What are the Skoolie Journals?
The journals are part of a project completed by a few students to earn an English credit. These writings offer personal reflections on the journey, providing insight into their thoughts, experiences, and unique perspectives. Through their words, we gain a deeper understanding of what the trip meant to them, both individually and as a group.
Day 1
We finished the bunks and packed all of our stuff up for the day. It was a bit delayed, but it all went well over all. It felt good to have my mom there to send me off. It offered me a sense of comfort before going on this trip. The microwave fell off the fridge while we were turning into the school and we had to steal one before we left. After we got everything set up, we hooked up the Xbox and played a little COD BO2 zombies. It was a blast. I also played a bit of some Ballatro since I’ve been on a real kick with that lately. It was a good way to pass the time on the road. Our first camp had a half decent shower, which was a nice surprise after a long day of travel.
Anthony Wyant
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Senior
Day 2
Today was the longest driving day of the trip. We got up at 6:00 and hit the road by 6:30, knowing bad weather was coming. About an hour in, the sky turned brown, and two hours later, we hit freezing rain. While lying in the back, we saw rain pouring in through the emergency hatch and front windshield. We quickly fixed the leaks with towels and tape. Two hours later, the weather cleared up, and we had sunshine and clear skies. We arrived at our second campground in South Dakota at 8, set up camp, and found the place creepy since we were the only ones there. The temperature dropped, so we put on warmer clothes. Due to the blizzard, the pipes froze, and we couldn’t use the bathrooms or showers, so we showered on the bus, which took forever with 11 people. Afterward, we cooked pulled pork, had chips, and called it a night.
Trace Green
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Sophomore
Day 3
It was a cold night. We expected the number of people on the bus to keep it warm enough, but we were wrong. At about 4 am, we started the diesel heater and warmed the bus. Our camp had no water since it was still winter. So, there are no restrooms or shower houses. We put our plumbing to the test and made it through with no issues. It was a 3-hour drive into the Black Hills to get to Rushmore. Made a quick stop at Wall Drug for doughnuts and 5-cent coffee on the way. Rushmore was impressive, and we got some great pictures. We loaded back up and drove into Wyoming to Devils Tower. We landed that night in Hulet, Wyoming, within a few miles of the tower after seeing it from the road. The town was small, with a k-12 school of 150. The boys went off to explore the city, and before I knew it, I got a call to come to the town’s museum. They were impressed by what we were doing and wanted to take our picture and put us in the local paper. It was a great day.
Blake Clevenger
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Teacher
Day 4
We woke up a little later today as we were right beside Devil’s Tower. It was only about a 15-minute drive from the campsite. We arrived around 8am. It was still closed due to it being out of season. I found it really neat that you could climb the tower if you were registered. It was around 900 ft. tall. After we got our stuff together we set off to go hiking. There was a trail that was 1.8 miles and one that was 2.8; we chose the longer one. It was worth it in my opinion. We saw various views that I enjoyed. We stopped by the Devils Tower gift shop. Afterwards we headed to Walmart in Gillette, Wyoming. On the way into the parking lot the fridge fell over into the shower. We decided to stop by Home Depot after Walmart to get something to secure the fridge and seal the front door better. At Walmart we got stuff for making a breakfast dinner and spaghetti. On the way to Jim Moss Arena Campground we secured the fridge. Once we got there we tossed the baseball and found a pogo stick. Once we tried to fill our water tank we realized our wall adapter failed as water was spraying inside the bus. The stars really shone out at the campsite with the limited light pollution.
Jace O’Connor
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Senior
Day 5
Today was one of our big stops, Yellowstone. The drive was pretty brutal, about 7 hours. I slept through half of it, so it wasn’t too hateful. When we got to the park, we realized it was still winter here. On the way in, we saw bison, too many to count. They’re just so big and cool looking. It wasn’t snowing, until we got out of the bus. Then it started dumping. But hey, we’re at Yellowstone, so I can’t complain. We “hiked” up to Mammoth Springs, though it was a wooden path, so I don’t really count it. At the top, we saw the springs and mountains. Some springs were still steaming even in the cold. We stopped at the shop for souvenirs. I got a t-shirt and some ice cream. Flavor was “Graham Slam.” Top five, easy. We loaded up and headed to the next campground, another 3-hour drive. When we got there, Bernie and Sharon’s, it was a little creepy. Nothing wrong with it, just super old. But they had showers, so that made it a luxury resort. Imagine the oldest shower you can, now double it. During mine, the lights started flickering. I think I almost cried out of fear. What an experience.
Luke Collins
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Senior
Day 6
Today was exciting but tiring. We got up early for the 4-hour drive to Glacier National Park, passing through beautiful mountains, Flathead Indian reservations, and Flathead Lake. When we arrived, I was amazed by the beauty of the park and Lake McDonald, though snow-covered roads limited our exploration. We visited the other side of Lake McDonald, then stopped by a gift shop. Afterward, we headed to our campsite, arriving earlier than the others, which allowed us to enjoy it more. We decided on breakfast for dinner, with Jayson and I making pancakes, Trendon cooking bacon, and Gavin handling the eggs. While we prepared, I set up chairs by the fire built by Brennan and Luke. Gavin worked on fixing the water issue from the previous night. After dinner, we shared s’mores and stories by the campfire. My s’mores earned a 9/10 from the professional tester, Jayson. Once we packed up, I finished my nightly routine before heading to bed.
