive landscape to be drunk just in the moment. yesterday we made good time with no stops for veg oil, only to pick up a uhaul, and went on chooglin'. we pulled through the entire state of oregon and almost all the way through idaho in a day. like a band of modern-day hippies, we are squeezing the soul out of america, milking the land for free.

from portland, we went chooglin' alongside the columbia river gorge, on 84 east towards boise, idaho. as one choogles, the landscape shifts, the rocks get bigger or closer before retreating across the river and the cliffs to the south flatten out. we gradually peel away from the columbia river, entering a more arid landscape that climbs into the foothills of the blue mountains. i am having trouble containing this in words...the geography here is big.

we stopped once in idaho and that was last night to sleep at a rest area. it could have been around 3 am. most were already asleep and the windows were well condensated. when i stepped out onto the wet lawn to find the restroom, the air hung heavy with the smell of cattle. i presume the entire state smells like livestock.

this morning around 9.30 [mountain time now] ryder choogled up the bus before anybody could wake up and realize they had. with that the case, we stopped seven miles down at the lone gas station for the rest of 84 east in idaho. by the next town, we were in utah. snowville, 38 miles away. a brief stop in salt lake city has left the bus with one less passenger and one extra pillow. at the rate we hauled yesterday, the bus could be home in two days flat, but i hope the ride takes another week.

Slide guitar and alpacas...

The rolling hills and snow capped peaks of Utah are a stark contrast to the plush forests of Oregon. Through the night Idaho passed mostly unseen, but now to either side the mountains have us surrounded here in Salt Lake City. Leaving the damp climate of the Northwest seems to be helping the veggie oil system run a bit smoother. Early yesterday a few random pressure jumps and some very steep grades forced us to trust mostly in diesel, but by yesterday evening and almost exclusively today we have racked up almost three-hundred and fifty miles on veggie oil.
Today marks the second full week on the road, and spirits seem to be good, especially since the addition of our new trailer. The bus has slowly become our home and constant companion. Despite sore backs and necks and slightly damp towels there are no comments of longing for a real bed or a decent shower. Even on this last leg of the journey, I believe most of us have discovered that first learning to be on the bus took some getting used to, but leaving it might prove to be just as hard.

Who knew grey skys could be so beautiful...

Thursday, June 3rd, 5:45 PM
Columbia River George, OR

After a late night haul up the 101 from Redwood National Forrest, we found our RV park less than five miles from downtown Portland. Even with all the cities we've been through, Portland's culture seems to speak as loudly as any San Franciso corner. We started the day with an early lunch at a local brewery and walked the streets until dusk. Every pub, store, and coffee shop was as unique as views of the huge iron bridges linking both side of the city. After dark we found our way to the Crystal Ballroom, one of the Northwest's most celebrated music venues, to see the band MGMT.
Up bright and early, spirits high from the excitement of yesterday, we got another pleasant change when we rented a U-Haul trailer and are now traveling on a MUCH less crowded bus. A little bittersweet, we all seemed to realize in unison that we are now over the peak of this journey. Every mile we travel now takes us back closer to the Magnolia State. For now that path takes us through the Columbia River George, some of the most beautiful scenery we've come across, even if the sky is grey.

Whales/6,000 year old Trees

In writing this update, we have stopped on the side of the Oregon 101 to put our feet in the sand and investigate the mountainous rocks that break up the water. We have been skirting coastal towns, and cutting through the oregon forests for about an hour now. Leaving the state of California for its northerly neighbors. Yesterday we arrived into the Jedediah campgrounds around four in the afternoon, set up camp, went to the local Safeway (9 miles away) for dinner provisions and took an easy night amidst the majestic Redwoods. Disappointed from the lack of Bigfoot sightings, freshly laundered and showered, we headed out to run around in the primeval forests. We pulled over and climbed through ferns and traversed fallen trees to get to a river, in which the boys tested out the temperatures, Cole forgot his knapsack, and we met a ranger twice in order to turn the bus around and get back on the 101.
And that gets us back to present time, Oregon. Coastal Oregon, land of neverending trees, impressive bridges, mountains, misty beaches etc. Too much for this updater to describe, and be able to give it the praise it requires. Poetic and Romantic are two words that come to mind - you should see it for yourself. Trucking onward to Portland, hugged by ice blue waves on the left and tree consumed wilderness to the right, crossing toes and fingers that we spot a whale.

