buslove – Page 5 – On the Road with Adie

Tennessee odds & ends

We didn’t exactly have the normal stay in central Tennessee. In fact, we didn’t even set foot in Nashville proper, opting for more rural locales and some cool hikes. Here’s some highlights:

Not only did the drums not show up at Napa, but the cylinders promptly proved to be absolute shit. We put them in place and on the first pump of the brake these cylinders squirted more fluid out than if shot pressurized liquid into a colander. Bob, ever patient and good-natured, took out each cylinderContinue reading “Taking a break (continued)”

Taking a brake

Somewhere halfway between Memphis and Nashville, the bus began making a grinding noise when I hit the brakes. Ever since the second engine breakdown I have been paranoid about any little thing that goes wrong. There’s only a handful of things that make a dry rubbing sound when you hit the brakes and at theContinue reading “Taking a brake”

Podcast: Steve

We caught up with Steve Roberts, who owns the old army surplus store in Jasper, Ontario. It’s an old white cider block building that looks fairly nondescript from the outside. But once you step inside, you realize it is a sprawling, wild place. We followed Steve from room to room—sometimes hidden room to hidden room—inContinue reading “Podcast: Steve”

Memphis

We barreled into Tennessee from the west and decided to make our way toward Nashville. Our latest breakdown episode had us circumventing some interviews and like a reporter tracking down a good story, we just can’t resist. Besides, there’s an awesome wine shop located just south of Nashville we wanted to visit. But first weContinue reading “Memphis”

Podcast: Brad and Susie

Happy Valentine’s Day! We were traveling through Canada when we were able to catch up with Susan and her husband, Brad, as well as their dinner guest, Linda, at their cottage on the shores of Lake Pemichangan in Quebec. We spent the day doing a little work on their Eurovan and ended the day sittingContinue reading “Podcast: Brad and Susie”

On the Road Again

It feels like a lifetime now since we have been on the road doing the thing we love to do. To recap: we broke down in Florida, stayed with Blacky (the patron saint of broke down bus folks), trailered to Minnesota where the engine was rebuilt. I played DJ at Happy Productions and have begunContinue reading “On the Road Again”

Off the Grid

Can we talk about this nonsense phrase for a minute? You quit a job and take off in a VW Bus for a year and for some reason or other folks will say you’ve gone off the grid. It’s a weird and often thoughtless turn of phrase that I want to clear up in thisContinue reading “Off the Grid”

Podcast: Nellie

While in Quebec, Canada, we met a woman named Nellie Surprenant who owns a pale blue Vanagon. While life, relationships, and even the van’s name have changed over time, her love for the VW has remained steady. Oh, and she grows some pretty amazing flowers. Visit her website here: https://www.capucinevoisine.com/

Keep on keepin’ on

After the breakdown in Florida, we really thought this bus venture of ours would be over. Finances are tight on the road and podcasting is not exactly a gold mine. As I ran the diagnostics on Adie at that gas station just outside of Sopchoppy, Florida, I had the sinking feeling that we had reachedContinue reading “Keep on keepin’ on”