.jpg "Gaelyn washing bus windows Eagles Cliff Gifford Pinchot NF WA")
Gaelyn washing windows, 1974 International bus, Eagles Cliff, Washington
After almost two years of being in one place at Eagles Cliff, Dale and I had itchy feet and wanted to be back on the road pursuing our gypsy life. So we bought a school bus from a church to turn into a home on wheels.
.jpg "Dale painting school bus at Carson flea market WA")
Dale painting, Carson, Washington flea market
We painted away the school bus yellow with “oops” paint—that’s whatever the hardware store had mixed wrong for someone—Navajo white and Ever green. Dale started building inside and continued working as we journeyed.
.jpg "Bus home Scomocaway WA")
Along the Columbia River, Scomocaway, Washington
We headed to the coast in September then went south. We got to Yucca Valley, California and set up to sell. We needed to get rid of the bus as we couldn’t get insurance so we traded it for what I called the morphodite.
.jpg "Morphadite camper on trailer Yuma AZ")
The morphodite
A closed-in cab-over camper on a trailer with a flat house window over the bed. A little small for two adults and their stuff, Carson, and numerous banana boxes of merchandise. (Flea marketers measure by banana box.)
I knew that camper wouldn’t work in rainy Washington where I planned to return for summer. Plus I really needed my own space so I bought a 27 foot Pace Arrow motorhome. Carson and I moved in to what felt like a palace. And come spring I headed back north.
.jpg "1974 Pace Arrow Yuma AZ")
1974 Pace Arrow near Yuma, Arizona
Selling at flea markets alone proved to be too much work, for very little money, so when I got to Washington I settled my gypsy life for a while and returned to work at Eagles Cliff.
Nice post. You have a great life, picking whenever you fancy. Just take us along on your many trips okay.
See you next week.
at least you travel a lot and able to see the world. i love gypsy stories and loved them in hundred years of solitude. great job.
Wow what a cool way to see the world.
Sounds like you’re doing what you love. Have fun.
It’s ashame about the bus not working out. It looked like you put a lot of work into it. And good timing: gas prices have dropped.
On the edge of my seat! I am not sure I would have what it takes to live on the edge like that. The trading vehicles and stuff alone might do me in. But oh, so interesting!
That is really inspiring. I want to travel more. Thank you for sharing.
I love your description of the RV as “wheelestate” Thanks for adding the saga of your travels and interesting life to My World again this week. Looking forward to the next installment.
Interesting lifestyle, I don’t think I could live like that. The bus is great 🙂
“Into the wild” without the so sad end !
Thanks for sharing.
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wonderful world you live in. So many great places…
gaelyn…great post as always and anxious to hear the next phase/part of the journey. enjoyed all the photos.
have a good week.
chat soon.
That’s the life I always wanted to live. I asked my mum if we couldn’t live in a caravan drawn by a horse when I was 5 years old. She only laughed…
Thanks for sharing.
Your Homes on Wheels along your journey was an interesting adventure in its self. Keep on Exploring…
I love your narrative and your post that stop in an exciting place just like the Arabian Nights.
What an adventurous life you are living! Lucky you.
You were a real pioneer. RV’ing before it was cool.
I’ve lived in an RV almost full time for 25 years. Wish I’d been blogging back then. And had more of the photos.