Truckin' On

We finally made it to San Francisco! What an amazing city! We had a long day of hiking up hills that seemed almost vertical and catching the trolley Full House style. We smelled our way through the fragrance section of the botanical gardens, walked the Golden Gate Bridge and down Lombard Street, ventured into the hectic markets of Chinatown, browsed City Lights, and had a drink in the same spot as Kerouac! Absolutely unforgettable. AND THE FOOD! Within the first thirty minutes of getting off the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), we were already munching on locally grown sausage egg and cheese muffins, some of the best pesto and artichoke pizza, and spicy Thai food. Later that afternoon in Chinatown, Louis bought a pork rind that could have made a football, just to have onlookers grimace as he crunched away. We left Chinatown full of Chinese food, bubble tea, and Louis's eerily accurate fortune "Something on four wheels will soon be a fun investment for you!" Lila (Ryder's sister) then took us to one of San Fran's untapped views. She kept our destination a mystery as we walked through the posh Westin St. Francis Hotel lobby and into the elevators. UP we went to the 31st floor where we were greeted with an amazing view of the city. Tired from a long day of adventure, we made our way back to cozy Oakland and indulged in some of the unique flavors of Tara's organic ice cream( Rosemary pear, sage, white pepper chocolate chip!)

Yesterday, when trying to leave the beautiful city of Oakland, Cassandre noticed a problem with the trailer. The truss of the trailer had cracked and needed to be repaired. The boys rushed off to buy a welding kit and weld the trailer truss back together so that we could leave for the Redwood Forest. Many hours later, with our trailer fixed and our belly's full we headed out of the city. Unfortunately, minutes later, the weld-fix cracked and we were back to square one. Goodbye trailer!

Now we are chooglin' up the 101 in a sea of redwoods with spirits hopeful. Tonight we will be exploring northern Cali, a place few of us have experienced.

The sea was red and the sky was grey...

Friday, May 28th
Bakerfield, CA

We made it all the way across NM and AZ running on veggie oil, and had just enough to take us over the border into California and Joshua Tree National Park. Even after seeing the overwhelming scenery of the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree's rock formations and stunning desert views are breathtaking. Despite a higher demand and more awareness here in California, we have still been able to get vegetable oil fairly easily. We filled up just outside Joshua Tree and made it to Pasadena, CA to visit with Cal-Tech students who were sympathetic to our cause. Thanks to the Rickett residential house everyone got to spend a fun night exploring the beautiful campus and meeting people very interested to hear our story. Just outside of Los Angeles we were once again relieved to find two nice business owners who let us fill our veggie oil tanks, and now we are travelling north less than two-hundred and fifty miles from San Francisco, CA.

The Trip So Far

May 24, 2010
3:17 pm
Middle of Nowhere, New Mexico


We're running on vegetable oil for the second day now. Yesterday we drove from Austin, TX to Clovis, NM. Austin was amazing! We drove into the city early in the morning on Saturday. We spent most of the day walking around Austin, seeing the sights. At dusk, we walked down to the bridge where the famous bats fly out at sunset. We were patiently waiting for the much anticipated flight of the bats, along with several hundred other people, when we were abrubtly informed that there would be no bats on account of it being mating season and all. Disappointingly, we wandered around downtown Austin and were soon overtaken by the beauty of the city. The next morning we swam in Barton Springs, a natural spring fed pool in the heart of Austin. We also filled the tank full of vegetable and made it all the way across Texas ENTIRELY ON VEGGIE OIL!! We stopped at a truck stop in Clovis, NM for the night.

