BacalarBlog

Better late than never.  Here are some stats of our trip to Mexico.  Numbers have been rounded up and approximated to CAD values, as most bills were in either USD or Pesos.  NOT too shabby for a 5 month drive around, eh !?!

Fuel – $2200.00 CAD – 18,000 km traveled

Boarder fees – $76.00 CAD

Tolls – $450.00 CAD – OUCH !  Those Mexican toll roads are nice though !

Accommodations, camping & Casita rental – $17oo.00 CAD

Propane – $50.00 CAD

Food & trinkets are not calculated as they are NOT part of the trip !  Gotta eat wherever you are and the trinkets – well – they are JUST part of keeping the economy alive !

Adios,

Frank, Rita & Hunter

     Folks, we got back home this afternoon around 3 pm.  All’s well.  We spent last night in Peterborough with Jerry & Sofie and the night before in Sarnia with Elaine.  Stopped by the “Get Outta Winter Camp Out” in Guelph on the way by. The rain sure put a damper on that event.  A few hardy souls were there.  We had lunch and kabitzed with Don for awhile then continued on our way.  A full report will be forthcoming after some decompression !  Sure nice to be back in OUR house says Rita !  No problems here just a HUGE pile of mail to sort through.

Adios,

Frank, Rita & Hunter

     Iowa !  Davenport Flying-J to be exact !  That’s were we spent the night.  Progress IS being made !  Today fly-by Chicago and up into Michigan heading for the boarder at Sarnia !  All’s well and the Vanagon is almost done with the I-80.  Now onto I-94 and I-69.

Adios,

Frank, Rita & Hunter

        Nebraska is FLAT !  Finally out of the mountains, made it to North Platte at the Flying-J, again, for the night.  Weather is warm but a sprinkle of rain last night.  Looks sunny and clear this morning.  Eastward we go…………

Adios,

Frank, Rita, & Hunter

Snow covered mountains in the west

More mountains

AND more mountains

The Bonneville Salt Flats

Art on the salt flats

Windmills in the mountains

     Folks, we got back on the road Monday morning.  Headed up over the coastal mountains to pick up the I-5.  What a great ride up through the dense forest and fog of the coastal mountains over to Gilroy then through the farmlands towards Los Banos.  On the I-5 up to Sacramento with all it traffic and found the I-80 East, yes it was the 5th, 6th or 7th lane on the right, yikes !  Then that lovely I-80 will stay with us for quite some time.  Up into the mountains again, Tahoe forest and eventually reaching a summit of 7,900′.  Good little Vanagon !   Winding p at the Fling-J in Winnemucca for the night.  Morning came and off we went through the high desert to Wendover, the Bonneville Salt Flats,  Salt Lake City then up the mountains again heading for Wyoming.  Last night’s stop was again the Flying -J in Rock Springs Wyoming.  The I-80 is provides a visual treat for the traveler, a never changing scenic landscape passing by.  Mountains of all colours, shapes and sizes, covered with SNOW, but none down on the roadway, desert, and salt flats !  It sure is a work out for the Vanagon though as it’s puney little engine sure has a hard go of it up the hills !  BUT, so far so good and today off towards Cheyenne and beyond.

Adios,

Frank, Rita & Hunter

         Folks, we just got back from Synco de Mayo out in Hollister Hills, CA.   Click here: Syncro de Mayo 2009   We left April, Sal and baby Owen Kai in Watsonville Saturday morning and drovethe 1/2 hour ride up through the hills over to Hollister and then found our way up to the SVRA state park where this event has been held for 10 years.  Well, OMG, what a spectacle !  Since it rained pretty much all day Friday and it was sort of gloomy Saturday the park was a muddy mess, but just what these Syncronaunts like !  We found a camp spot near our friends Mark & Ann and were soon overwhelmed by all the folks there that wanted to come and meet us after having been following our adventures all winter.  Unbelievable, to meet and see so many folks that we knew only by name, conversations on the Vanagon Lists, through my business and conversations on our Blog.  We never did get a chance to go up on the muddy hill to watch the Syncros at play in the mud.  They sure seemed to be having a ball though.  Mud caked Vanagons passing through the campsite while we were busy meeting and greeting and trying to get a bite to eat.  The afternoon wore on, with free tap beer from a local micro brewery and live music from a stage, and soon preparations for the evening barbecue were under way.  Help was needed so Rita & I pitched in and helped arrange the largest barbecue we have ever seen.  Steaks, chicken, corn, mushrooms, salads, deserts, etc, etc, etc !  Truly amazing work by the organizers Brent, Seth, Al, Darrell, Mark, Ann, Venice, and many more whom I’ve forgotten their names already.  After the super supper, awards were given out and door prizes drawn.  Rita & I won a bag full of goodies and were quite surprised.  Long distance award went to Darell Christensen who came down from Duval, Washington.  No it did not go to us, we did not drive all that way just for this event !!!.  There were well over 100 vehicles, not all Vanagon Syncros but all sorts of 4WD vehicles and many 2WD Vanagons & other VW Buses.  Some of the better known VW businesses were represented such as Lucas and Taylor from Go Westy, Peter and Chris from Van Cafe,  Darell of AA transaxel and Brady and Jim of Bostig Engines were there also.  They even had a free WiFi set up for all of us to use.  Saturday night a great bonfire got going quite near our camp and of course I had the tequila to pass around.  Long into the night stories were swapped until tired bodies found their way to their beds !   Sunday morning was a mixed bag of weather, sun peeking in and out intermixed with light rain.  Folks began packing and saying good by.  By 10 we were packed back up and on our way back to Watsonville to spend the rest of the day and evening with April, Sal and baby Owen Kai.  Tomorrow morning were getting on the road home.  Hopefully by next weekend we will be back in our home, that will be quite a surprise !

