About

Water has fascinated me since I was a little kid. Both sets of grandparents lived on the lake and I LOVED going to visit them.
Even as a little tyke I was an early riser. I would be up at dawn fishing off the dock and watching the loons glide by. In the afternoon I would be swimming with my cousins, sailing the Sunfish around the cove and hitting golf balls (then retrieving them!) off the beach.
I built my first house on the lake and became a tournament water skier…and had a really understanding summer boss. When the weather was windy and bad for skiing, I showed up at the job site at 7am. But if there was glass, I showed up at 11:00.
Life changed, though, and I found myself immersed in the whitewater world. I became a whitewater kayaker, a raft guide, recreation guide, and met my lovely bride, Julie. My focus shifted from lakes to rivers.

Surfing the Quijos River in Ecuador
Not only did we paddle the rivers where we guided but we also visited rivers all over the United States, in Chile, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. Rivers became not so much a hobby but a lifestyle. Spending a summer as a raft guide is like going to summer camp for grownups. You frolic through outdoor activities all day, then eat communal meals with fun-loving people, laugh a lot, sleep fitfully, then do it over and over for several months.

At the “Three Nuns” on the Futa in Chile
For one of life’s great ironies, I LOVE visiting new places but LOATH sitting in a car for long stretches of time. And years ago, we used to get a group of people together to voyage down to see Jimmy Buffet concerts. One year we decided to rent an RV. “THIS IS THE WAY TO TRAVEL!” I felt. We could play cards, cook nachos, take a pee break, all while making progress toward our destination.
So we began thinking…a converted school bus would be a fantastic way to continue our pilgrimages to other rivers. We figured it would happen sometime down the road, until…
“Hey, Jules?” (Me sitting on the coach with my laptop.)
“Yeah? ” (She upstairs.)
“What do we do if we find a good deal on the RIGHT bus?”
Pause.

Our Skoolie!
“I guess we buy it.”

So now we have a bus that we are converting. It’s been a lot of work, for sure, but enjoyable. I’m looking forward to SAVORING long road trips rather than itching to be there. Then spending the day paddling a new stretch of river to retire back to the bus, most likely with some new friends, to enjoy a celebratory meal and beverages.
Stay tuned as we share our experiences on the water, in the bus, and on the road with all of you!
Thanks for stopping by…see you on the river soon!

Ted and Julie

 

 

 



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