71 Westy -- bought new in London by my father, rolls again!

[sunnydog]

It was a gorgeous sunny weekend here in the Pacific Northwest!
I got the old bus out for some fairweather driving and took it to the pub on Friday night in time for the sunset, but was busy drinking Cascadia Dark Ale and took no pics.

Saturday April 2nd I ran some errands and came back with the hardware to finally mount some 5.5" round speakers in the kickpanels instead of having them floating around in the back... I typically use the stereo only when I am parked and camping, so these speakers are plenty good enough for me. I'd rather hear the raspberry purr of the motor when out on those lonesome roads. And these Elmore James songs and Ray Charles' Atlantic Years CD weren't recorded in a full dynamic range anyhow. It was dark by the time I got the speakers in, so no pics.

I took Mrs. Sunnydog to a nice late dinner: Grilled scallops and baked brie with some glasses of Carmenere. Parked under a streetlamp on a quaint corner in our small town outside the restaurant, but was super hungry, sooo.... No pics.

Sunday April 3rd was full of yardwork, the first full yard mow, some pruning, some barkdust, then later we went back to the same Friday pub for another beer. The bus had been running good all weekend, and I came to a stop sign with a long straightaway beyond, so I took a hot launch off the line and did 0-50 in 28 seconds!

After the pub, we bussed back to the house for dinner, and proceeded to wrap up halibut steaks and green onions in foil, plus another cinnamon beet package, which we were going to cook in a fire. I was outside getting the fire going in the patio firepit when I hear Mrs. Sunnydog yell "You Bitch!" from the kitchen. This was completely accurate use of swearing, because our girl Doberman had grabbed one of the halibut packages and tried to make off with it. (I washed off the foil and cooked it anyhow -- used my infrared laser thermometer to ensure it got up to 350 degrees F. Maybe that'll help me stave off the tapeworms?). I pulled the cooked food off the fire, got it plated and sat down to eat when Mrs. Sunnydog knocked over and shattered both our wineglasses. Once we quickly got that cleaned up and sat back down to eat our now sorta lukewarm food, it started sprinkling. And then it started raining. And then we went inside. After all that, like before, no pics.

I was wondering how I could possibly update this thread when I dont have any pics, and who reads all this food blog text on a VW website anyhow, and then I remembered I have a motion detector-triggered wildlife camera pointed at my driveway so I can see who comes and goes. SO PICS! Here's three from me outbound on Saturday to run the errands.

Nigel, My dad ordered a tourist delivery bus, where you could get it kitted out for the destination country. There's a more detailed answer earlier in this thread. You should NOT have kept that safety triangle in the boot of your Triumph -- it clearly says "Not In The Boot"!

69 Weekender, 1961 Bluebug and Eskimotom. Thanks, I show up here every so often mainly to complain.

71Whitewesty -- I am coming your way, my friend! We are thinking about taking a Steens Mountain/Alvord desert/Hart Mountain tour early this summer!
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'71 Westy w/ a 1776 singleport, 34P3 & 205Q. Points.

[Abscate]

Still the best heart warming thread ever.....and soon the kids will be driving...
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.ssS!

[69Weekender]

Been anxiously waiting for an update, this is awesome.
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Mitchell
ISO any California Road Runner Camper parts or info
1969 California Road Runner Camper: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=646780
2015 Toyota Tacoma V6 4x4
Past:
01 Honda Insight, 06 Beetle TDI, 77 Toyota, 96 Geo Metro, 06 Tacoma, 13 Jetta Wagon, 05 Jetta, 96 Corrado VR6
Other ICE Machinery: Alco 251F 16v & 8v

[NASkeet]

[71whitewesty]

We'll take game cam shots. It fact it kind of nice to see the bus in its natural environment.
Great to see the update. I have taken our bus the the Alvord and Steens as well. Love that trip. Now don't get too carried away and forget pictures. I for one would like to see this bus on a good road trip.
_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[sunnydog]

I dunno really what is going on with the climate but here in the Pacific Northwest, we gave Spring a pass and went from winter right into Summer. Last Thursday it was 85 degrees and the locoal aircooler group had a backyard get-together and barbecue that looked like it was on track to become legendary, but again I dunno. I had to leave at a reasonable hour. Maybe Xevin knows? I hear he had to pop the top and do a little driveway camping before departing in the AM?

