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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1272 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2023 10:08 am Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Slip356 wrote: |
Tom,
Someone on The Samba recommended a book -Blue Highways, a Journey into America by William Least Heat Moon. It’s about a college professor that lost his job and his wife divorced him at the same time.
He said screw it, bought an old Ford van, put in a bed, chair & cooler and headed south from MN in 2012.
Traveled some of the same areas as you, focusing on the history of small towns off the beaten paths and the people.
Excellent read, I bought the e-version on Amazon and am half way through the 400 plus pages.
Bet you’d like it. |
i loved it back in ‘99 when it first came out. that and steinbeck’s “travels with charley” are classics of backroads travel across the u.s.ofa. i read the latter back in high school.
come to think of it, it’s probably long past time to read them again.
thanks for the suggestion, slip. they’re both going on the to-be-read shelf. _________________ 1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled. |
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Shonandb Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2019 Posts: 1205 Location: Vancouver, BC
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2023 11:01 am Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Looks like another nice trip Tom! I've added the new breweries to my list. _________________ *******************************
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:
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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1272 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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headed out for a short trip to a relatively local spot to which i’ve never been.
north past camp roberts, the california national guard base.
to king city…
for some lunch.
i’ve been on a birria taco craze since i first discovered them last year.
where have you been all my life?
a quick detour through downtown king city.
and, off toward our goal.
the pinnacles national park has two entrances that do not connect.
we’re headed to the east side.
this being california there are vineyards.
and other agriculture.
into the chaparral foothills.
the park is in the gabilan mountain range.
ca 25 winds through the hills and valleys.
and our goal.
best (most secluded) campsite.
_________________ 1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled. |
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Shonandb Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2019 Posts: 1205 Location: Vancouver, BC
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Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 2:29 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Looks like you had good weather, and a fair bit of green still visible. Nice!
We got out Friday and Sunday in the Bus but it's been raining everyday so didn't stop for any pics. _________________ *******************************
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
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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1272 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2024 4:21 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Shonandb wrote: |
Looks like you had good weather, and a fair bit of green still visible. Nice! |
hey, db. yesterday on the way up here it was in the low-to-mid 80’s. today it’s mid-to-high 70’s. that’s so cal for you. it rained last week, and it’s going to rain the end of this week into next. in between, beautiful.
and, not “still” green. just-starting-to-turn-green. from feb to june we get two weeks to three months of luxurious green hillsides, depending on the rainfall. last year it lasted through june.
the campground store here is poorly stocked. no beer.
as you’ve already guessed,….
i came prepared. _________________ 1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled. |
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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1272 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 7:42 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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headed into the park through the valley.
past the second entrance???
soon, there was a glimpse of the pinnacles off in the distance.
first to the old pinnacles trail head,
which offers another glimpse of the pinnacles.
then, back to the bear gulch trailhead. up the hill.
and another glimpse.
to the nature center.
and the hibernating ladybugs.
who knew ladybugs needed so much shuteye.
back down the hill.
to the campground. went for a short hike to the ranch.
didn’t make it to the homestead, but got a photo of the sign.
_________________ 1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled. |
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The Volkswagen Ranch Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2002 Posts: 706 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 8:38 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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My favorite trip! Hard to believe looks like no one there except you and the ladybugs ( never saw so many in one place!). The bus also looks great. Did you get to replacing the rollers on the slider yet? Bob _________________ 1963 Convertible (Lizzie) and 1964 Convertible (Patience) 1976 Westfalia (Winnie) |
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Shonandb Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2019 Posts: 1205 Location: Vancouver, BC
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2024 3:55 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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dodger tom wrote: |
Shonandb wrote: |
Looks like you had good weather, and a fair bit of green still visible. Nice! |
hey, db. yesterday on the way up here it was in the low-to-mid 80’s. today it’s mid-to-high 70’s. that’s so cal for you. it rained last week, and it’s going to rain the end of this week into next. in between, beautiful.
and, not “still” green. just-starting-to-turn-green. from feb to june we get two weeks to three months of luxurious green hillsides, depending on the rainfall. last year it lasted through june.
the campground store here is poorly stocked. no beer.
as you’ve already guessed,….
i came prepared. |
Having some kind of beer with you is better than no beer, so it looks like you are doing well with what you have. Pinnacles National Park looks beautiful and there doesn't seem to be anyone around. Nice!
I've driven down the West coast as far as Crescent City, CA and flew into San Diego to drive down into Mexico on a Surfing/Windsurfing trip down to Punto San Carlos about 3 hrs South of El Rosario de Arriba but I haven't had the chance to do the rest of the California Coast yet. Your trips are showing us places we wouldn't have thought to check out so we'll have to do a few trips.
