We left Asheville about 6:30 Fri. night = in a downpour.

We lost the passenger side wiper (KATHUNK), arm and = all, in Hickory. It nearly took off the side mirror, too. We probably laughed = for five miles, but we never slowed down. The rain cleared up just as we pulled = off the freeway in Greenville. We knew we were headed the right direction when = we saw a strange high top Vanagon abandoned by the roadside. (It arrived later on = a flatbed wrecker, and it occurred to me that there is probably no better = place to arrive in that fashion than a VW campout.)

Anyway, of course as = soon as we arrived at 10:30 it began to rain again. So we set up camp next to = Joel and Carrie, who graciously saved us a space, and between our assorted tarps = and awning we managed to create a reasonably dry spot spanning the two vehicles.

Then the party began. Royce came by and so many other = people that I can't even remember the names. We carried on through all day = Saturday and Sunday morning. Intermittently, we went out into the rain to visit, and = I have to agree that it was 'Laid Back'.

Saturday night was the big = event, Door Prizes and Concert. Apparently we did win a prize, as did Joel, but we = were both sort of temporarily incapacitated in our respective vans and regretfully = could not be present to accept. We were on hand for the attendees choice = awards. Although we voted for the trailer queen RHD Vanagon for the 'I can't = believe that you made it here in that thing' category, I think that one of the = Ohio boys won (deservedly). The concert was a high volume hoedown and our favorite = was a VERY impassioned rendering of 'Wild Thing'. I don't know who the singer = was, but that's OK because I have to doubt that he remembers singing it at all.

Sunday morning came early when the sun came up in clear = skies and turned the Van into a toaster. We had a wonderful breakfast of burritos = and headed off for home, kind of sad it was all over.

Tom and Dana Cates
83 Air-cooled Westfalia 'Hammurabi"
Member HTTP://www.FullMoonBusClub.com