But the good weather continued into the weekend, and after doing a days worth of errands and yardwork on Sat, including a cozy evening bonfire out by the barn, Mrs Sunnydog and I settled into the serious business of being adults on Sunday morning and filed our taxes. With that over and half of Sunday remaining, we set out east for adventure, driving up the Columbia River Gorge. Washington Hwy 14 on the north side of the river is a winding 55mph road; 25 miles to the east of where we started is Beacon Rock State Park. The rock itself is the 840' core of an old and tiny volcano. A whole series of giant floods washed down the Columbia River at the end of the last ice age and eroded all the soft part of the volcano away, leaving only the solid rock behind. There's a trail that zigzags its way to the top, but on Sunday we drove to the boat launch below and parked for a quick photo. What does that P with a red circle mean? Again, I dunno.

Next stop we pulled off the highway below Bonneville Dam. This dam is the lowest one on the Columbia so the sea lions swim 145 miles up the river from the ocean to concentrate on eating salmon. We parked here for while and saw packs of sea lions fishing and whipping Spring Chinook salmon around, with flocks of seagulls diving in for scattered bits. The fishermen go crazy with hate. Whaddaya gonna do?

Next stop was Walking Man Brewery in Stevenson! Had to stop here for a refreshing beverage as I was parched! That's 35 miles of driving! I was concentrating on rehydrating so no pictures. But then we continued on to Carson WA, to Backwoods Brewing where I had to stop because I was parched! That's a total of 39 miles of driving! I took a picture of the bus with some cows... It wasn't that great so let's pretend I didn't do that.

We continued on. Crossed the Columbia River to the Oregon shore on the Bridge of the Gods. If you are through-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada (northbounder), you should hit this bridge about August and drivers will see backpackers walking across on the sidewalk... oh wait there isn't one. People are just walking on the roadway. And the bridge is see-through metal grating, so If you've got a fear of heights, this is not for you. Toll for crossing? $1.00.

Off to the east is the town of Cascade Locks, named for the shipping channel locks that allowed sternwheelers to bypass the giant rapids that were here as a result of a humongus landslide that once dammed up this entire river to 300 feet elevation and made a temporary lake 80 miles long... But I digress. Check out the view! Mrs. Sunnydog is not fond of heights, so this is what she said: "Can you just put your phone down and drive, please?"

On the Oregon shore headed west, you have to get on I-84 for a a while with the 65mph limit. I am always concerned about going 55mph on a 65mph road. Unfortunately it was made worse when the old man in the beat up Toyota truck in front of me decided to merge onto the freeway at 45mph and continue at that speed. So I am tailgating him, as highballing semis blow by at 70mph on my left. Good times. Fortunately I duck off that road onto the Historic Columbia River Highway in just a few miles. This old road is an amazing piece of engineering that winds its way along the cliffs and waterfalls of the Oregon side of the Gorge. Spingtime is the best time for a waterfalls tour becasue the snowmelt means everything is crashing and booming. There are pictures enough to last a lifetime in all the nooks, crannies and canyons of this place, but the Samba will only show photos with VWs in them, so first stop was Horsetail Falls:

There are many, many waterfalls to be seen here, but we wandered along until we got to Vista House at Crown Point, which is a viewpoint out on an isolated cliff. The sun was starting to go down, and people were beginning to gather to see it. If you look out far enough to just before that last ridge, you can see Beacon Rock, our first stop, poking up in outline. This is 67 miles.

What people don't know, however, is that the very best view is found at Portland Women's Forum State Park, just another mile farther West or so. We parked there and watched the sunset colors paint the cliffs below Vista House golden. I hopped out to take a picture. No cows here!

When the sun had dropped below the clouds, and the colors were all fading into bluehour, we hopped back in the bus and continued down the Historic Highway toward the Sandy River. We talked about dinner options. (You think I was gonna let this post go without food?) There were several that we discussed, but we decided to stop in at Tad's Chicken-n-Dumplins right overlooking the Sandy River. This place has been in business here as a roadhouse since the 1920s, so they are approaching 100 years of serving food to hungry travelers, and promote the fact that the recipes have not changed since the 1950s. Neither of us had been there. 75 miles total.

