travels with the ‘78 ce2

[dodger tom]

by popular demand i am going to document my 2022 halloween loop through california. well, if popular demand is rich parker suggesting i should’ve documented the last trip.

this time i’m doing a six-pass trip north to placerville, east to minden, nv, south to long valley, and back home to the coast. all in about a week, depending on how much my ass freezes at night in the sierra.

and, so we started off this morning, leaving the beautiful blue pacific behind, almost visible through the lingering morning fog.

the first pass is not much of a pass, but cuesta grade is a 2.2% climb up the southern santa lucia mountains that separates the southern coastal areas of san luis obispo county with the north-county communities. going “over the grade” is considered an arduous task by many. fact is, it was the last portion of the coast railroad to be completed. in 1894 the connection was finally made between santa margarita and san luis obispo. the seven tunnels and two horseshoe curves are considered an engineering feat. the tracks veer west for 6-8 miles before the first horseshoe sends them back to the east.

on the way north i always stop here.

a few years ago i decided life is too short to not enjoy the good things in life. so, i give myself one plain-cake donut a week. when i pass through templeton, i stop here. best donuts in the county. apparently i am not the only acvw owner to think that.

heading for salinas one passes through the “salad bowl of the world.” the coastal influence allows for year-round growth of lettuces and other greens, broccoli, peppers, and other yummies.

another must stop is in salinas. el chorito is a little mexican deli. at lunch the line is out the door.

my friend danny is a foodie. he says the chili verde at el chorito is the best he’s ever had. i have to agree. the taquito is tasty, too. beef and potato. yum.

as el chorizo is a deli, i drive over to central park and consume my lunch.

afterward it’s northward ho. hit 152 east for the second pass. either there was no sign or i missed it, but pacheco pass is 1,368 in the diablo range.

at the bottom is the vast san joaquin valley. cruising up 5 one parallels the california aqueduct, bringing water from north to south.

have you noticed the epidemic of people driving in the first lane? this is a small taste.

this is only four cars. last time i drove down 5 headed home there was a line of 20-25 cars all cruising in the first lane with NO ONE in the right lane. a quarter mile of people who do not know or do not follow one of the basic rules of the road: keep right except to pass. in my volvo, it drives me nuts. in my bus, i only marvel at the lack of simple consideration.

finally, i got to sac, and made straight to urban roots brewing. truly great beer.

off to beals point at folsom state recreation area. yes, that folsom, as in johnny cash being stuck there. only he wasn’t. he went home to june.

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1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[SGKent]

Please keep us posted on your wonderful trip. Are you going back over Tioga Pass, Sonora Pass, or down 395 to 58, thru Tehachapi, and then over to the coast on 58, or up 99 to 46 thru Lost Hills and back to the coast?
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[Slip356]

In WI in the summer during camping season the highway dept has large signs saying ‘camp in the woods, not in the left lane’
I like their style!!

[richparker]

👍👍
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build

[Xevin]

Looks like you missed an opportunity to do some sightseeing in Stockton.

Have fun.
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Keep on Busin'

[Shonandb]

Looks like a great trip. A little more of what's on the beer menu and what you recommend please.

Regarding driving in the left lane, we have the same problem here in Canada too. Supposedly the police can ticket people for it up here but I've never seen them doing it.

It kinda reminds me of driving on the expressways in Japan as the right lane is the passing lane as you are driving on the other side of the road there.
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76 Westy with a 2.5L Subaru SOHC + Vanagon (010) Automatic Transaxle
Build & Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758760
Previous 1973 Panel Bus:
Click to view image

[jlrftype7]

well, if popular demand is rich parker suggesting i should’ve documented the last trip.

Hah hah....

Great pictures and views. We too are supposed to be limited with our Left Lanes, even on multi-lane roads, but during and after the pandemic , when road traffic got really scarce for awhile with so many office commuters off the road, we then got the scary 100mph or more crazy drivers using you as a Slalom Cone while you were in your lane minding your own business.

Wasn't even expensive cars usually, more like econo boxes right at the verge of blowing a cheap tire that wasn't meant to do those speeds......

I'd be totally happy with being alone in the right lane while driving our VW....
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[HoboBus]

Very cool. Thanks from the other coast, for bringing us along!

Hobo
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Salt air it ain't thin, it'll stick right to your skin,
it'll make you feel fine. Makes you feel fine.
And I wanna be there. -- Jimmy Buffett

Just a beach-oriented camping Hobo with a bus.

[SGKent]

just had morning coffee, you are so close you could probably smell it brewing. There is a great BBQ place in Auburn right where 49 comes south comes off if you are around this general area at noon.

https://smokeypitbarbeque.com/
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[dodger tom]

[dodger tom]

[dodger tom]

[dodger tom]

slept peacefully through the night.

awoke in the oak-studded campground. the shower (in the background) is hot and the spray isn’t too bad. felt great in fact.

the lake is scary low. you can see the damn in the background, and all the golden flats used to be under water.

there was some hassle about payment of the fee. when i got there two state park cops had lights flashing while they questioned a couple in a nearby campsite. when they were through i gave them my payment. i guess the pm shift hadn’t turned in my payment envelope. no biggie, and, as i am a semi-regular, they decided to trust me. plus, one of the park guys drives a 2000 eurovan , so we’re extended family.

did some domestic chores this morning. got ice at the safeway, whose website claimed to have block, but didn’t. then, to whole foods for some pine-tar soap, local beers, and ice. don’t know about other wf’s, but folsom has a self-service ice cart in the front of the store. i used to get ice from the fish mongers, but now just bag it myself.

their coffee area was closed, which was cool. don’t need to give anymore to bezos than necessary, so i made some tea in the parking lot.

