Podcast: Sam

We were driving through Wisconsin when the recently rebuilt engine in our bus, Adie, completely seized on us. Luckily our friends, Shawn and Emma, at Happy Productions Radio were a mere 250 miles away and their long-time friend, Sam Weyandt, at Dune Buggy Supply was not far from them. Even though we had never metContinue reading “Podcast: Sam”

Podcast: William & Cory

We were a dozen states into our 49 state tour when our exhaust system developed a crack. I jumped on VanAlert and found a place called the VW Garage in Portland Maine. The shop owner, Cory Sterling, hooked us up with a metal fabricator and welder named William Bruce. William is a fellow VW ownerContinue reading “Podcast: William & Cory”

Piece by piece

There’s a Johnny Cash song about a guy who steals parts from his automobile assembly plant job and builds his car one piece at a time at home. (The song was actually written by Wayne Kemp.) The song is fun and farcical and it ends by the narrator saying that the car is a vintageContinue reading “Piece by piece”

Podcast: Gianfranco & Kim

We were staying in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, with a VW collector named Gianfranco Martinelli and his family when the weather took a turn and they invited us to stay in their spare room. We stayed with the Martinellis for a few days and became fast friends. We sat down with Gianfranco to ask him aboutContinue reading “Podcast: Gianfranco & Kim”

The Lucky Rabbit

“I am mapping us to a surprise,” Miracle said as we cruised southward. It was cold outside and we finally had a break in the rain, although the air was still heavy with moisture. I wasn’t sure if I could handle any more surprises since my last surprise—which happened to be a brake job. ButContinue reading “The Lucky Rabbit”

In search of coffee

We continued south on the Trace, stopping for coffee at a place called Lost Gringos in French Camp. Normally I make coffee in the mornings. It’s a process I have outlined painstakingly in previous blogposts and a source of pride. Heating the water to the right temperature, pouring it and compressing it in the airContinue reading “In search of coffee”

Podcast: Ces

Ces Saavedra contacted us before we departed on our 49 state tour in our own VW bus, Aide. She sent me this picture of her six buses lined up on the shore of Lake Norman and said, you need to come to North Carolina. We put her on the map right away and a mereContinue reading “Podcast: Ces”