Blake Curry
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Senior
Day 7
We began the day at the Grand Tetons, aka the “Kanye Mountains” and the view was breathtaking. The snow-capped peaks and stillness of the scene felt like we were in a movie. Some of us had a snowball fight and even a little bit of snow wrestling, which looked like a blast. I didn’t join because I was holding my dad’s expensive camera, but I did get some really cool pics I’m proud of. In the afternoon we went into the city nearby and we had dinner in a luxurious restaurant. I ordered a bison burger, and though it was definitely overpriced, I’ve got to say, it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten. So after the dinner we had sometime in the range of an hour or so of free time to take a stroll and explore the city, which was nice.
Anthony Wyant
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Senior
Day 8
Today was great, reaching 80 degrees after days of cold. We had a long day, stopping at two parks to catch up on our schedule. We got up at 5:00 and headed to Arches National Park, arriving around 1:00. The rock formations were incredible, and we hiked a 2-mile loop around them, taking cool pictures. The two arches next to each other looked like a ninja turtle mask. A few of us strayed off the trail to make our own, which was fun but scary when we got lost. We walked nearly 4.5 miles, climbing rocks with no trail, but made it back safe. Afterward, we got some food before heading to Canyon Land. The massive hole in the earth was unbelievable, with cars at the bottom looking like ants. From the top, we had a view for miles. It was getting late, almost 6:00, and we still had a 4-hour drive to the campground. We arrived at 10:30 and went straight to bed..
Trace Green
/
Sophomore
Day 9
We left early and arrived at the Zion visitor center. When we entered Zion I expected a more scaled down typical National Park that was not the case. There was essentially a small resort town inside the park. Some of us grabbed breakfast from a small coffee shop while the others raided the pantry. It was busier than Arches, likely due to spring break. We got a pass to take the bus through the 1+ mile tunnel toward the Grand Canyon, and thankfully, the bus fit under the height limit. Zion’s views were incredible, but we could only drive through and stop at lookouts. After a few hours, we reached the Grand Canyon and locked ourselves out of the bus, but we knew how to get back in. The first stop was impressive, but when we reached the tower, the views truly lived up to the “Grand” name. We explored, took pictures, and got a few sunset shots before heading to camp. The students cooked dinner, and with an early day ahead, we went to bed.
Blake Clevenger
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Teacher
Day 10
I woke up right as we were arriving at Monument Valley. Sadly, our bus was too big to go on the trails and see what all Monument Valley had to offer. We took a look around and shopped for around an hour. I ended up finding a 6 pack of various cactus plants I was going to purchase for my mom. I was sleeping cacti from other packs so mine would be perfect. I kept poking myself trying to get them out, until I had the idea to get Blake’s multipurpose tool from his pocket that he carries around. We had a long day of driving so we headed off to the 4 corners. I didn’t think the 4 corners would be anything too special, just an interesting stop to take. We got there and everyone took a photo. They also had various sellers set up at booths with miscellaneous items. I ended up buying a knife. This knife was made from buffalo ribs and handcrafted. After we all had our time at the 4 corners we set off towards the campsite. Once we arrived at the campsite I was very pleased. It had showers as well as a room to hangout with cornhole and ping pong. We had egg casserole, bacon, and sausage for dinner. We have had breakfast for dinner a lot lately but I’ve enjoyed every second of it.
Jace O’Connor
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Senior
Day 11
Today was one of my favorites. The highlight was visiting Garden of the Gods, a beautiful park with giant rock formations, wildlife, and amazing trails. We saw deer up close and met a guy with a bearded dragon on a leash. I used to have one, so it was cool to see one enjoying the park. While hiking, we saw a guy rock climbing without gear, just pure skill. We took pictures, and he spoke with us afterward. On the way out, we noticed expensive houses on a hill, all over three million dollars. Afterward, we tried In ‘n Out for a late lunch, which was good and felt nostalgic. We had some free time, so we went to Top Golf, though I couldn’t participate because of my hand. We killed time at a huge Bass Pro Shop next door, which was cooler and more affordable than expected. At Top Golf, I watched everyone golf and shared pretzel bites with Brennan. To our surprise, it was free thanks to a donation, and we were all thankful. We then had a four-hour drive to the campground, factoring in a time zone change. We relaxed for the rest of the night at the campground.
Luke Collins
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Senior
Day 12
Today was less exciting than the others since we had a long drive and the sight we were visiting wasn’t as interesting. After stopping at the Center of America, we voted to stop in Kansas City for some famous barbecue. We picked Slaps Barbeque, which was the perfect choice, great prices, portions, and flavor. I didn’t like the chicken but loved the burnt ends, especially when paired with mac and cheese. After lunch, we had a 4-hour drive to the campsite, passing the time by playing video games. Once we arrived, we went to a nearby baseball diamond, where I worked on my throw downs while others pitched to me. We then had a 4v4 football game, with Anthony and Luke as refs. My team (Trendon, Jayson, Brennan, and me) won 5-3. Afterward, we made s’mores, worked out, and got ready for bed.
Blake Curry
/
Senior
Day 13
We woke up early to beat the storms home. Our first stop was the St. Louis Arch, which was cool, though I wish I had more time to explore, especially the hockey stadium. After the Arch, we began the long drive home. I couldn’t wait to see my family and play Magic The Gathering. It had been a great trip, but I was ready to return to normal.
Once home, my dad helped me unload, and we settled in. I spent more money than expected, but it was totally worth it. Looking back, I’m so glad I went on this trip. What started as a group project to convert the bus into an RV turned into an amazing journey across the country. From the beauty of Zion and the Grand Canyon to the simple joy of playing sports at a random campsite, every stop brought something new. The sense of accomplishment when we finished the bus and saw it in action was indescribable.
Anthony Wyant
/
Senior
Full Journals
Below are links to everyone’s full journals.