That’s a wrap, folks. Two years ago we bought some podcasting equipment and consulted our friend Alan (who has long-produced podcasts for the local NPR affiliate) on how to edit audio. We drove around our hometown, collecting stories from friends and family who had owned VW buses. They referred us to other people. I taughtContinue reading “Podcast: The End”
Tag Archives: oral history
One Last Detour: Revisiting the Happy Trucker Show
Way back in the summer of 2021, one month before embarking on the trip of a lifetime in our 1979 VW Bus, we called into the flagship show of Happy Productions—a Wednesday night program called The Happy Trucker Show hosted by Shawn Sullivan. We had no idea really what lay ahead of us—no idea ourContinue reading “One Last Detour: Revisiting the Happy Trucker Show”
Detour #10: What’s in a name?
Well, folks, I screwed something up with the web catalog on this episode (for those of you who stream in order, you probably noticed this had the same audio as a previous episode). It’s fixed now, which is great because we love this episode. One of our first interviewees, William, submitted a question to usContinue reading “Detour #10: What’s in a name?”
Podcast: Miranda and James (with Ken)
In November of 2018, I placed a bid on a VW bus in Clear Lake, Iowa, owned by James and Miranda Eilders. I had never owned a VW before and I figured it would be a neat car to own, to take out on the weekends, and tool around town. I did not have theContinue reading “Podcast: Miranda and James (with Ken)”
Detour # 9: The Finer Things in Life
Before we interviewed Carson (S9, E5) about his bus story, we had a little side conversation about coffee, about Swiss cheese and watches—about the finer things in life. If you’re a coffee snob, aficionado, or you just love good coffee (I’m all three), you’ll want to give this one a listen. Great coffee can beContinue reading “Detour # 9: The Finer Things in Life”
Podcast: Carson
Carson is a professional musician with a story to share. For him, the VW bus is an emotional journey that has come to define his relationship with his father. It’s a heartbreaking look at how the things we own are sometimes an extension of ourselves.
Podcast: Bonnie
Bonnie Larsen bought her bus as her marriage of many years was ending. Working on the bus and becoming part of the greater VW community helped her heal and move on, she says. As part of her journey, she opened up an online store, ToolMomStore.com
Podcast: Amanda & Matt
Amanda and Matt Hakola have owned a few buses before finally finding their current bus and landing in Oklahoma. Their bus is also the mothership for their business Ragtag Resilience—an approach to stabilizing food systems by doing a lot of little things that add up to change. (They farm their .15 acres and grow lotsContinue reading “Podcast: Amanda & Matt”
Podcast: Pat
Pat reached out to us in our final weeks on the road. The temperatures soared and we were looking for any respite we could find from the heat. Pat invited us out to camp at his place near the last stand of tall grass prairie in Kansas. But the real reason I wanted to goContinue reading “Podcast: Pat”
Podcast: Jarah
Oh, the Sullivans! We love these people. Jarah is the daughter of Emma and Shawn Sullivan, our friends and podcast syndicators at Happy Productions. In four different visits to Minnesota we came to know them all quite well. I edited season 4 of the podcast in Jarah’s office at the studio. She babysat our pup,Continue reading “Podcast: Jarah”
On the Road with Adie 