folsom also has a beer garten, unlike my local wf. i hear wf got into a pissing contest with bev mo over tasting facilities at their locations. bev mo argued our site was too small, so no bier garten in slo.

drank a silvan ipa from claimstake brewing up the hill in rancho cordova. never been there, but will have to check it out. a nice clean ipa with the some piney notes throughout the pallet. i’d give it another try.

after my noon brew i headed up into the sierra foothills. rancho cordova, el dorado hills, camino park, etc.

my destination was placerville where my brother, carl, practices dentistry. he is the best dentist on the planet. and he comps me out. today is hygiene day.

then, margaritas and some tasty squash-inspired dishes at centro in sac, and beers and cribbage at carl’s house in coloma where the bus will rest for the night.

and, steve, thanks for the bbq tip. auburn isn’t on the itinerary for this trip, but the place is on the list for a future excursion. i wondered where that coffee smell came from.
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1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[Shonandb]

[dodger tom]

the camping/parking spot is next to the newly completed pump house, only 25 years in the making.

and the homestead.

ca state highway 49 winds through the area of the sierra foothills known as gold country.

coloma is home to marshal gold discovery state park, where, as you might guess, james marshall discovered gold in 1848.

at sutter’s mill.

placerville, also known by its nickname, hangtown, sits astride us 50 on the way from sacramento to ocean city, maryland. it’s nestled in the sierra foothills. one interesting spot is forni roads it snakes through weber creek gorge.

down one side

to the bottom.

and up the other side.

stopped for gas and a hot dog at costco in rancho cordova. the bus requires care when filling with modern california pumps. the trick is to force it as far in and you can while pinning the top of the boot to the bus, angling the bottom of the boot out away from the bus. some pumps are easier than others. once, i was leaning in to get everything right when a young millennial woman asked me if i needed help. white-haired guy straining against an old vw bus. i’d never really felt old until that moment.

no one offered to help me at costco. i drove the 0.8 miles to claimstake brewing.

i’d had their stusan ipa, which i mistakenly called silvan ipa, at whole foods yesterday. had the ida’mo ipa this afternoon. idaho 7 and mosaic hops with all of the wonderful fruit bitterness those hops bring. full bodied hoppiness from the front of the tongue to the back of the palate.

the rest of today, all of tomorrow, and sunday morning will be traveled in carl’s toyota hybrid. so, i won’t chronicle our adventures here. when the bus and i hit the road on sunday i will resume.
_________________
1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[richparker]

Awesome trip so far. Thanks for sharing!!!
_________________
__________
’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
’65 Deluxe Build
’63 Deluxe Build

[creative native]

I am grateful for the historical information you've provided with the photos, Tom. When I stayed in Colfax, California, I roved out to visit and explore as many places as I could. I did go to Placerville.

Seeing your Westfalia being used for its intended purpose is encouraging and beautiful to see.

I am already looking forward to future updates and photos. Travel well!
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"The holy land is everywhere." ~ Black Elk
1979 Westfalia P27, California FI emissions spec. 100% VW fleet: '79 Westfalia, 2013 Touareg Lux (Toffee Brown/Cornsilk Beige), 2005 Passat GLX.

[dodger tom]

so, plans have changed somewhat, as they sometimes do. one factor was the bus’s running. friday night on the way up the foothills from claimstake brewing the bus began to miss rather badly, with a loss of power in a manner similar to running out of gas.

this miss was different from the intermittent stumble i’ve been living with for years. i pulled off the road thinking it was better to die in a parking lot than die on us 50. it calmed down, running perfectly along the frontage road, so i got back on the highway and drove, without incident, up to coloma.

after futzing around much of saturday afternoon trying to figure out the problem we went down to sac on a test drive today. on ca 49 to placerville.

back down the foothills.

retracing my steps from thursday. whole foods for beer, ice, and wild-caught salmon (for tonight’s dinner). then all the way to urban roots brewing so carl could taste some “me again.”. finally to claimstake brewin for some “ida-mo” ipa.

then, back through sac.

back up the foothills through coloma.

and a quick trip down the hill to carl’s river access spot on the south fork of the american river. a truly lovely place.

and, back to carl’s.

oh, yeah, i’ll discuss the second factor for the change-in-plans tomorrow..

good night all.
_________________
1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[SGKent]

Tom. The weather is closing in tomorrow and Tuesday will be rain in the valley and 3" of snow above 3500'. High Sierra has a 15" to 18" forecast. Sonora Pass is showing on NWS that Tuesday Night before 11pm heavy snow and winds 30-40 with gusts to 55 mph. 50% chance of snow Wednesday at Sonora Pass then we will get a break Thursday morning after 11am, and there may be more this weekend starting Saturday. If you need tools you are welcome to come by here to try to figure out the miss.

I made a trip back from Reno one year bringing a friends Audi back for him ahead of a winter storm, that caught up with me near Mammoth on 395. I had to drive slowly with the window rolled down trying to follow where the snow plow had been until the elevation dropped to where it turned to rain. I don't recommend driving up there during these storms.

Keep us posted.

SK
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[dodger tom]

thanks for the heads up, steve. you’ve identified the second factor in my plans being changed. i am not going over the sierra.

i appreciate the offer of a spot to troubleshoot the miss. it is just too damn intermittent. it never missed once all the way up to sac. today we drove from coloma to downtown sac and back, and except for a few hesitations in the first half mile the bus ran smooth and strong.

my next step is to switch out distributors, installing my newly acquired refurbished model from bill at sparkxwerz to see if the mechanical points fix it. i have all the tools necessary to do that. course i won’t know if that’s the fix until the next big trip…..or three.
_________________
1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.