It's in my blood.... 1951 Ford Bus

So, there is no doubt in my mind where my wanderlust comes from.  My parents were big on traveling.  Through the 1960's, they traveled in a 1951 Ford Bus. 

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My Grandpa and Dad owned a auto scrap yard from the 50's through the 90's.  So, cars were constantly coming in and going out.  A 1951 Ford Bus was brought in without a motor.  My Grandpa had given it to my older brother, J.  There was another vehicle that was on the property that shared the same motor.  It was a Ford Panel Truck that started it's life as a plumbers truck.    The panel truck was well used until a boom tipped over and crushed it.  The motor was fine though.  My Dad was recovering from an injury that he received at the Junkyard at the time.  He was burnt due to a gas tank blowing up on him.  In the down time, he transferred the motor from the Panel Truck to the Bus.  He also built 4 bunks in the back of the bus.  He put in a small sink.  Since my parents had just picked out a new couch, the old couch was put in the bus. He decribed it as an old danish model.  The bus featured a propane heater at the rear and a propane heater in the front.

Both of my parents remember the trips in the bus as good times.  My dad seemed to remember alot.  The first trip in the bus was from our home in the Portage Lakes,OH to Holland,MI.  They went up to see the tulips that were big in the day.  He recalls that they went with the neighbors, Barb and Jim.  This was just one of many trips with Barb and Jim.  Another destination they accompanied my parents on was the San Antonio World's Fair.  Google says that it was 1968.  The route went through Tennesee and New Orleans.  When they made it to Texas they visited Corpus Christi and Mustang Island.  At Mustang Island, Barb and Jim had decided to rent surfboards for the day.  They were not used to the Texas sun and the sunburn was bad.  They took the greyhound back to Ohio just a few days later.  When my parents arrived in San Antonio, My dad recalls the promotions for H. R. Pufnstuff.  My mom recalled stepping out of the bus to use the restroom and getting into a nest of red ants.

My grandma was a constant companion on these trips as well.  One summer, the family had set out across the country to visit friends in Seattle,WA.  There were many stops on this run.  Grand Cooley Dam, Badlands, Yellowstone National Park to name a few.  When they left Seattle, the fan blade had come loose and cut into the radiator.  My dad was working with a guy to fabricate one out of car parts.  A local happened upon the situation and mentioned that he had one for the bus laying in his front yard.  It worked perfectly.  Grandma was getting homesick by this point, so she could catch the plane from L.A. back to Ohio.  He recalls stopping at a wine tasting that offered 18 varieties.  My mom and him handled the alchohol okay.  But, Grandma nipped a little too much.  They made it the airport and Grandma made it safely home.  My family made their way back shortly thereafter.

The final voyage of the 1951 Ford Bus was a trip to Florida to visit family friends, Paul and  Harriet.  They were snowbirds who spent the winters down there.  They had a driveway where the bus could be parked.  Since my brothers had there winter break between Christmas and New Years, it was a nice get away spot.  When Florida turned cold, however, My dad decided that he would just as soon be cold back in Ohio.  So, they headed back.  Somewhere around the Georgia line the back propane heater ran out of gas.  My dad had to keep stopping to refill the anitfreeze.  A gas station attendant along the way noted that the temperature was 20 below.  The front propane heater ran out just outside of Cincinnatti.  This left my brother, J, scraping the door window so that my dad could see out the mirror.  My dad refueled the propane somewhere around Lodi,OH.  The whole family was happy to see the bus parked in the back lot of the Falcon Ave. home, Even if there was 18" of snow.

$700.00.  That funded the whole trip back then.  Back then, fuel was so cheap.  They almost always ate breakfast out.  You could feed the whole family breakfast for around $2.00.  The balance of the time, my mom would cook on a portable Coleman stove.  This meant washing dishes in a small sink.  They ate other meals out as well on occassion.  My dad says that people were amazed at how long they were able to be on the road with such little cash.

Well, the bus is long gone.  The memories still live on.  I wasn't around back then.  But, that wanderlust that my parents felt.  That was passed down to me.  I hope to pass it on like they did. It's in my blood.