Well I gotta tell ya that the food there reminded me of the 1950s, in somehow the steak seemed absent flavor and the dumplin with chicken gravy was particularly gluey. Not to mention the blanched green beans... And that's pretty much all I wanna say about that, except when I looked at the internet restaurant reviews after the meal, they were particularly bi-modal; either people absolutely loved it or absolutley hated it. Thats's fascinating, but whatever.

We continued on, taking Marine Drive along the Columbia River to the I-205 bridge then crossed back into WA and returned home, rolling in around 9PM. 110 miles total! Another successful and awesome weekend excursion!

At the risk of getting sappy here at the closeout, I got a text a few weeks ago and was faced with the unfortunate news that the fellow who built me this motor, which allowed me to get this old bus back on the road, unexpectedly checked out in the middle of March from a brain aneurysm at the age of 50. People, you never know when that knock on the door is gonna come. Make the most of every second you've got, even if it is bland steak and gluey dumplins. I am dedicating this post to my friend D, and I was really looking forward to many more years of friendship. He would have been be happy to see every mile and smile of this post.
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'71 Westy w/ a 1776 singleport, 34P3 & 205Q. Points.

[Marleybus]

One word......Inspiring.......
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1972 VW Westy (Hit by dumptruck)
1963 VW Beetle (RIP)
1974 VW Beetle (RIP)
1981 Vanagon Westfalia (Sold)
1969 VW Beetle Convertible (Wifes)
1977 VW Westy 2.0L FI Chrome Yellow
1978 VW Westy 2.0L FI (Under Restoration)
1973 VW Westy 1.7L Tourist Delivery Orange
Check out my thread!!http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=556709

[Vee Dub Nut]

Great story/pics.. I always love seeing new posts in this thread. Easily one of the best threads in this forum IMO.

Thanks for sharing the adventure, and condolences with your friend.
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Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2006

67 Beetle (TBD)

74 Transporter (EJ25 Swapped) - Build Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

See all my VW pics on Instagram @ vee_dub_nut

[Bala]

This gave me a little inspirational boost for the VW Classic we are going to this weekend! Thank you!

Amazing write up and very sorry about your friend.
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1976 Westy

1966 Beetle

[sunnydog]

Well here we are in the midst of summer 2016 and I dropped off the map a few months ago -- there is no real easy way to put this info up, but my father is fading fast. I am hoping he will make it to his 90th birthday in August, but none of that is in my hands.

In the meantime, my sister and I are wheeling him out to the wildlife refuge in the old bus to go birdwatching...

"Do you remember this old bus dad?
"No."
"Do you remember buying this bus in London?"
"No."
"Do you remember driving this old bus all around Europe?"
"No."
"Do you remember driving this bus all the way across the United States?"
"Well, if you say I did, then I must have, but I sure don't remember any of that!"
"Well, what do you think of this old bus?"
"Smells bad."

My sister: "He's right, you know."

Then stopping in at my new favorite pub for a moment to decompress with Cascadian Dark Ales and great evening light for photos.

Finally, while going through dad's photo albums and accumulations of a life well spent, we stumbled across photos from my 6th birthday in 1974, and my first bike. A sweet red wheelie bike with a banana seat and hi-rise ape hanger handlebars. My dad taught me how to wrench and adjust and test and maintain that bike. Which was all very practical advice for the camperbus that was patiently waiting in the background. And for some strange reason, it seems like there's even more bus than bike in these photos... what is up with that?

Short post, but make sure to spend your time well, friends. There will never be enough.
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'71 Westy w/ a 1776 singleport, 34P3 & 205Q. Points.

[Xevin]

Right on buddy. Thanks for the memories you share. Hoping for the best to you and your Dad.
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Keep on Busin'

[Abscate]

Hang in there with Dad. Mine is 91 and does not remember designing Concorde, Saturn V, nor the Lunar Landing Module.

Then, all of a sudden, like those cool days on the summer when the 1600cc just settles in just right, I have a 3 hour conversation with him about the past.
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.ssS!

