in closing

So the trip is over......long over and a few people didn't get the closure they needed so here it is.

We bought a bus and ripped out the seats..


Installed:
4 beds
cabinets.
a sink
couch
table
an airhorn
underbody storage compartment
110V shore power system
frig
roof vents
oven and range
stereo system
entertainment center
bathroom
converted it to run on grease
had it retitled as an RV


We then left Raleigh on Sunday, June 17th, 2007 at around 2:00 PM.

Our Path:

Floated a river in Austin, TX

Descended deep into the earth at Carlsbad Caverns, NM

Hiked to Phantom Ranch in The Grand Canyon

Played the Horsey Game in Las Vegas

Picked up Dad in LA, exited LA as quickly as possible

Drove the Coastal No. 1 for a few miles

Worshipped with Imago Dei in Portland, OR

Hung w/ the Andersons in Cannon Beach, OR

Stayed w/ Pat for the 4th in Seattle, WA

Tasted a few beers in Fort Collins, CO

Harvested the last 120 gallons in one sitting from a Wendy's somewhere in Kansas(never filled up again)

Then we kicked it home at the breakneck speed of 54 mph. In all, we drove 8000 miles, burned 900 gallons of grease and about 100 gallons of Diesel. We were turned down twice and granted free reign on at least 20 grease dumpsters. Several times I've been asked why we did this. The answer: To see if we could....and to have fun. We did both. The bus has now been sold and we wish the best of luck to it's new owner. I pray the great mechanic is forever by the side of the Leaky Blue Balls of Long Don Johnson.

Thanks to all who joined with us on this journey. I'm very flattered that you have read along.

So long,
alan

The Alan Wilser Stamp of Approval

What a beautiful state is Colorado…..or perhaps it was just such a welcomed relief from Southern Wyoming. We sort of traveled on a plateau throughout most of Wyoming and escaped the "Non Don Friendly" roads before traveling down the East side of the mountains admiring Colorado’s piece of the Rocky Mountain pie.

Shaggy’s Aunt and Uncle took great care of us with food, showers, and 37’-4” of curb space. We certainly appreciate all that. The divine side of things found us in Denver as we had begun to leak gear oil from our right axle really badly. This would have been a mess to fix and would have required some special tools that we didn’t have and really didn’t want to purchase. As it turns out; Shaggy’s cousin lived only a few blocks down the street from his parents where we were staying and he happens to work on heavy trucks with CATERPILLAR. Not to mention he has a fully stocked garage and it was Saturday heading into Sunday morning. This would make the discovery of an open and 'not busy' truck shop extremely hard to find. We drove about ½ mile down the street and home boy had us fixed up in an hour. It was a pretty sweet deal and too timely for coincidence if you ask me.

God forsaken

I am thoroughly unimpressed with Southern Wyoming. No one should ever go to this part of the state. Let’s move on quickly as any further talk of this place is sure to depress me.

Regretfully,
alan

Seattle, WA

This was my 4th time in Seattle and it has yet to disappoint. My boy Pat and his wife Paige were excellent hosts and made all the Grease Pirates feel welcome despite the 12 square feet of bathroom space split amongst 9 people. I finally made it to the top of the Columbia building which is the tallest skyscraper on the west coast. Enjoy this view to the right side of the page; if you look closely you can see Pat and Paige streaking across the East Shelter of Qwest Field. Amazing!

We took in the 4th of July fireworks at a park called Gasworks which is on Lake Union in Seattle. Lake Union is home to a seaplane base as well as Tom Hank’s House Boat from Sleepless in Seattle……if you’re a fan and I certainly am. It’s right up there with “You’ve Got Mail” which I just can’t see too many times. Chris Sexton backs me up here although he has a hard time picking up the Hanks/Ryan series with “The Notebook” sitting right there on the shelf. And back to the fireworks which was a show to remember. Each set was an average finale in itself and the real thing was a one minute long set of pure daylight as the entire sky was seemingly encompassed in colorful explosion. A helo preluded the show with a giant American flag hanging beneath it while a spotlight illuminated the red, white, and blue. Aside from the main event the crowd was enthralled for a good 40 minutes by a giant beach ball that was bouncing off of heads and thousand dollar cameras with reckless abandon. I’ve never seen so many grown people lose their composure like toddlers only for the excitement of punching a piece of colorful rubber while thousands look on. I’d like to see someone that excited over bopping a beach ball in the privacy of their own bedroom. “Jim! Come on to bed, I’ve got the beach ball out!” Seriously, you wouldn’t believe the chaos that occurred there on the shores of Lake Union this July 4th.

