By Vered Kleinberger

The Adventure: Georgia to Eugene, Oregon, up through the Canadian Rockies to Alaska, and then back to Jasper, all running on SVO/WVO (straight/waste veggie oil)
North America is an amazing continent, particularly in regards to its natural resources. Many people are anxious to visit other countries, but they have not yet explored the wonders here in their back yard. Two sisters, (myself) Vered and Leah Kleinberger, are on our way across the United States and up through Canada to Alaska, powered (hopefully) exclusively by vegetable oil. We've driven from Georgia to Eugene, Oregon, and will shortly begin the trek northward.
Leah will be attending the University of Oregon next year. As Leah's older sister, I have given her a road trip as an 18th birthday and high school graduation gift. We are currently in Eugene finding an apartment for Leah for the coming school year, and once that task is completed, we will head to Portland for the next veggie oil pickup.
A 1984 diesel Mercedes station wagon that has been converted to run on vegetable oil is our mode of transport. Much work was done to prepare for the trip, including replacing the brake system, the front steering and suspension, the right rear control arm, the upper and lower cooler lines, performing an oil change, and more. Many of the parts on the car were original, so this trip provided the perfect opportunity to complete much needed maintenance and upgrades. Oren, the middle sibling of the Kleinberger family, converts diesel vehicles to run on used veggie oil, and he is also a mechanic, so he worked almost continuously for three days and nights to complete the work. When we were finally ready to hit the road, we headed north through Chattanooga and Nashville to Saint Louis. From there, picking up I-70 west to Denver for the first oil pickup.

The car holds 20 gallons in the tank, and also contains 60 gallons (twelve 5-gallon containers) of additional oil storage. This was enough to get to Denver, where Denver Biodiesel came to the rescue. I had prepared in advance and scheduled for a fellow oil-user to have 80 gallons on hand, but the connection fell through at the last minute. We found a hotel in Kansas advertising free wireless internet, so Leah jumped online and after a few phone calls, found Denver Biodiesel. They are a co-op that produces biodiesel (which is different from WVO/SVO), so they were able to sell enough unprocessed oil to enable us to complete the trip to Eugene.
The trek continued from Denver heading north to Wyoming, west to Utah, north to Idaho, and then west to Oregon. Once we reached Oregon, we left the interstate system and headed west on highway 20 through the eastern desert-like region into the Cascade Mountains, which still were covered in snow!
We traveled from Georgia to Oregon spending only $64 on fuel (there are still road taxes to be paid) while promoting the use of alternative fuels and contributing less pollution to the environment.
Once an apartment is secured, the trip will continue north through Washington, and into Canada. The goal is to reach Denali National Forest in Alaska before turning south again to leave Leah in Eugene for college. Read more about the adventure in next week's Pickens County Progress.
An expanded version of the Veggie Voyage narrative is available at www.homeschoolexcursions.org. The difference between SVO/WVO and biodiesel is explained, more photos are posted, and other additional information is available.

[Vered Kleinberger is the program coordinator for Homeschool Excursions in Pickens County.]