How To Take A Bus Road Trip

Step 1

The second road trip that I went on, which blew the first out of the water, 15 friends of mine, 16 total, saw a short school bus for sale around the corner, and within a week's time, we got 16 of us to put up the $235 a piece that was asked for, to pay the $3750 charge, the gentleman who was asking for.

Step 2

Like I said, within a week, we went from 16 dudes who happen to be in community college, just hanging out, to bus owners. Eight months later, we will have put racks on the top, a ladder on the back, we would gut out the bench seats inside and put in carpeting and a couch. And got it ready for the road.

Step 3

Thirty days on the road, traveling basically the perimeter of the United States, going everywhere from Albuquerque to Baton Rouge, all the way down to Miami, we shot all the way North on the I-95, to Boston, and then came back down to Philadelphia, then headed back West.

Step 4

The biggest trip is, going to the East Coast, we would peak at about 40-45 MPH. Once we got to the east coast, and after several pairs in Florida, Virginia, Massachusetts, transmission, starter, an alternator, brake pads, oil changes, after all that, we would be traveling back at, I kid you not, a trifling, a miraculous 30 MPH tops. I am talking downhill even.

Step 5

This was the vacation to end all vacations. We were rear ended outside of Ellensburg, Washington about 100 miles outside of Seattle, on our 30th day on the road. Whether it was the street parties in Memphis during the summer, or it was skateboarding in legendary skateboarding parks in Philadelphia, Boston Red Socks game at Wrigley Field, at Fenway, excuse me, or going through the Mall of America, in Minnesota, the trip was, like I said, the trip to end all trips.

Step 6

The bus probably broke down, I would say, four times. Once we drove it into Florida, after about five days straight on the road, the transmission was shot. And, after about $1200, we were able to find a transmission big enough for the diesel engine we had in this 11 ton vehicle.

Step 7

Shortly after, though, we had to get a new starter in Virginia. That was another breakdown. We slept on the Massachusetts Turnpike after this Red Socks game we went to because the alternator was gone. And that was an interesting day,

Step 8

But the best night, and or the most memorable part of this bus roadtrip, or of this Roadtrip '06 that we called it, I would say, really, on top of the magnificent cities we went to, the hospitality, the crazy things we saw, really, there would be times when we would be driving at 25 MPH in the middle of the night, blasting music and just being with 15 of my closest friends, just being butt-to-nut, as well call it, and not caring at all. Not worried about tomorrow, not worrying what we had done, not worried about the money that we had left. It was always times that was just really, really, like, just enlightening. You really got to think, "Wow, I have the greatest friends that I could ever ask for." Like, I would give anything for these guys. and I know they would do the same for me in a heartbeat. To say I have the best friends would be an understatement. I think I have dozens of best friends, and I mean that.