We’re finally headed back east now. The road ahead is long and hot. Please lift up our safety as well as the longevity of The LBBs of LDJ.

More You Tube Please!

The people have spoken and video is king! Check out these clips from New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. The Grand Canyon is a bit long and Vegas is just random shots from us walking down the strip so we won't be offended if you don't watch all of it.

Enjoy!

Pre-Canyon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHYKYYeiW24

The Grand Canyon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ctwM6eheoE

Vegas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcrUf-EaJOc

Oregon was a happy time!

I find myself among mountains, ocean, and huge trees soaring towards the sky as if they were eager to be higher. The temperature is mild as we hover in the low 70s even in the dead of summer. Night time temps near the 40s and when you stay outside that makes for some comfortable sleepy time. I’m talking about a little place called Oregon…..where the beer flows like wine.

We just spent a day on the Oregon coast here with Nate Anderson’s parents and I was very much flabbergasted at the beautiful sea life that teems at the water’s edge. The contrast is vast as compared to the coast of NC. We walked into the heart of a huge rock the size of a 4 story mansion and dodged the waves as they punched through a hollow tunnel underneath this massive geological wonder. Each tidal pool in the rocks was filled with sea anemones and huge starfish. The anemones boasted neon green tentacles and the starfish were red, green, or orange and some spanned as much as 14” in diameter. I felt as if I had stumbled into an aquarium exhibit and the marine biologists were about to come around the corner and kick me out for climbing past those little felt ropes. It was totally legit though and we absorbed it like fresh air as it truly was one of those rare places that the government has not yet whored out as a tourist trap. There is something pure and beautiful about experiencing God’s wonders by yourself or with a small group. It’s almost the same feeling that I have about wanting to be alone with Casey. It’s almost as if God is trying to impress me…….if that’s not too weird.

Check out some Oregon.

Crawling North

Yesterday we made the beautiful drive up the California Coastline between Paso Robles and Monterey then on up to Santa Cruz for dinner at a seafood restaurant called the Crow’s Nest. The drive included the most breath taking views yet and yes I’m including the Grand Canyon. The photo’s once again will not do justice to the reality but I’ll post a few anyway. Check out the clouds that hang over the water but dissipate prior to hitting land. It was pretty wild. We had to park our bus on the beach at dinner and we caught some flack from a local 5.0 but how do you tow a 37' bus out of a cramped parking area that required 3 point turns just to maneuver through.

We’re just shy of the Oregon border now and I’m sitting in a Baja Burrito (no, not at Western and Avent Ferry) waiting for the Wal-Mart here to finish changing the oil in Leaky Blue. I probably need to go and remind the guy not to tighten the filters too much as any portion of the bus that does not leak will throw off the feng shui of things. We had to buy the filters elsewhere and have Wal-Mart do the change b/c it would make too much sense to actually be able to get it all done in one place within the same day. It looks like we’re on point to make Imago Dei for tomorrow morning’s service. A big thanks to Nate Anderson for arranging our accommodations in the Northwestern corner of Oregon.

As a side note, we’re all getting testy with each other lately which could be exciting so I’ll try to video tape some arguments and post them on YouTube if I can. Cross your fingers!

Yes folks, we report that there is in fact a huge gaping hole in the ground proximal to Northwest Arizona.

Awe inspiring.

Humbling.

Hot

and THAT!was a hike!

If the Bus Could Cuss.