Thanks for sharing. _________________ *******************************
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
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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1272 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2024 5:32 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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headed back down to ca 25.....
took a right. and headed east.
this being california, there are beeves.
and earthquake faults.
the san andreas fault runs parallel to ca 25, at times very close.
back through the coastal chaparral foothills.
back to the intersection, where this time we go left.
the road cuts along the edge of the valley.
with cool curves and whoop-dee-doos.
the field to the left looks ready for winter planting. probably lettuce, but this being california, it could be any number of crops.
into soledad.
and a quick trip through downtown to get gas.
and back to ca 146 east to head to the westside of the pinnacles.
up into the foothills once again.
those are the santa lucia mountains on the other side of the salinas river valley. the pacific ocean is just beyond them. hence the cool weather than permeates "america's salad bowl."
as it's less than 20 miles to the visitor's center, we soon catch glimpses of the pinnacles themselves.
and, then the visitor's center.
it's a one lane road most of the way into the park, but, luckily, traffic was almost nonexistent.
we head toward the chaparral trailhead.
and, no longer a glimpse, but the pinnacles themselves.
turns out the eastside only has glimpses. you need to hike in to see the formations. on the westside you're at the base of the formations.
one last glimpse, and back out toward the valley.
this being california, there are vineyards.
stopped in king city for a quick bite.
was craving carnitas.
this was the pulled-pork type rather than my favorite, the deep-fried-in-its-own-lard type. but, the flavor of the meat was wonderful.
on to the california coast beer co for a nondescript ipa. google took me to the back door, which was the group venue.
while the brewpub itself was more inviting.
the ipa was unfiltered. not bad, just nothing special.
final stop, one of my favorite spots, the tent city beer co in atascadero. used to be my home pub when my ex-girl friend lived a mile down traffic way. but, that is another story.
their ipa is one of the best. citrus and simcoe goodness all the way through.
down the cuesta grade as the sun went down.
and sunset on the coast on the last stretch home.
_________________ 1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled. |
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Shonandb Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2019 Posts: 1205 Location: Vancouver, BC
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2024 10:32 am Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Great pictures Tom, especially the last 2 with the sun setting. _________________ *******************************
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
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22680 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2024 1:49 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Quote: |
but, that is another story. |
We will be here all week!
Great stuff
_________________ .ssS! |
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Xevin Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2014 Posts: 7635
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2024 2:14 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Great road trip as usual. I was in Santa Cruz last week. Maybe we should plan a road trip to the San Joaquin valley I know all the hot spots and fun places _________________ Keep on Busin'
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
Clatter wrote: |
Damn that Xevin... |
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I respect Xevin and he's a turd |
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My God! Xevin and I 100% agree |
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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1272 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2024 7:36 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Xevin wrote: |
Great road trip as usual. I was in Santa Cruz last week. Maybe we should plan a road trip to the San Joaquin valley I know all the hot spots and fun places |
i’m game, xevin. if we do it in august, there’ll be plenty of hot spots.
insert smiley face here. _________________ 1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled. |
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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1272 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2024 6:39 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Xevin wrote: |
I always like Tom’s road trips. I’m looking forward to his tour of Stockton, Manteca, and Modesto |
okay, xevin, i decided to expand on your request and tour some of the exciting cities in the san joaquin valley (sjv) along us 99, which was the main drag through the west coast until the mid-60's and the advent of the interstate highway system. in california it was known as the "golden state highway."
the sjv is the bottom half of california's central valley, which runs from redding in the north to grapevine in the south. 450 miles long, bordered by the coast ranges and sierra nevada, it produces more than half of the fruits and vegetables grown in the us of a.
the sjv runs south from the stockton area in the sacramento delta to the base of the tehachapi mountains. we've already visited bakersfield, the southern-most metropolis, in two previous posts. this trip (actually a compendium of coupla of trips) we are going to visit not only stockton, merced, and modesto, but other sjv metropolises (metropoli?) as well. we're going to do the trip from south to north even though i hit different towns both coming and going. as this is not a single trip there are bonus points for those who spot the incongruous changes in timing.
first we head north along us 101, the main northern exit from my home, in order to climb the cuesta grade, in this case slightly hidden by fog.
upon climbing the grade, this being california, there are beeves.
we soon come across atascadero.
roughly translated it means "mud hole." it was established in 1913 by eg lewis as a utopian planned community. it goes without saying, he intended it to be a white utopian planned community. imagine the surprise of those expecting paradise when they arrived and were ensconced in tents, as there were no houses yet. the original set of houses built during this time is called "the colony."
one of the six state mental hospitals out of the original 14 is here.
reagan closed the rest, promising local community-based treatment sites that were never built out. you can see part of the result on the news every night. at atascadero the hospital is really a cross between a hospital and prison, as it houses the criminally insane.
the city hall is impressive.
steve martin fans might recognize it as the fryburg courthouse in 1990's "my blue heaven," one of two films for which he deserved a best actor oscar nomination. guess the other.
as always when we go this way we stop for sustenance.
however, rather than continuing on us 101, we veer east on ca 46 to take a secondary northern route into the heart of the sjv.
this being california we encounter vineyards....
