travels with the ‘78 ce2

[dodger tom]

[richparker]

I don’t like the Phillies, but I like Houston less…

The Bird Cafe? Did it look like this? I’m took this one on June 26, 2014. We had a ‘68 Tin Top back then.

[/quote]

I know you’re a guy who likes threads, here’s a link to one. It’s actually 2 trips to Cali in 2 different buses.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
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’71 Westy build
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[dodger tom]

that’s the spot, rich. ordinarily, i probably wouldn’t’ve stopped due to the kitschy movie-title-reference name, but they had oysters, and it’d been way too long since i had some on the half-shell. and these were local.

they’re the only food i eat that’s still breathing when i eat it.
_________________
1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[richparker]

That was our first big trip in a bus, tensions were kinda high. But, I wish we would have ate there. These days we have things more dialed and go with the flow more. That bus was kinda small for us, Peryl suits our needs a lot better. Now we have the addition of the Sears Allstate trailer, that’s also gonna help things.

Cool trip, thanks for sharing!!! 👍
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[dodger tom]

i don’t know what it was like eight years ago, but, other than fresh oysters, which i doubt one-year-old miles woulda dug, and the harbor/bay view, the place wasn’t that great.

expensive: dozen oysters for $34.

no service: order at a window, wait for your name to be called, go get your food from another window, and bus your own table to three different containers for recycling.

i felt kinda stupid after tipping 20% on a $50 bill (for brunch!) for no service, although the woman was nice, and did give me two extra bags of oyster crackers on the house.

thanks for following, and commenting.

have started reading your california-trips thread.
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1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[otiswesty]

Great trip report, thanks for the inspiration!
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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[dodger tom]

take the long way home.

this is a trip back home. home as in growing up. that is “the valley“ as in the real valley, the san fernando valley. and, home as in the block i spent my most formative years on. meaning 11 years-old to mid-20’s.

the trip will bounce along the coast. this view is south across the water to the dunes all the way to point sal, which is usually not visible cause o the coastal fog. but, today, through the haze, there it is.

and, pismo beach all the way down to the point.

on down california 1 to oceano where a mandatory stop is the best mexican food in the county. and, murals on both sides.

chacho’s son max makes the best carnitas and great chili verde, and victoria’s hand-made flour tortillas are amazing.

grabbed a carnitas taco for lunch, and a carnitas combo for dinner. more on that later.

just a bit down ca 1 looms nipomo mesa. there are two ways up on this side. curve up through the trees, or shoot straight up. the bus makes it up way better than i do on my touring bike.

california is full of long stretches of eucalyptus trees. originally brought from australia by the railroads, hoping to use them for ties. they grow twice the size here. but, alas, when the wood dries it twists and cracks,which is not good for the tracks. but, great for wind breaks for crops. and, great for scenery.

a little way farther is sheridan road. that’s where randy pollack ran bbg (bugs, buses, and ghias). god, i miss him. after he died, his son had clearance sales. i swear to god there were 30 or 40 ghia doors along one of the fences.

going down the other side of the mesa is a more gradual grade, ending up in the santa maria valley. if the salinas valley is the nation’s “salad bowl,” this is the mini bowl. strawberry’s (year round), peppers, lettuces, and square miles of cruciferous vegetables. we have broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, and much more year round.

guadalupe is a small city coupla miles from the ocean. old-fashioned downtown just like those across the country.

mostly farm and ag workers. with an outsized view of their place in the state

hugging the coastal mountains on the west, ca 1 runs through the valley until it climbs up the foothills into this incredible coastal-mountain valley. the valley is another agricultural gold mine. they grow flowers. they grow strawberries. and they supply my local farmers’ markets with fresh asparagus ten months out of the year. pat gives me the frequent-spear-buyer’s discount.

the valley is home to vandenburg air force base, er…i mean space force base.

there’s a federal pen, too.

and, they have beans, too! i guess.

but, our destination is the local brewery. surprise!!

they have some quality hoppy beers. my two favorites were the tropical, which had a subtle fruitiness, and the double, an 8.6% abv hop bomb.

great space. good folk. clean beer.

back on ca1 south, turn right not that far out of town. 14 miles back to the pacific. jalama beach.

right out of the 50’s. and, in the middle of nowhere. this whole area was a hotbed of chumash folk, who obviously knew the good places to live. it was halama, but the spanish misspelled it. just as we mispronounce most of their place names near me.

drove down the hill, over the railroad tracks, back up to the campground.

found a site right on the beach. backed in, and, got stuck in the sand. shoulda knowed better. guy next door came over, and puled me out with his jeep.

hope i didn’t burn out my clutch.

ate my carrnitas combo to the sound of the pounding blue pacific. can you guess that i love salsa?

