Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 23:39:17 -0400
Reply-To: Miguel Calvin <mcalvin@ican.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Miguel Calvin <mcalvin@ican.net>
Subject: Trip Report - Bug Jam and Ron Salmon's
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
We decided on short notice to drive down to Perkiomenville and meet Ron Salmon
of Bus Depot fame. In his reply to my request of an audience he wrote that we
were welcome to camp in his driveway and that Bug Jam 2000 was to take place
the same weekend. So, that clinched it and off we went to Pennsylvania. We
set out on friday june 9 at about 7pm with Digit(Dog) and ?(Kitten) trying to
get to know each other in the rolling living-room of Frieden(Westy). We had
about 500 miles ahead of us, a full tank of (very expensive!) gas and me and
Sharon(Wife) taking turns driving and navigating.
I wore my green plaid shirt, with button-down collar done right up, and
trimmed my beard, to confuse the border guards. I needn't have worried; by
the time we reached the border the kitten was sleeping in the notch between
the back of my neck and the seatback. The border guard was only interested to
know if I wasn't uncomfortable like that... I told her no and off we went
into the Land o the Free.
We got a little lost in Buffalo, NY due to a slight miss-reading of our
auto-club trip routing instructions, but by 10:30 we were pulling into Darian
Lakes State park to camp. There was no-one at the gate to take our money so
we spent the night waiting for the knock on the door. We expected the Rangers
would spot us eventually but we were too tired to go looking for them. After
a beautiful, still night, with the smell of woodsmoke in the air, we awoke to
find that it was morning and there was still no-one at the gate. So we left.
Southern Ontario is is mostly flat. Penn. is impressively hilly, we loved it,
driving has never been such fun. After several stops along the way and
getting lost and turned around we discovered upon arriving in Perkiomenville
that I had left Ron's directions to his house at home. His number, however,
was already written in the kitten's collar capsule. We called and Evon was
able to set us straight in short order.
At Ron's place we were welcomed by Evon and a very sleepy Haley ,(their
daughter). Ron showed up shortly after we did and we shook hands - and stared
at each other - Ron looks at lot like me...eerie. Jerry, another member off
the BusDepot organization, was spending the night as well. We talked and
drank fine Belgian beer and ate corn on the cob and falafels. These are
really great people, generous, open-minded, and full of fun. We enjoyed
ourselves thoroughly.
The next morning we awoke and headed off to the show.
We scored a front table for our 83 and met some veedubers from Ottawa.
And I got my parts order from Ron. The pop-top seal is installed and fits
very well. There has been some controversy about the luggage rack "seal".
Ron's is really just edging with no seal bulb. Some said they like a full
seal in this area but I have to say that I have installed mine and have had no
problems since.
Our trip home was largely uneventful, and we were a bit hung over, so I won't
bore you with it.
Many thanks to Ron and Evon and Haley for their hospitality.
And by the way the cat is now called Whimsey, short for whimsical.
see you on the road:-)
--
A. Miguel Calvin
mcalvin@ican.net
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
83.5 1.9l Westy