So as it turns out; every day is a maintenance aboard Ole Don. We pretty much need to rework the entire fuel system as any original fuel line is a rupture waiting to happen. I suppose 160 degree fuel at a “higher than normal” pressure in ambient temps of 110+ doesn’t work well with 18 year old rubber hose. Who knew? We’ve recorded over a dozen breakdowns ranging from 20 minutes to 20 hours and we frequent Interstate shoulders as we overheat while scaling steep desert grades. It’s become our life and I’m starting to wonder what I’d do without the daily breakdown. I’d say Mr. Johnson has put up with quite enough over the past week. We’re just hoping this CAN will stay together for another two. I’m thinking about selling it somewhere in Washington State and just flying home. There is a constant swing in that I hate the bus and then 5 minutes later I love the bus. You’ve probably felt this way about your spouse, your kids, or perhaps even the cactus in your bathroom. Of one thing I am certain; if Don could speak to us he would have some horrible things to get off his chest or…..umm, his intake manifold? That’s an interesting question. If a bus could talk, which part would do the talking. I think the magic school bus had a mouth at the grill and let’s not forget Thomas the Engine……or is it Thomas the Train. Matthew Ramsey could tell us. God painted a lovely sunset this evening as we moved North through Arizona. The frequent overheats allowed ample time to climb the highway corridors and take in all the beauty.

Tomorrow…….the grand canyon awaits us so we’ll have to leave the blog world for a few days. Look forward to our return sometime around Thursday evening.

Much love,
alan

Video killed the Blog Star

Posted by Gerald:

Hey great news everybody I finally got videos edited and put onto www.youtube.com. I will continue to put more up as the trip goes on, but I can only do it when we have wireless. I hope all is well with all of you. I am have a great time!!! Well enjoy the movies and you probably want to watch them in order.

Here are the links.

Day 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoXp76u-oQo
Day 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpXNACZfTs4
Day 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnq1NaBmgFM
Day 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I_y4XppchA
Day 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3LbF8SoRys

Carlsbad Caverns, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park was pretty freakin sweet and that Carl guy isn’t as bad as they say either. I’ve got some great cave pictures that I’ll post in and around this very special blog from Days 5 and 6. I’d have to say that my favorite moment was waking up at 6am in the middle of nowhere with nothing around but desert, 3 sleeping guys, and a big ball of fire that was just cresting the horizon. Oh, and let’s not forget Leaky Blue. He too was present and enjoying the endless bed of absorbent that we call the Sonora……just as good as kitty litter as far as Ole Don be concerned. A ranger was kind enough to guide us to this public land and he informed us that it was legit to park overnight. It was pretty exciting to pull off the road and have to unlatch a big gate so that we could drive into a place that is very rarely traveled. Gerald and I scoured the area with head lamps to find a safe place to park (sharp rocks, big rocks, etc.) all the while looking for snakes and scorpions. I did turn over some rocks in the morning and found a baby scorpion who was trying to…………wait, I’m sorry. I really don’t know what he was doing under there. I’ve got a picture of him though. What do you think Josh, can I bring him home for you?

In the Desert

So we’re headed out to Carlsbad Caverns, NM at the moment (which is mid-day on Thursday, June 21st). I woke up this morning at 7:30 AM in a Dairy Queen parking lot somewhere off of I-10 in West Texas and had to replace our heated fuel filter b/c we were losing pressure again. Dad, If you’re reading, we’re going to need another one of those when you meet us in LA next week. I’m 100% sure that it was that black grease we sucked out the Huddle House in Ruston, Louisiana. I should have aborted that effort as soon as I had to question whether or not we were sucking grease or Guinness Draught Ale. I completely drained the fuel filter housing during the filter change which gave us more problems later when we switched to Veggie. We spent 30 minutes or so on the side of the road purging air out of our fuel lines. This is getting to be pretty typical and we’re all becoming rather familiar with the ins and outs of Ole Don.

As I look out the windows I see flatness as we approach NM. Little bushes and cactus popping up here and there and its so very much different than the East side of this country. It’s supposedly 100 degrees out here but it doesn’t feel too bad. Carlsbad is only 100 miles or so away and we’re all stoked to see the caverns. More to come on the morrow.

al

Day 3

Day 3 was a bit of a maintenance day again mixed with a little bit of God telling us that He was once again, “in on it”. As we rolled into Austin, TX which was our first planned stop (some 1400 miles out of Raleigh) we noticed a drop in fuel pressure that would typically indicate something awry in the ________ You guessed it, the fuel system. We pulled of at our exit after traveling a few miles with our apparent problem and entered the small parking of a charming little café in an upscale suburb of Austin……. I jumped out of the bus to see grease spilling everywhere underneath the hood. “Shut err down Sexton!”, I yelled I my best Larry the Cable Guy voice. Long story becoming short is that we had blown a line in a place that was less than a simple fix and had to track down a master mechanic to get it fixed. We seriously had to come back the next day b/c the “great one” leaves early and none of the other guys wanted to attempt fixing our precious banjo fitting…….for the one person who knows what that is. We got it fixed and we’re back up and running now. We also fixed our front A/C unit and replaced a power inverter that we blew up somewhere in Mississippi I think.

