Random Pixels
Paddling The Tunnels at Caddy Lake (video)
I got a call from my mother one day telling me that they had pallets of kayaks for sale at Costco. I figured they were probably drek but I drove down and took a look at them. They were your usual, low end kayaks but these ones came with the car rack (sponge and rope), paddle and a spray skirt. There was a small, air tight compartment at the back for gear, a fairly comfortable seat, drink holder, waterproof pouch for a GPS and it even had foot pegs. I checked out the online reviews and they were pretty good overall. I also found that they usually sell for around $600 and Costco had them on sale for a little less than $400 so I scooped one up. gopro, kayaking, caddy lake
My Volkswagen Blanket
I was surfing around a website earlier today, looking at their collection of groovy VW paraphernalia, when I saw that they had a vintage VW blanket for sale. The blanket wasn’t vintage, the VW’s on it were. It reminded me of my own VW blanket that I got for Christmas a few years back from my mother. My mother is quite the artist when it comes to quilting and there are pieces of her art scattered around the house. My particular quilt was much more than just a pattern she bought off the internet. For instance, each bus on the blanket is unique and there are enough buses on there that each of my family members was able to sign it. When I’m on long trip I put the blanket across the back seat and never feel far from home, even though there may be thousands of miles separating us. Some of the bus patterns reflect the members of my family like the horses on the bus signed by my niece, Halie, who ride horses and works in a stable. Finally, right in the middle of the blanket, is an orange bus with Dante written underneath it. For those who don’t know, my VW is named Dante the Hellrider. The blanket is barely big enough to cover my upper body but it’s always the first one packed before I hit the road.
My New Travel Tattoo (video)
I’ve had an old tattoo on my right arm for about 30 years. It was a union jack with Anarchy written across it and was cool at the time but it had since gotten faded and worn and was looking pretty beat up. I wanted a cover up done that would represent my love of travel and incorporate a few key elements into it. Primarily a VW bus and a backpacker at the top. The backpacker is actually a modified silhouette of a good friend of mines father who recently took his final trip into the great unknown, Phil. This video is a time lapse of an 8 hour tattoo session.
Dante Has Clear Coat
After a few years of a rusty and worn looking skin, Dante is now sporting a shiny new layer. These were shot while the clear was still wet so they should tone down a bit. I’m pleased the orange darkened up a tad though.
Dante’s New Paint
We can rebuild him. We can make him stronger. We can make him faster. We can make him more orange. Continue reading “Dante’s New Paint” »
Touring The USA
This video is a compilation of shots taken around the United States.
The Pacific Northwest
I spent a few days in touring around the Pacific Northwest on my way south to California. On this trip I visited the Olympic Peninsula, Pike Place Market in Seattle, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens and the Oregon Coast.
Speed King
I had a lot of footage from my trip down the west coast, around the south west and into Mexico so I decided to throw it all together into one video. The song is Speed King by Deep Purple and anyone who owns a bus, and most who do, will get the joke. Watch the little green sign in the bottom left hand corner of the video to see where you are.
Death Valley
I had a few chuckles shooting this. I was going for the Clint Eastwood look and not getting very far with it. I really loved Death Valley for both the scenery and the very groovy people I met there. I found a place to camp that was a few miles up the road from Stovepipe Wells. It had the same facilities as the campground in Stovepipe Wells only it was at a higher elevation (cooler) and it was free. There were nice, well maintained washrooms there and access to drinking water. A few other people also discovered this great little spot so each evening we all gathered and had a pot luck dinner which was nice. I recommend Death Valley as a great place to visit but make sure you do it in the winter time as it’s far too hot in the summer and a lot of the facilities are closed. Enjoy the vid and take note of where we are in the of third shot…Dantes View.
California Sun
Some video of my trip down the California Coast.
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