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

[richparker]

Awesome trip Tom! Can’t wait for more updates.

Safe travels!
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’71 Westy build
Adventure thread
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[dodger tom]

nice cold clear night on jalama beach. the almost-full-moon washed out most, but not all stars. stared up at orion at about 4am.

my spot is on harder sand, soes, maybe, i can drive out tomorrow.

breakfast was a "world famous jalama burger" (copyrighted).

no false advertising here, the burger was fabulous. that postcard reminded me of something.

and, so did the playground equipment.

this place is heaven. no crowds. beautiful surroundings. lot of places like that in california. probably shouldn't be advertising this one.

it's just a few miles north of point conception, and a few more miles north of purisima point above which are space launch complexes 6, 8, and 10.

the palisades above which sits the space force base.

nice trestle over jalama creek over which the pacific surfliner should pass by this afternoon. hope to get a pic.

not much to report today. quiet-relaxed-no-driving kind-of-day.

the pacific surfliner did pass by headed south....

just before sunset.

got the wool blanket out for another cool night in the 30's.
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1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[creative native]

These are great photos, Tom. I like following this post to see your updates. Is it expensive to camp on the beach where you were?
It is interesting that you referenced Orion because I had just taught my students in my people's language that we call Orion "Kuhsérhę Rahà·wiʔ," meaning "He Brings The Winter."
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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]

take the long way home - part 1

had to rename this trip, part 1, cause i have to cut it short. i’m still going to reseda, but it’s no longer a fun voyage. real life has intervened.

the purpose of the trip was to celebrate my best friend’s mother's 100th birthday on friday. i grew up across the street from them. she and mr. h were my second parents. she died yesterday, so instead of a birthday party on friday it’s a funeral on friday.

i am driving straight down today. no pics, no notes, no stories.

thanks to rich and duane ($35/night camping here) for the kind comments.

catch you next trip.
_________________
1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[dodger tom]

headed on another trip today. there are limited options going north. they all begin with climbing cuesta grade.

shortly after the pass we take ca 58 going east toward santa margarita.

a small town at the base of the salinas river valley.

old-west vibe.

ca58 at this point is a curvy road through the coastal mountains.

later it will become a four-lane freeway/highway through bakersfield and over the tehachapis into the mojave desert. sorry for the blurry photo.

headed to california valley where a super bloom is going on. especially in this wettest of years, colorful flowers are breaking out all over.

the first batch are shrubs with white flowers. not showy, but nice.

this is ranch country.

and, a bit of wetland.

and, of course grapes. more great wine is made in california than anywhere in the world. even france.

this whole area is out in the middle of nowhere. 40 million people, yet california has tons of middle of nowhere’s.

this is trails end.

but,it didn’t say whether it was the beginning or end of trails end.

along the road are some small patches of color.

around a corner, and a hint of what’s to come.

and, then, the real thing.

mostly yellows n golds, but some blues n purples.

then, into the california valley. full of ag and solar farms. california is the most productive place the usa. probably the world.

in the eastern end is carrizo plains. lots to see and experience. a day trip in the future, perhaps.

then, there’re the flowers.

up the other side of the valley.

into kern county.

and switch-backing down the other side.

can’t believe i rode up this on my bike. some years ago.

the san joaquin valley lies below.

and, mckittrick, smack in the middle of the oil fields.

and, home to the now-closed penny bar and hotel.

lester, whose trailer is across the street noticed my dunbar brewing company t-shirt, and, of course knows chris chambers. everyone know chris. chris organized that bike ride from the penny bar to dunbar brewing in santa margarita.

lester told me mike had put one million pennie’s on every surface of the bar. then, started on the outside.

then, on to bakersfield and lengthwise brewing.

some great ipa’s. centennial and citra-simcoe are my favorites. the first has piney and fruity overtones. the latter is pure citrus, as you’d expect. both are hoppy from front to back.
_________________
1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[airschooled]

Beautiful pics! You should try Cuesta on a bike… I've only gone down it, not up it!

Don't tell people about the 'middle of nowheres' out here, because soon they'll just be 'somewheres'

I visited Lengthwise before a Bakersfield Blaze game years ago… Now I only get up there for gravel races. Check out The Rock Cobbler if you're interested in some two-wheeled Type 2 fun next winter.

Have you noticed a change in Mosaic hops over the last 5-10 years?