This morning we woke up and we're once again on the search for more fuel. The idea of running on waste and actually doing it are two different things. Now that we are "on the veg" it's hard to imagine doing it any other way. People are constantly interested in the bus and what we are doing. We have received a lot of support everywhere we go. We filled up today at Taco Villa in Clovis and all of the employees were so kind. The manager, John, was thoroughly impressed with our bus and he gave us enough oil to make it all the way across New Mexico.

So here we are, traveling in the desert, snow capped mountains in the distance and all the while we are running ENTIRELY ON VEGGIE OIL! Next stop: Grand Canyon.

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May 26, 2010
Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon was absolutely breathtaking. It was honestly indescribable. We hiked down a couple miles and watched the sunset on the way up. The canyon really put some perspective into all of us. You realize how small you actually are in comparison.

Now we are once again on the chase for more veggie oil!

Heading to: Joshua Tree
Goal: Completely on the veg

We are proud to announce...

Not only, after welding went on well into the night, did the bus pass her most challenging task to date, making it almost two hundred miles on a newly converted engine, but also was tracked via GPS the entire way thanks to the generous support of the folks at Optigro.net. The system will allow anyone with an internet connection to view in real time where the bus is and where it's headed. Also thanks to Optigro, the bus is now a rolling 3G hotspot, so we'll be able to update this blog as things happen. She now sits in Starkville, receiving a few last minute cosmetic touches, before 6 A.M. May 21st.

To login to Optigro, follow the link above and enter with:

Username: followus@msstate.edu

Password: bulldog

Once logged in, search on the map for the asset named Bulldog.

Only a week to go...

Time seems to be flying by and the departure date is getting close; in one week the bus will hit the road. As mentioned earlier, all eyes are under the hood. With the help of a very gracious volunteer welder the bus has been fitted with a new fuel tank better suited to hold waste oil, pump, and heating element. The last piece to the puzzle will be mounting brackets to hold the waste oil filter in place, which should arrive today. The entire fuel system should be complete by Sunday, when the bus will take her first converted test run from Moss Point, MS to Starkville, MS. Wish her luck and stay tuned!

More pictures of the entire process can be seen here http://s999.photobucket.com/home/amazingbustrip/index

Only twenty days until liftoff..

The finishing touches are being put on the interior, and the wiring is done. Right now, the fuel conversion process is at the forefront. Refitting a diesel engine to handle waste oil is a matter of replacing the fuel pump to handle different a viscosity, installing a heating element to keep the oil flowing, and keeping contaminants out of the oil. So far about half of the physical conversion is done, and the final decisions are being made about the best fuel lines and heating element to ensure reliability depending on the quality of the oil we can expect to find out on the road.

As soon as the engine is in working order, more detailed pictures will be posted showing exactly what we had to do. Stay tuned!

It begins...

The interior conversion of the school bus is well underway. Bunk beds were added first, followed by a futon and a few tables. Though it already seems vastly different what we all know and recognize as a school bus, this is just the beginning. Next, a roof mounted air conditioning unit required that the interior be wired at 110 V, drawing power from the vehicle's charging system.

Over the next few weeks, every aspect of the conversion will be detailed here, from the remaining interior work to the actual conversion of the fuel system and engine modifications. Then you the reader will come along with us as we set sail on our eco-responsible cross country adventure.

W(e)VOW

W(e)Vow

What is our vow? To have fun, to see the country, and to do it in a way that won't make a negative impact on our environment, so that others after us can take the same vow. We are group of eleven friends on a cross-country adventure to spread our message of environmental stewardship, energy security and alternative energy, all on a school bus we bought and converted ourselves to run on waste vegetable oil.

This is our story. On March 14, 2010, two of our group traveled to Dunn, North Carolina to purchase a school bus for $2,500. What began as simply dividing the cost ten ways blossomed into so much more.

We got the bus to Starkville after a solid 13 hours of driving and the next day, began removing seats and repositioning a few to make room for our conversion.