[tcb] Re: havasu
- From: "Gerald V. Livingston II" <gerald.tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 23:28:39 -0600 (Central Standard Time)
Granted.
Sammie is Nac -- you are? NHVWC?
I'm a bit wired tonight. Slow, rainy, day. I may look at it and do some
edits. I'll email a copy direct to you and Sammie if I do. What I wrote was
a random ramble intended for email. It should be cleaned up a bit for
print.
But, ask around about me actually finishing things I start. Don't hold your
breath waiting for an edit if you have a deadline.
I would like a copy of the issue it prints in from each of you.
Thanks
G2
On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 20:59:57 -0800 (PST) a riggs <redvan71@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> Wow, Gerald -
>
> I'd like permission to use your "essay" in our newsletter, too. (with
> appropriate credits, etc.)
>
> You might have to start charging!
>
> Allan
>
> --- "Gerald V. Livingston II" <gerald.tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > 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.
> >
> === message truncated ===
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