So, a whole heap of thanks to God for holding it together until we reached a place where someone “the blessed Mark Renn” could carry us around to pick up parts. If this had happened anywhere else other than Austin, TX or a Lowe’s parking lot…..we’d have been in trouble.

Posted by Alan Wilser

What's in a name?

Disclaimer: If you do not appreciate dirty boy bathroom humor; you should skip this post.

So we finally decided on a name for the ole Beasty. You may have noticed in the previous post that we mentioned the hippie dudes staring back at Ole Don. That would be short for the Leaky Blue Balls of Long Don Johnson. I must admit that it was hard to decide on this name. It really just came down to the ease of lingual release. It just sort of rolls off the tongue you know. In example:

Shaggy: Where are you headed Al?
Alan: Oh, I’m just going back to the leaky blue balls of long don Johnson.
Shaggy: Very well then, shall I join you back to the leaky blue balls of long don Johnson.

You get the point!

Signifigance:
Leaky: It leaks..…multiple fluids in multiple locations
Blue: The bus is blue
Balls: It is often sweaty in here and it rarely smells good
Long: We measure out at 37’-4”
Don Johnson: Simply irresistible!

Much love,
alan

Got Weed?

When you see a large blue bus converted to RV with bearded and long haired people driving down the highway, what are your first thoughts? Some might say, “Fun Times” but we were still somewhere outside of Charlotte when someone else said, “High Times”!

Two kids sporting bandanas and long hair fly past us in a topless CJ-5, the driver’s neck bent backwards in awe of ole Don. We blew the air horn and raised a fist as if to say, “roll on hippie dudes!” Our friends slowed down until they were just off our front fender and gave the universally understood “Got weed?” motions. (Note photo above for clarification). We were left shrugging our shoulders in our inability to supply their needs. What a travesty folks! What an abomination! We’re nearly out of our own state and we still don’t have any weed.

for the 5 of you that were wondering........I'm just kidding.

alan

PS: We were approached in a restaurant called FATZ by the pastor of FBC in Boone, NC although we were actually in Gaffney, SC at the time. He was in town for a funeral and he took notice of Sexton’s “Stop Genocide in Sudan” shirt which is of course what it's supposed to do. He ended up praying for our journey before we left which was cool. We actually hadn’t stopped to pray for the trip at that point and this was kind of like God taking care of us in spite of it. I feel certain that the Wild Goose was letting us know that He was in on this trip and that He has something specific to say to us all if we’re up for listening.

The Time Has Come

We have worked we have toiled,
our time has drawn nigh,
The road is calling;
calling from on high.

To whom shall we go
when the river runs dry,
The road is calling;
calling us to fly.

end of poem

......and Fly we will! We will fly at a raging 59 mph sometimes perhaps nearing 62 on those treacherous 20 degree downhill slopes. Welcome to the Vegged Out blog of Alan, Shaggy, Sexton, and Gerald. Four regular dudes from Raleigh, NC who decided that we could park a 40' bus in my parent's back yard in the snottiest municipality known to this fine state and turn it into an RV. We are now running off pure Vegetable Oil and are classified as a "House Car" in the state of NC. We embark today across the country in search of God knows what. We do know that there will be great adventure around every corner and lucky for you, Gerald has purchased a brand new video camera that is ready to catch it all. Look to the blog world as we plan on updating you guys on a daily basis so long as internet service is available. If you are the prayerful type; don't hesitate to throw it up to the big man as we will probably never be in a position of safety for the next 4 weeks. Once again; this is a big piece of metal at a raging 59 mph. Buckle up kids!

alan