My big southern trip summary

I have driven through 10 states over the course of exactly one month. I have met more decent people than I have encountered in all the rest of my life put together. I used 172 gallons of gas and saw my odometer change from 45,137 to 48,198 (3,061 miles!). I painted on 4 buses, sold many many t-shirts and had to break out my cooking implements only twice. I also lined up 10 more buses to paint. I came home with honey from Salem, VA, a jar of habanero Peach jelly from Roan Mountain, TN and a jar of sunshine from North Charleston, SC. My bus is now outfitted with a correct late bay clock, super comfortable vanagon captains chairs, camper windows (w/ knobs, screens and inner rubber seals!), the desireable and uncommon late bay jump seat/ storage bin that sits between the front seats, a proper rear mattress for over the engine and the cabinet that fits neatly behind the rear seat. ...and some new stickers!

On the downside, I managed to crack my engine case and spent a lot of $$ on oil to get my bus back home... and now I must spend more $$$ on a new engine case and the time it will take to switch all my good engine components over. But that said, all in all a wonderfully memorable trip that I will be reliving over and over again due to all the business this adventure landed me.


...now onto the pictures!

Mark's Shop, Salem, VA


Mark took me to see the city, here he is looking over Roanoke and Salem, VA.


Here is my reason for visiting mark. I painted him a new sign for his shop!


The Nolichucky River... this is the river of Buses on the River (BOtheR)


Garry DeSpain is the real Santa (on vacation, mind you!)


A small tattoo for TNJed and Turtle's bus


Disco Breakfast Video!


After leaving Ric's house in TN see previous post), I had to drive over the Appalachian Mountains.


In coastal SC, they have these magnificent trees called Live Oaks. They are massive! This one is probably the oldest living organism east of the Mississippi and is estimated to be over 1500 years old! It is called the Angel Oak and can be found on John's Island.


Folly Beach, SC.


Here is Snoopy... as a pig! Piggly Wiggly, that is!


Snoopy's Wanderlust Bus (Paintedbus # 8)





Snoopy's neighbors were intrigued by my paintjob! Here are three of us, Me, Calvin (i believe) and Snoopy.


Jamie's pop-top canvas in Arden, NC... just south of Asheville!





Over the mountains and just about to enter TN... looking back towards Asheville (and the nice (albeit brief) lunch I had with Jill Tamilla.


Just into TN and the clouds were hanging around me in the mountains... BEAUTIFUL!



In PA, there was massive flooding. The water over took I-81 northbound, so I went on a scenic drive though the countryside. It was just before this that I noticed the massive crack in my engine case. I ended up repairing it with some JB weld and many quarts of oil. By the time it evened out, I was going through a quart every 100 miles. The back end of my bus was COVERED in oil spots... still is. :/


Back in MA, I figured the bus wasn't getting much worse, so Jessica and I took a trip to Provincetown, MA to witness our friends Katie and Courtney get married. I must have brought the nice weather with me since it has been gorgeous weather ever since I returned home. Here is Jessica sitting on Marconi Beach, mid cape. We were watching seals feast on some unwilling fish just off shore.


oh, and HUMPBACK WHALES!


And here is jessica being hanging out in my newly outfitted bus. This was a good way to spend our 2nd anniversary!