‘United States’

Some trips I’ve taken through the United States in my VW bus. Most of these are video clips with an article or two as well.

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.This is part 1 of the DVD I’m currently working on. Read the rest of this entry »

I met Jim by shear coincidence crossing the border at Mexicali from Mexico back into the U.S. While I was waiting to get in line he drove by and flipped my a peace sign. Not uncommon. I pulled into the border lineup behind him and after a few minutes he walked back and asked, “You’re wanderglobe aren’t you?” I said sure and told him I was Scott. He then looked at the bus and said, “and this is Dante.” WTF? You have to understand that Mexicali is not a common border crossing for gringos so to meet someone who was driving a VW in a border lineup over a mile long who knew me and my bus from online postings was quite the coincidence. Well that was just the start of the coincidences with Jim. Watch the video and you’ll see what I mean. Read the rest of this entry »

This video is a compilation of shots taken in and around Southern California. In some shots you’ll see two other Bay Windows. They belong to Alex and John, a couple of guys I met in the San Diego area who showed me some marvelous hospitality. Read the rest of this entry »

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. Read the rest of this entry »

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. Read the rest of this entry »

BM2006. What a great time. I had never been to Burning Man before and the opportunity to go and be a part of that festival with other VW owners was one I couldn’t miss. The people at VW Bus Camp were the best and after a day/evening of running around it was the best camp to come back to. I’m looking forward to getting back next year.  Music by The Method. Read the rest of this entry »

Hey all. Sorry for not keeping in touch. Been having a busy summer, without my bus. As some of you know I was driving it from Northern Alberta to Vancouver when it crapped out on a hill just south of Kamloops. Well the mechanics took the engine apart and this is what they sent me: Read the rest of this entry »

Well I’m back home again and by home I mean Canada. I had left Vancouver BC but didn’t want to return there so I came to Calgary where I’ve got a friend that I’m staying with. The trip home was an interesting one. I left Slab City by the Salton Sea on a Monday and was going to try to get to Vegas the same day. I took a short cut through Joshua Tree Park and while I was supposed to pay I didn’t bother because I was only passing through and didn’t see the sense in coughing up $20 in order to shave an hour off of my route. Good thing I didn’t get caught. I guess they don’t take kindly to that short of thing as there were some other people pulled over by park rangers on the side of the road looking very guilty and I doubt they were smuggling dope from Cali into Nevada. Read the rest of this entry »

I was driving down HWY 94 the other day when I found this great little pullout overlooking some ranches and farm houses so I decided to pull in and spend the day and maybe even boondock overnight. I hung around the area for the day washing some clothes, dishes, cleaning out the bus and working on the laptop. I actually picked up a wireless signal as well from somewhere in the valley which, while being weak, allowed me to take care of some online business. It was really a great little spot. Read the rest of this entry »

The other day I was in San Felipe Mexico on the Baja and had to head back to the U.S. to ship a camera to someone in Washington DC. No big deal, a few hours drive, very nice ride through the desert and I would have been back in San Felipe within the day.

I’m pulling into the U.S. customs lineup when I see a black 1961 bug heading towards me. Cool but not overly uncommon in Mexico except that the dude flipped me the peace sign. So I pulled into the line behind him and after about 5 minutes he walks back to me bus and says, “You’re wanderglobe aren’t you?” Read the rest of this entry »