The stickers on (or will be on someday) the bus.

[Gus The VW Bus]

Inspired by The Aircooled Pig and Ludwig & Gertie's Adventures, I decided to do a post about the stickers on Gus. Except that most of the bumper stickers I have for Gus aren't on there yet. I've got to repaint the rear bumper before I put them on. Or maybe I'll put them on the poptop...haven't decided yet.

I love bumper stickers. The kitschier (is that even a word?) the better. Bumper stickers are iconically associated with the VW bus - look at the animated Fillmore from the Cars movies, or Fillmore's real life inspiration, Bob Waldmire's VW bus. For me I think it goes back to the days when my family and I traveled around in this:



We would get a new sticker any new place we went in the camper, and when I got older I got to put the stickers on. We could only put on stickers of places we had been in the camper. I still kind of think I may follow this with Gus, but I may not.

Anyhoo, here's a rundown of the past and future:



This is what is currenty on there. I really don't want to remove any of these, as they are a part of Gus's past. But I don't want to add any to the back window, as I already really can't see out the back window from the front.

Here's a closeup of what's there now.



Lincoln Highway Association - this will stay, as I think it's cool. And where I went to college (DeKalb, IL) had the Lincoln Highway running through it, plus I later lived near it in Oswego, IL.

CH - Joe told me this is for Switzerland, and Ryan's (previous owner before Joe) wife is from there. Makes sense.

'00 S.V.C. '01 & '99 S.V.C. '00 - No clue. Seems like a parking lot sticker for a college maybe? I did find a Skagit Valley College in Washington, where Gus lived. My guess is it's from there.



Rocky Mountain Lobos 1993 1994 Student Parking - This one is interesting, as I found the high school online, and they are in Ft. Collins, CO - about a hundred miles north of where Gus lives now.

Wyoming Proud - Again, I don't really know...but Ryan is from Wyoming originally. So it probably has something to do with that.



These two are harder to see (this is an old pic) - but the one on the left is another parking sticker. The one on the right I'm going to paint around when I paint the bumper. It says Central Surf, Puerto Escondido (which is in Oaxaca, Mexico). I like to imagine that Gus was there at one time.

And now for the new ones:



(from top left in a clockwise-ish manner)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - I've had this sticker since the 90s. Never put it on anything. One of the best concerts I ever went to was a $10 show at my college. RHCP headlined, and two "up-and-coming" bands opened...Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. Made the Top 100 concerts ever according to Rolling Stone.

Tortugas Lie - Seafood shack in the Outer Banks, North Carolina (where Gus lived for awhile)...fantastic seafood, cool decor. And it fit in with the turtle theme of the next few stickers...

Grateful Dead/Terrapin Station/turtle stickers - At one time Gus was going to be known as "Franklin" for a few reasons: He was going to be painted green, and I've always thought he looks like a turtle from the side. Franklin is a kid's cartoon about a turtle, and Franklin's Tower is a Grateful Dead song...another Grateful Dead song/album is Terrapin Station, and a terrapin is a turtle. I really like the one of the turtle with the split window bus on it's back. I'm not sure if all of these will make it on, but the bus/turtle one for sure will.

National Freshwater Fishing Hall Of Fame - Hayward, Wisconsin. A) Beacuse it's cheesy. B) Because I've been there. More than once. Be sure and climb up into the giant muskie's mouth for a photo op.

Apple stickers - Because Macs are cool. Although I probably won't be using these exact white ones...somewhere I have one of these that came with my first Mac in the 90's...



What Would Ed Hochuli Do? What wouldn't Ed Hochuli do? The man's biceps are Schwarzenegger-esque. My friend got me this one year - we love Ed Hochuli. Always a rare treat when you get to see a game he's officiating.



Squirrel Nut Zippers - Love love LOVE them. I got to see them a few years ago in Durham, North Carolina when they did a small reunion tour, and they played Ghost Of Stephen Foster, (watch the video - it's great!) which is probably my favorite song by them (and maybe one of my favorite songs of all-time).

Happy Camper - There are a lot of these types of stickers floating around Colorado that echo the license plate design of the Centennial State. I thought this one was fitting.

Save The Bays - Cool little site -I've had this one for a few years now. Free stickers, and I got to specify what color I wanted...looks just like Gus!

Big Blue Is A Friend Of Mine - from one of the best VW blogs out there...

VW Camper Family - from the maker's of Big Blue...a very cool online community for VW campers.

FB - Folly Beach, SC. Not sure if this will make it on, but it's a cool place to visit near Charleston.

Cake - One of my all-time favorite bands.

I probably have a few more hiding somewhere, but these are the ones I could find.