Out of Fort Lauderdale

Its funny how things can work out sometimes. Regardless of the clock in my head or the pain in my back from sitting too long,the traffic,the stops for fuel, the tinkering on the car, food, what ever it may be. The time is the time I get there. So yesterday after all that I pull over at a pizzeria in Melbourne beach. Its getting almost dark thirty. I have no plans but I know that I should have some food before my choices are narrowed to junk food. So Pappgallos it is. There are many pizza joints around here I might add. They have a killer eggplant parm for 9 bucks. After my meal I meander, and check out the nav system looking for a place to crash for the night. I make a few calls and one that I choose from the navigator is some guys name and he asks me where I got his number and about the snafu a couple of years ago and that from time to time he gets a call like this. Well as luck would have it he directs me to Wickham park in the middle of Melbourne. So after knowing that I don't have to backtrack or drive another hour I am stoked. I walk out of the restaurant and there is this clean yellow bus parked next to mine and in it is Brown Bus from the Samba. He asks me my name and a while back he had offered me a place to urban camp and a shower. They had put a note on my window and were about to leave. So how is that for timing. You can`t make plans like that. I went to the Wickham and the Night watch Park ranger is a VW person so I got the Killer spot. But I am gonna have dinner with Brown Bus and his wife tonight. Its a good set up. People never cease to surprise me.

I am a little behind on the photos but here are a few from Lauderdale and Deerfield.

I am such a tramp

So the day that I surfed Hightower beach was really the end of a small disturbance. I was lucky that day. Since then it has been flat in S. Florida. The time here in Fort Lauderdale has been relaxing and I am eating very well. Hernons wife is a chef and her mother is a great cook and asked if I was gonna stay for a little celebration for her grand daughter. She is making a Peruvian pork roast. I was gonna head out today but thought, if I leave and travel on Sunday what is the point of leaving that pork roast behind. It good to not be a vegetarian. I could leave and head north to the campground and flat surf, maybe a hotdog with some mac and cheese for dinner... or I can hang out just a little longer and get fat. HMMM...I`ll get fat.
Note that after 2 weeks or more I finally figured out how to find and reply to comments. I am fat and challenged. Gotta eat.

Made the East coast

I can no longer say that I have never driven across the country. I can say that I did it in a 38 year old VW bus. Its a good car. The drive from Florence Al. to Cocoa Beach Fla. was without incident and for the most part long. I pushed through to arrive as I really needed a surf. It had been nearly 3 weeks since my last paddle out. I had encountered some rainy, blustery conditions on the road through Florida. The good part is that it made the heat a little more tolerable. When I finally did get off the highway and make it to the sand I was pleasantly surprised to find some waist high warm water waves. Now it not to say that I had travelled all this way for that, but something is better than nothing. Crowd was lite and the few guys in the water were cool I did tell one guy what I was doing, He said I was nuts. I will be sure to keep it a secret next time.
After a short surf I pushed on to Fort Lauderdale where I have people. I made it in time for a late dinner and a nice visit with friends and their new wives. It was nice. But the weather here is tough for me. I can only imagine what it must have been like when the first railroad was put in through Florida. Who thought that it would be a good idea to build where there is just swamps. Yea I guess that it takes imagination. Well I will try to get back as I have to run off for now. Sorry No pics. In my excitement to get waves I forgot.

Family time in Florence Al.

After leaving E.S. Ar. I did a overnight stay in Memphis. Bar B Q was just ok and the music is still alive and well there. Had a chance to get my new hat at Lansky and sons. Then it was off to Florence Al.

If it wasn`t for family in Florence Al. I don`t know that I would spend much time here. It was good to spend time with them doing nothing at all. It is a nice small town. If I lived in a place like this I think I would go a little crazy as there is no beach or I would work a lot. I just don`t know how people that don`t surf get along. I am ready for the beach.

This is a picture of a Frank Loyd Wright designed home. It is made of plywood/wood and glass. The Rosenbaum Home even had a Frank Loyd Wright designed remodel. It still has 95% of the original plywood furniture in it. Cool pad and cooler car...ehh.

Show Time

Its Saturday nite and the show is over. The last 2 days I managed to stay fairly busy. When I got to Eureka Springs I left a note at the desk of the host hotel stating that I would volunteer to help if there was anything to do. Well there was and I don`t know how I got such a cushy job selling the tee shirts. Thanks Dave. Honestly I have met so many people and have tried to remember their names. So let me apologize in advance if I mess it up. The gal that I was working with the first day , Claudette she was ok for a bayhater. I think I just made a new word. It was still a fun day. Thanks for putting up with me.

The parade through town was a hoot. Residents and tourists alike roll out for this. That was when I was real happy to have mild temps. It got a little toasty. I am sorry to the drivers behind me when the cars in front of me got away from me due to my last candy toss I got left behind. Then we were all off the course. Thank goodness for the green bus, as I was able to follow him to get back on track.

I love this show for the fact that there are a good proportion of later model cars. And there were some very nice ones. I will be surprised if they show up in any of the press.

I had initially made plans to stay here through Monday. I am leaving Sunday as I really need to surf. The sooner I get on the road the sooner I will be in Memphis.

Take a look at that crazy ride. It takes all kinds... eh.

It is impossible to photo all the nice cars so there are a couple of over view shots. People here are really great. I want to give a shout out to Jeff in the Diamond green oval. He had welcomed me from the moment I mentioned that I was headed for the show. Thanks to all those that welcomed me and for the really cool stein and mug. They will look great in my VW collection. Oh and by the way you all know now that I have an award winning bus. Thanks

This was a really special show as there was a wedding at the show. That is the wedding party.

Leaving Fort Smith redux

Due to technical limitations I am able to load only 4 pics per entry. Here are a couple more.

leaving Fort Smith

While staying in Fort Smith I spent most of the days getting my bus dialed in, and working on my friend Petees bus. That is the red and white one in the pics. It came from Ca. the first part of this year and in now a antique in Ark.. It is still a nice bus.

The drive up to Eureka Springs is absolutely beautiful. The trip from Fort Smith to Eur. Springs is not too far so I was able to just relax and enjoy the scenic drive up the "Pig Trail" I have yet to find out why it is called the pig trail. I suppose that I should probably ask. It runs from I-40 up ark. hwy #23 for 30 miles to Eureka Springs. It is gorgeous. Not too steep but you definatly should take it easy especially in a bus . It keeps the crap in the car from flying all around. Now thats how to describe a road condition.

I do need to mention that while working on Petees bus we had to make a run for parts and that he knew where there was the last surviving repair shop/ VW junk yard in the area just across the river in Oklahoma. So we took a little trip to Roland OK. and I was pleasantly surprised to find Polks bug repair. A little one man shop run by an enthusiast/ fire fighter. Great guy pretty cool set up. I knew when I met his dog Pierce that he was a good guy. I could have brought that dog with me. Just too funny that dog. It is people like Phillip at Polks that keep my hobby alive. He even had a surfboard at his shop. Check out that sign. Its a 69 in case you were interested.

While at Peetes powder coat shop he has this program and vinyl that they use for masking. He made me a very cool one off sticker.