[tcb] Re: havasu
- From: "Sharon Chamberlain" <iluvvws@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 05:16:52 -0600 (Central Standard Time)
Love the article about Havasu Gerald, now I am even more excited to go, aren
t VW people cool?
We are all so lucky.
I remember the first year at the TX Classic when you brought your parents
and I wished I had my parents too, first like new original side tent I had
ever seen, it rained that night.
-------Original Message-------
From: Gerald V. Livingston II
Date: 12/28/2006 3:57:03 AM
To: tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tcb] Re: havasu
On Tue, 26 Dec 2006 20:15:58 -0800 (PST) sammie smith
<bugcollections@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> OK, you guys have me thinking about Havasu; and this from someone who
> just drove to LA and back 4 weeks ago. Have never been. How is it? How
> many busses? How good is the swap area? Is it worth driving 1,500 miles?
> (3,000 round trip.) And any other input anyone wishes to give that would
> help me decide.
Yeah, I was sorta hoping someone would say something about what this show
is like. I've always wondered and was thinking about ... Oh, waitaminit ...
I guess *I* should be the one speaking up huh?
BBB is the first VW campout-show I attended. 2007 will be my 6th year. It
was also the first "big" (100+ vehicles) show I attended and the first that
didn't have regular judging.
In 2002 with (very little) prompting from the Buskatiers I got in my '69
Beetle that would NEVER make it all the way to AZ. I drove up to Oklahoma
City and pulled up in front of the house of someone I had never met in real
life. They showed me around, fed me, and parked me in front of their
computer when they went off to bed (since they both had to work the
following day) at around 10 PM. At about 2 AM two VW Buses from Kansas and
Nebraska pulled up. Art and his wife got back out of bed and made sure
everyone got hot coffee. Talked a while then I piled into one of the Buses
with two of the midwesterners and the other two hopped in the other bus. We
headed for I-40 determined to make it to Havasu in one shot. I left my bug
parked there, at the home of someone I had never met, and wasn't worried
about it at all.
The best laid plans ... From OKC we drove through the day and then through
most of the next night. At Flagstaff everybody was too tired to see
straight so we pulled into a truck stop to take a nap. Note, "napping" in a
bus when the temperature drops to 5 degrees is WAY too cool for my taste.
When the sun started peeking out we headed out again and made it to Havasu
that afternoon.
Now, this was at the old location for the show. No ground cover and the
wind off the lake never *EVER* stopped blowing. Plus temps were in the 30's
at night and the 50's or 60's during the day.
I was there with nothing but me, a few $$$, and a sleeping bag.
And that's where the PEOPLE make this show SHINE. Someone will find you a
place to bunk, usually a "spare bus" that one of the locals has brought
down. If you made it to the show you won't go hungry either. It seems like
everybody that cooks, cooks extra.
I had a blast. We drove back to OKC (in warmer weather by Sunday) via the
Hoover dam, just kickin back and relaxing.
I haven't missed a year since then. 2007 will be my 6th year to go.
In 2003 I took a Greyhound bus to Tulsa to be co-pilot for a young lady and
her two children because she had been wanting to go but didn't feel safe
making the trip alone -- so she invites an old long-hair who she's never
met to be her co-pilot. The weather was a little warmer for that drive and
with the show now at it's new (and current) location it was much nicer AT
the show too.
In 2004 I had the Chevy -- and I had bought the Riviera, sight unseen, in
Concord, CA, off of a Samba advert. I also had a tow-bar that I had bought
at the Jerome show in September 2003. I drove the 700 miles PAST Havasu to
pick up the Rivi and thus began the tow-camper adventures. Total driving
mileage was over 4000 that year for the trip. I dragged it back to Havasu
for the show and was there for the first time with my OWN Bus.
---SIDEBAR---
In May of that year I hooked up the Rivi to the tow-bar and dragged it to
the first Texas VW Classic. I got both my Mom and Dad to go with me and
they had a great time. Mom drove down from Alabama to go on the trip. A few
months later I got my Dad to go with me to the infamous Chigger Fest. Then
in October I towed the Rivi to West Virginia to attend John Brown's Buses
and Mom traveled with me on that trip.
In June 2005 they both died. But we had a GREAT last year with the
non-running Riviera.
---END SIDEBAR---
And, backing up, In January 2005 I attended BBB once again. Towed the
Riviera from the house and worked on it for a few hours in Ronnie's shop
(Ronnie owns http://www.type2parts.com -- if anything breaks on your trip
he should have a replacement). I actually started the Rivi for the first
time there at BBB 2005.
And the number of attendees keeps going up each year. In 2005 there were
almost 200 registered campers.
2006 was BBB-X. I got there a day early and helped stuff the "goody bags"
Thursday night. We stuffed over 200. The gates opened early Friday. By
Saturday morning all of the registration material (goody bags,
show-magnets, registration forms) were gone. The final guess was over 300
campers in attendance. By mid-morning Saturday all of the raffle tickets
had been sold out and they were raiding the local Wal-Mart to buy more.
Absolutely AWESOME..
Don't come looking for a trophy. What "prizes" there are are awarded to
Buses selected by the organizers. They try not to pick the same vehicles
every year and their choices are more along the lines of "wow, that's neat"
or "no way, that can't be the same rustbucket that was here last year!" or
"look, Mom - Dad - 4 kids, loaded in the Westy and drove 1000 miles, cool".
One of the big deals at Havasu is the RAFFLE! The proceeds from the show go
to Arizona children's charities and they get some big name companies to
donate some very cool shit. They also raffle off an engine and a
transmission each year. New engine built by club members from all new
parts, transmission usually donated by Rancho.
There's good info on the itenerary at http://www.busesbythebridge.com.
There's more info in two threads on TheSamba.Com
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=191814
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=208204
I'm trying to get there a little earlier each year so I can camp out and
get a day or two of rest then help set up the show. On Sunday I stay until
the park is empty in case there's any help needed on cleanup. There
generally isn't because the attendees are good about policing themselves.
Depending on when I get on the road I generally stay under 60 on the way
over there. Coming home I stay AT 50.
I take 190 across until it forces me back on to I-10 just before Fort
Stockton. This route avoids driving through Houston and San Antonio.
In 2006 I I got back off of I-10 at Fort Stockton and went north, up
through Carlsbad then across through Alomogordo. I don't think I'll do that
this year unless I can be SURE the weather is good. That way goes WAY up
into the mountains and I am definitely not rigged for driving in ice and
snow. I got LUCKY this year when I did it. It only bypasses El Paso anyway.
White Sands Missile Range forces you to go all the way back down to I-10 or
way north to 380 to get around.
If you take the I-10 route and you happen to enjoy occasional use of
"recreational pharmaceuticals" *LEAVE THEM AT HOME*. You will pass through
a border patrol checkpoint traveling both directions on I-10 and also on
I-25 headed south from Alomorgodo if you go that way. It can only be
(easily) avoided by going north and using I-40 or US 380 to travel west.
There is good chance the BP will ask to run the dog around your vehicle
simply because it is what it is. I've had that happen once.
For 2007 I'm planning to try to leave at midnight the night of Sunday the
7th/Monday the 8th. If you're planning to stay at a hotel, the host hotels
are probably all booked by now. Call around NOW to see if you can find
another. Call Ronnie (get his number from his website) and he can probably
help look.
OK, I'm done for now.
G2
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