Syncro de Mayo 2009 entrance

Rita with our van

SDM camp

       April’s baby arrived here yesterday.  Owen Kai Hernandez was born Tuesday April 28, 11:35 am, 8lbs, 14ozs.  April endured 36 hours of labour.  She is now resting in hospital and will be bringing Owen Kai home today !  We are all fine and excited to see the litter bugger that we have been waiting on.  He’s a real cutie as you will see in the photos.   There will be many more posted to the Picasa site in the coming days so check back.   Meanwhile Rita & I will now be able to attend Syncro de Mayo over in Hollister.  We have confirmed our reservation and will be there Saturday and Sunday.  Monday we will be getting back on the road heading from home.  We expect it to take us a week to make the trip across.  Rita is now anxious to see her home again !

Adios,

Frank, Rita & Hunter

Rita with baby Owen Kai

More photos of Owen Kai on Picasa >  http://picasaweb.google.ca/FCondelli/BabyOwenKai?authkey=Gv1sRgCI242-u91eDOHQ#

Folks, we all went up to San Jose today to see the 25th Annual VW Car Show & Swap Meet, all air-cooled VWs only.  Put on by the Golden Gate Chapter of VVWCA in Kelly Park, San Jose, CA.  What a show is all I can say.  The photos I just loaded on PICASA will tell the story better than anything.  Enjoy !

http://picasaweb.google.ca/FCondelli/VVWCASpringMeet#

Adios,

Frank, Rita & Hunter

     Folks, we had the Westy outfitted with new Michelin Agilis tires at Lloyds Tire Service and new Syncro.org spring at Volks-Cafe here in Santa Cruz.  After enduring the long hard trip of back and forth to Mexico last year and this year it became apparent that the new springs that were installed three years ago where not correct.  These Boge springs were obtained from the Bus Depot and after much observation and comparison to other Vanagon Westfalias we met on our travels ours was always the lowest.  Now these spring were purported to be the correct ride height for the Vanagon Westfalia but I do not believe so.  The mudflaps were ALWAYS hitting the pavement on any small bumps and the tires were hitting the inner wheel wells on big bumps and topes.  when I climbed up to the get equipment on or off the luggage rack there was barely enough room for my foot to rest on the tire and not hit the wheel well.  So, after much discussion with “folks that know” it was decided to try the Syncro.org springs and keep our 14″ alloys with new Micheline Agilis tires as the old ones were pretty well worn out.  As you will see from the photos below the ride height is now considerably better.  Approximately 16-1/2″ from the bottom of the wheel well lips to the center of the axles.  It now feels much better and the ride is softer to boot.  We will see more on the ride back home how they work and report on that afterwards. 

     Meanwhile, no baby yet !  We’re all sitting around here waiting impatiently.  Sunday we’re off to San Jose for a VW car show.  See info here >  http://www.ggcvvwca.org/

Adios,

Frank, Rita & Hunter

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Our Westy with new tires & springs

Our Westy with new tires & springs

April relaxing in her back yard

Hunter & Bella resting !

     Folks, here we are in not so sunny California so we went off Saturday to visit the Napa Valley wineries, something that Rita has always wanted to do.  It was a great day and by tie time we got moving, dropped off the van at Lloyds Tire Service in Santa Cruz for new tires it turned sunny and warm, finally !  Up the twisted Hwy 17 toward San Jose then on through San Francisco to Napa.  A stop in Napa at the visitors center to get maps and directions to the wineries and we were off.    Plan was made to do a few with Mario Andretti’s first on the list  Mario was not around but the place was filled with great racing photos and the wine was great.  Then off to Mumm and champaign tasting.  A couple of bottles of Mumm went home with for Easter diner.  Then we stopped at Francis Ford Coupploa’s winery, the oldest in the valley.  It was an awesome placeas you will see in the photos.    That’s was it, it was time for the two hour trek back to Santa Cruz for diner and pick up the van with new shoes.  Easter Sunday we spent the day at home with April & Sal and Sal’s folks.  Great barbecue was done by Sal.    Still no baby.  BTW his name will be Owen, Kai Hernandez !   And, yes he did get a sip of champaign !

Adios,

Frank, Rita & April

Click on the photos to enlarge.

Sal & April in downtown Napa

Rita with great sign in downtown Napa

April & Sal at Mario Andretti's winery

Francis Ford Couppola's winery

Us with Tucker at the Couppola winery

More photos here >  http://picasaweb.google.ca/FCondelli/NapaValleyWineTour?authkey=Gv1sRgCOTap8XJ6uGKiAE#