[Vee Dub Nut]

Thanks for the update and pics. Still my favorite thread in this forum.

Sorry to hear about your dad's health. I can certainly relate to how difficult it is when someone can just no longer remember things. I wish you guys the best during this time.
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Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2006

67 Beetle (TBD)

74 Transporter (EJ25 Swapped) - Build Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

See all my VW pics on Instagram @ vee_dub_nut

[hoagy86]

Man i love reading your post. Good or bad it's never without truth which is hard to find so keep your head up like you Always do and continue on. Love your food stops and pictures by far one of the best threads. thumbs up

[71whitewesty]

Good to see a post from you Sunnydog. Sorry to hear about your Dad but he sure did a good job with his kids!
I hope you still get your summer trip in at some point. Hang in there and keep up the good work.
_________________
71 Westy 1600 DP, all stock Bus 1
1970's Snow Trac 1600 SP (sold 12/2016)
1968 Tucker sno cat, sold 2021
1969 Tucker Sno cat 542
2017 VW Alltrac
71 tin top stock 1600 DP (project but runs)
Twin 71 White Westy, Bus 2, that I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a dry eastern WA field in 2015.
1966 Sundial Camper "Boomer"

[Hikelite]

That's one happy kid on that bike

Sorry about your dad. Looks like you're making the most of the time left.
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~Kevin

My 1968 Campmobile

[Bala]

Sorry to hear about your pops. But he sure is lucky to have good kids in his twilight years. Makes me think again about how important family is.
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1976 Westy

1966 Beetle

[Globespotter]

Thanks for posting. Nice you are getting to spend the time with your Dad and his smelly bus
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1977 Westfalia - October 2015 - Current
1971 Super Beetle - May 2012 - Current
1979 Westfalia - 1986-1991
1971 Super Beetle - 1977-1980

1971 SB Survivor Story: https://globespotter.com/
Road Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=511800&highlight=
My 77 Westy Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647114&highlight=

http://vw-mplate.com/mcode.php?lang=EN&id=30990
https://vw-type2-id.xyz/mplate/72067382

[sunnydog]

Thanks to all of you for your kind thoughts... If you read my last post, then you know what's coming: earlier this week, my father slipped peacefully away, surrounded by family and love. While we were all together we shared stories, looked through boxes and files, and and dug out pictures from his archives none of us had ever seen.

If you'll forgive me a few sentences, my dad was a trustworthy and faithful adventurer. He joined the Navy right out of highschool in '44-'46, then graduated from UC Berkeley, went to Princeton, but steamed across the Atlantic and took 2 years in Beirut Lebanon in '52-53, where he traveled all over Egypt, Greece, Syria, Israel, etc. (Pictures of him climbing the Cheops Pyramid in dress shoes, tie and sportcoat!). He returned and graduated from Princeton with a Doctor of Divinity in '55. He preached and supported communities, served people well, and continued to explore and travel, spending much time backpacking in the Sierras and climbing mountains in Northern CA and OR. he and my mother married in 1961. If you've slogged your way through these pages, you know about his followup schooling at Westminster-Chestnut Theological College in Cambridge UK and our family's European tour in '70-71, but even after all us kids were grown and out of the house, he continued traveling with Elderhostel trips to Crete, Greece, Turkey, Sicily, Japan, and Bulgaria.

None of this is directly relevant to a VW blog, of course. But it is emblematic of his willingness to adventure and explore and learn what is out there in this big world. And a VW bus is one tool among many to make exploration possible. We found a letter he wrote where he said he cried when he sold our old bus because it had served him so well.

He's got all those pictures, but he's not in very many of them, because he was always the one behind the lens, taking the photos. But I stumbled across a small picture of him and us kids in Oct of '70, also taken in the parking lot of the London Zoo on the very day we got the bus from the dealership. If you remember, there a very similar photo of my mom on pg 1 of this thread, and I am the leftmost kid with the red pants, completely oblivious at that time to how cool and kind and dapper my father is.

I know better now.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go for a drive.

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'71 Westy w/ a 1776 singleport, 34P3 & 205Q. Points.

[Xevin]

My condolences to you and your family. The memories are forever with you and
enshrined in your post. Be well brother.
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Keep on Busin'