.....and wineries.
the paso robles viticultural area is home to some of the finest wines in the world. reds are dominant. cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, and zinfandel thrive in the heat tempered by the cool air wafting in from the pacific ocean. days can be quite hot, but the afternoons usually cool down considerably.
soon ca 46 is joined by ca 41 coming in from the south, the combined highways serving as a conduit for those bound both east and north. we are headed for the chomale y, a notoriously dangerous intersection where ca 41 takes a left across ca 46 to head north toward fresno.
it was here that james dean died at 5:49pm on september 30, 1955. he was 24 years old.
jim was driving his porsche 555 spyder (nicknamed "little bastard") to a road race in salinas. there is some debate about whether or not he was speeding as he drove west on us 466, which later became ca 46. he'd gotten ticketed a coupla hours earlier for going 60 in a 55 zone. all i know is that, if i was driving a brand-spanking new 555 spyder on its shakedown cruise, i'd be speeding.
anyway, cal poly student donald turnipseed (no kidding, that was his name) was driving east on us 466 in his 1950 ford tudor. he started to turn left onto ca 41 when jim hit him head on. the history channel says that don was blinded by the setting sun, but he was headed east, so the sun was at his back. nobody knows for sure. but, lots of folks have gotten creamed at the cholame y. efforts are underway to build an overpass to eliminate the left turn across ca 46.
we make the left turn safely onto ca 41 heading north.
soon we merge onto ca 99....
into our first destination, fresno, the valley's largest city.
many cities in the valley have arches, so the locals know where they are, i guess.
there are also murals serving the same function?
and cool old theaters.
the tower theatre was built in 1939. it has survived to see a vibrant community arts district grow around it.
last, but not least, thank god, there are breweries.
mad duck ipa is an american ipa with 7% abv. clear and dark gold it mixes pine and citrus flavors in a light-bodied brew with moderate bitterness.
after a beer and some lunch we continue north....
into merced.
first stop, the toga-sierra brewing company taproom.
brewed back in fresno, their general sherman is a west coast ipa sitting at a hefty 7.5% abv. it is a light golden color, clear, with a slight hint of pine that turns to stone fruit mid palate. medium bitterness from front to back.
two local sites-to-see are the merced theatre, which opened on october 31, 1931 with the world premier of "local boy makes good" staring joe e brown....
and the george hicks francher monument.
george was a rich rancher who thought he was deserving of immortality, so he had this 68-foot tall erection, er obelisk, erected in his own honor.
to be continued. _________________ 1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.
Last edited by dodger tom on Wed Feb 28, 2024 12:24 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Shonandb Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2019 Posts: 1205 Location: Vancouver, BC
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2024 10:14 am Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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"brewed back in fresno, their general sherman is a west coast ipa sitting at a hefty 7.5% abv. it is a light golden color, clear, with a slight hint of pine that turns to stone fruit mid palate. medium bitterness from front to back."
That sounds tasty! Thanks for the narration and pics as always. _________________ *******************************
76 Westy with a 2.5L Subaru SOHC + Vanagon (010) Automatic Transaxle
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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1272 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2024 6:09 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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continuing on xevin's trip....
....heading north from merced we cleave through the heart of the sjv. there are lots of towns sprinkled along the way. atwater, delhi, ceres, ripon, and many more. alas, they lack brewpubs, and so they are simply so many hamlets along the highway as we whiz by.
turlock is the next stop.
the dust bowl brewing company is on the south side of town. it's a striking modern facility with big indoor spaces and a large outdoor patio.
they had three ipa's worth tasting. remember, i don't drink hazies.
"hops of wrath" is their flagship ipa. the name is, of course, a call-out to john steinbeck who wrote extensively about the migrants and ag workers in the sjv. at 6.6% abv it is a golden-orange brew with citrusy-floral notes up front, and pine at the back of the tongue. they describe it as "balanced," which is usually code for sweet, but the finish has a nice mild bitterness.
"lulupin handshake" is a tropical ipa with 7.6% abv. better than most "juicies," it has a pleasant fruity bitterness.
