One week into the trip...

Doug driving us to SLO, his old home town. Moments before he was telling us he was considering quiting his job to be a school bus driver. He does look good behind that wheel.

Kyle and Mike enjoy some LA Loving courtesy of Bobby and Horatio Aguilar.

Sexy time!! Gabe is dressed up in some real close, you should see his costumes.

Tim and Nick take a lap around Ara's pool in East LA.

Jo-Jo, Gabe, Jon, Jason, and Matty B kick it at Carolyn's graduation party where we had nothing but hospitality and good eats.

Our farewell to In-N-Out

Hoover Dam bowed to the bus!!! The glorious sun radiates inferior vehicles

For anyone who didn't know, Hoover Dam is HUGE!!

And we are still alive. We made it all the way down the California coast and through Las Vegas alive (barely). Now we're camped outside of the Grand Canyon getting ready to hike around the park. We've gotten used to the comfort of being taken care of by our family and friends in California and now must face sleeping outside and cooking our own meals. Last night we used our kitchen for the first time for pasta and garlic bread and this morning we had pancakes. Everything is working out great so far. Las Vegas didn't take too hard of a hit on our pocket books, as the majority of us actually came out on top. For Memorial Day we all just hung out on the beach in San Diego, that night Joseph's dad treated us to a bbq. We passed over the Hoover Dam and across our first state line with no problems. That's all I can update on for now, as I'm in an internet cafe and the boys are waiting for me. Hope everything is well back home!

Vegas Baby!!

Las Vegas strip, tuesday night, May 27, 2008

Gabe and Jon on their way to a night of holsome entertainment, Bubby a.k.a. Grammy Margeret Thomas is in the back, taking her sweet time because "these boys sure can move."

A classy bunch pre-gaming in their imperial palace hotel room. Yes, Jon (left) is wearing pink. Tim twirls Gammy's hair piece in an attempt to get his allowance early to buy some moon cakes.

No one was arrested, shot, or lost more than 100$.

Vegas trip: SUCCESS

The great showdown (Carlsbad Ca)

Tikki V Turner

The Beginings of the BUS TRIP

This adventure came out of ideas from a couple of the guys who had the pressing need for a fun attempt at a trip with all of the boys who found themselves with a sense of freedom and a general lack of responsibility. We bought the bus out in Minnesota because one of the guys apparently has a schoolbus hook-up there. The 1990 Ford Bluebird only cost us $800 plus $600 for insurance and registration. Once we got it in Minnesota we took it to our friend's house, which conveniently had a large shop area next to it were we where able to work on the bus. Through the next couple of days we tore out the seats, put in beds, a bathroom, kitchen area, etc. My favorite part, maybe because it was the only part I actually did, was on the top/front portion of the bus. I attached a piece of metal to the area where buses usually show their next stop or the next city they're going to. Then I sprayed a few coats of chalkboard paint onto the metal and let it dry. Now we're able to write whatever city or area we're heading to on our own little chalkboard. On the drive out to SF we put up the next city and something we associated with it - a diner in Omaha or Mormons in Salt Lake. The bus was quickly becoming habitable. After a few days of working on the bus, and a trip over to the Mall of America (which you are NOT allowed to rollerblade through, apparently) we were ready to hit the road and get back to San Francisco for school. The drive was pretty easy and everyone was anxious to get their turn. We made it in only two days with an...ill-fated stop in Nevada. Everyone came out alive and we pulled in front of the church at school early on Easter Morning. Now we've all graduated and we are about to take the real trip. First stops - San Luis Obispo, LA, San Diego...