Robbie
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[dodger tom]

robbie, i’ve done the cuesta grade in both directions. perfumo canyon is more challenging for me, but i’ve done it a few times going west, but bonked the only time i tried going east.

the internet has destroyed most every secret place/middle of nowhere.

as for the rock cobbler, i firmly believe from my days riding sewups that bikes and dirt/sand/gravel don’t mix. like oil and water to an acvw nut.

i enjoy mosaic hops more now than earlier. less caustic astringency and more fruity pineyness (sic). the oak and otter did a mosaic smash that was pure heaven. what change have you noticed?
_________________
1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[richparker]

Thanks for sharing Tom, awesome pics and safe travels!

I find it hilarious that Robbie is a cyclist now, especially a GB rider. 😂😂😂
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Adventure thread
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[SGKent]

thanks Tom. Had to take a sudafed after looking at all the beautiful flowers.... Have a wonderful trip.
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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]

drove during the night from bakersfield up ca 99 north, then a little west to ca 43, making a parallel-run to allensworth. where i spent the night at the john l whitehead, jr campground.

as you can see the san joaquin valley is FLAT.

allensworth was established by lt. colonel allen allensworth and professor william payne, both african-american, in 1908 as a spot for black soldiers to settle and prosper. and prosper they did. until the railroad moved its stop, white farmers diverted water for their fields, and the pacific farming company exercised its water rights. while the town got their rights back, allensworth was killed when hit by a motorcycle in monrovia, ca, and that proved the be the final nail in the coffin. so to speak.

allensworth was an ex-slave who became a chaplain in the u.s. army during the civil war.

they built a school, a library, a church, and, of course, houses.

back on 43 north.

the san joaquin valley is huge, 27,000 square miles, FLAT, and fifty miles across. it is part of california’s central valley along with the sacramento delta and the sacramento valley extending 400 miles from lebec, at the bottom of the grapevine, to redding in the north.

though there are pockets of dense urbanity, it is largely agricultural.

have i said that california is the most agriculturally productive place in the usa? probably the world?

changing climate and economies means sometimes crops get ripped out to be replaced by something else.

including solar farms.

the tracks run alongside ca 43. the supply chain was moving throughout my stay.

then, huge construction in the middle of nowhere (sorry, robbie). i thought, bullet train?

sure enough, google told me that is the tule river high-speed rail viaduct. recent flooding had halted construction, but they were back at work today.

california is finally getting hip to traffic circles. many drivers are frightened of them, but spend a few weeks in new zealand, and round abouts become second nature.

the advantage in new zealand is that traffic comes from the right, so right-of-way has some logical consistency.

our first destination, corcoran, which calls itself the “farming capitol of california.”

and, of course, this is california, soes there’s a prison. a rather large prison.

and, a brewpub.

alas, no real ipa’s. i ended up having one infused with some hemp oil. not too bad, but the dreaded fifth ingredient! however, the brat was tasty, as were the frog legs.

have i mentioned that it is FLAT here?

i tried to get to tulare lake, which was the largest freshwater lake west of the mississippi til it was drained by agricultural and municipal water concerns. but, i didn’t drive around the second road-closure blockades cause the sheriff was in the vicinity. though, there was evidence of the rains.

on my way back out of corcoran, the supply chain had stopped.

so, i turned right and drove half a mile where the supply chain just started moving out of the way.

back on ca 43 north. getting behind my bus can be a frustrating experience for other drivers. as it can be for me behind a “wide load.”

back onto ca 99 north…

only to hit a pervasive california problem, traffic.

off ca 99 at grant line road, a less traveled route to the eastern stretches of the sacramento megalopolis (sorry, robbie).

they are building residences all over the folsom and el dorado hills hills.

i’m on the way to coloma for my non-adopted father’s 99th birthday. you’ve accompanied me from folsom to coloma before, so i’ll sign off now.
_________________
1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[Clementine79]

Looks like some nice travels, we were just down in Los Angeles and Huntington Beach, theres some really great scenery along the PCH I wish we lived down South!
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1979 VW BUS
Riviera Penthouse Model

[Abscate]

Thanks for bumping this one. Enjoyed both rides in pictures.

If Tom answers “ No problem “ he is dead to me

🤓
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.ssS!

[airschooled]

I appreciate the history lessons! Very guilty of blowing past interesting monuments in the name of work travel efficiency, but I never regret a single stop I’ve make.

HSR is so dang exciting, I’m glad we get to live through it. Because there’s no such thing as sitting in traffic, there is only being traffic.

(I say this as I sip a Hopliner IPA on the freshly reopened Amtrak Surfliner..)

Do you always travel with the rear curtains drawn? I’m too skittish about being rear-ended despite the cabin cooling advantage on a northbound drive..
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