"tomorrow's clear" is described as an american ipa. a stout 7.1% abv, it nonetheless tasted like sweet hop water with little body and less flavor.
i had a pint of hops of wrath.
the two points of interest i could identify in turlock were a shopping center and something that isn't there anymore.
the shopping center, monte vista crossing, is on both sides of ca 99, and goes on for almost a mile.
a trip advisor reviewer said "too many stores in one location. most of the time it is grid lock in this area. too many people & long lines." nuff said.
the thing that isn't there used to be on the side of harder's print shop.
what used to be there was a mural.
it was meant to be celebratory, and to kickoff a campaign to raise funds for the assyrian-american civic club and a cultural mural at the civic club's hall. but, people quickly assigned other meanings to the mural, assuming it was related to the black lives matter movement. silhouettes are black, amirite? so, it was quickly painted over, cause, who wants a mural that has figures playfully expressing themselves through dance, peace signs and other gestures of active joy?
proceeding north we hit modesto, a town with an arch…..
and a mural.
and, persuasion brewing.
which also has a mural.
i had a number of tastes, but one stood out. the "while you were here." described variously as an american ipa and their take on a west coast ipa, it was yellow-gold in color with 7% abv. columbus hops produced the typical piney-dank bitterness that left my palate tingling.
to be continued. _________________ 1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled. |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22680 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2024 4:50 am Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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I feel you…close by
Stuck in Palm Springs for two weeks , won second place in a contest. I see lots of palms but few springs _________________ .ssS! |
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Xevin Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2014 Posts: 7635
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2024 6:22 am Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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Tom, another epic road trip and trip through memory lane
If you make it to Lodi be sure not to get stuck and here is the address to Little Xevin's first job. It’s where all the neighborhood kids worked without a car. There was nothing but agriculture surrounding the neighborhood in the 80s and before. Hope you save your appetite for a Chili Cheese Dog
5950 N HIghway 99 Frontage
Stockton, CA 95212
United States _________________ Keep on Busin'
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
Clatter wrote: |
Damn that Xevin... |
skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
I respect Xevin and he's a turd |
SGKent wrote: |
My God! Xevin and I 100% agree |
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richparker Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2011 Posts: 6989 Location: Durango, CO
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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1272 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2024 6:07 pm Post subject: Re: travels with the ‘78 ce2 |
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next stop: manteca.
the bartender said the area had changed from vineyards (table grapes, most probably) to condos and apartments. said it was now a bedroom community for the bay area, which is a mere 70 miles or so away. can you say "books on tape?"
the bartender worked here....
at the brethern brewing company. their mission is to brew beer, create a meaningful experience, and change manteca "one pint at a time." they plan to do the latter by donating profits to local nonprofits.
on the beer side i tried several. their consensus ipa, described as a juicy, came in at 6.9% abv. light gold and light bodied it had an effervescent presence on my tongue, and what i can only describe as a weird hop quality.
the fosted tips is a cold ipa, that is an ale brewed with lager yeast, that they describe as "ultra west coast." i beg to differ. with 6.7% abv it was clear and light gold. instead of having no weight on the tongue it had a nice light body and a fruity if light bitterness. yet, hardly utlra anything.
mumbling mule ipa is a west coaster with 6.8% abv. it poured clear with a light gold color tinged with a bit of orange. a mix of typical west coast hops including some cryo hops, which to me usually impart a chemically harsh bitterness. the first few tastes did not have that harshness, but, alas, it did come out as the pint went down, although it alternated with a nice flowery citrus hoppiness from the el dorado, mosaic, and citra. too bad that cryo flavor kept creeping in.
nearby is a mural saluting our military.
manteca's "not forgotten memorial day event" is said to be the largest such gathering on the west coast, drawing up to 20,000 people.
the only other site-to-see the internet could suggest was this:
for those sharp-eyed folk out there, there is a difference in the ce2's appearance in some of the photos. have you noticed what it is?
insert final jeopardy jingle here.
hubcaps. the bus has hubcaps in some photos, and not in others. that's cause i got new tires and powder coated the wheels. i've left the hubcaps off for the first 1,000 or so miles to retorque, some of us having reported loose lug-nut issues with powder coated wheels.
i did camp one night in the sjv. the dos reis regional park is a spot on the san joaquin river in the middle of the sjv.
to state the obvious, except for the levees on either side of the river, it is flaaat.
the campsite was just fine.....
and, the place was nearly empty.
it had showers.....
but with limited hours. the campground host walked up, and offered to turn the shower on for me. very sweet. kinda-warm-not-quite-cool, but did the trick.
the river is on the other side of the levee.
there is one thing the campground/park has, and that's signs.
i guess they don't want visitors lingering with their friends in the campground.
finances are tight in a lot of california counties. prop 13, and all that.
to be continued. _________________ 1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.
Last edited by dodger tom on Wed Feb 28, 2024 9:09 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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