Silverado Campout

There are a few annual VW events that we try our best to attend and the Silverado Campout is one of them. Situated in Oak Canyon Park and close to Los Angeles, this hidden gem opened it's gates at the end of March for a family friendly VW camping experience, swap meet, and car show.

This is another 7+ hour journey for us so we left the evening before and slept overnight at a surprisingly pleasant HWY rest stop along the way.

One of the great things about events like this is seeing the uniqueness and variety between VW models over the years. There was amazing representation of every model including the original iconic split window.

The updated Bay Window

And of course the more "modern" Vanagon and Eurovan.

You don't need a bus or van either. Everything for a weekend of excitement can all be packed into (and on top of) a tiny Beetle.

We wanted to attend this event not only to see old friends but to partake in all the enjoyable activities such as a huge Easter egg hunt.

The kids coloring and craft workshop was a hit.

Night time activities included a movie under the stars and the lantern walk.

I have been encouraging the girls to try something new at these events by selling some VW themed necklaces and keychains. It's been great to see them take it seriously and they have learned to not only interact with others, but work on their math skills - Brooke has shown impressive sales tactics as well.

And to finish the weekend off there is a very impressive car show on Sunday.

It's a long trek to attend this event but we were able to enjoy tons of fun along with memorable moments that make it all worthwhile.

Buses By the Bridge

Every January the beautiful city of Lake Havasu Arizona witnesses a pilgrimage of over 500 VW buses and vans to attend one of the biggest camping events of the year. This is a 4 day affair that requires a lot of preparation including replacing a noisy rear wheel bearing, packing of food, toys, clothes and making sure everything is ready in the van.

I have used a Mr. Buddy propane heater for the past 10 years during cold camping trips which has worked well but purchased an all-in-one portable diesel heater to try out for this trip. The benefits of this heater is that it's not permanently taking up space in the van, quite fuel efficient, and at $120 you can't beat the price.

We live over 600 miles away so took 2 days to drive there and finally arrived at our spot for the weekend.

One thing about Buses By the Bridge is there are many fun activities to enjoy like seeing old friends (and ferrets)

Perusing all the stuff people brought to sell or swap including Brooke's display.

Hanging out at the beach.

Kayaking.

Sightseeing. Interesting fact: London Bridge was purchased from the city of London England in 1968 and the granite blocks were cut and transported to the United States. These original blocks now cover this unique landmark bridge in Lake Havasu that connects Pittsburg Point with the mainland.

There is a bike ride along the boardwalk to a skatepark where we watched a BMX show.

The annual lantern walk is always impressive.

It's nice to see what unusual VW's show up too.

Our weekend was over and before we knew it, it was time to make our way back home. We were happy to add to our Buses By the Bridge magnet collection and hope we can continue to attend for years to come.

Calaveras Big Trees

It has been several years since we were able to camp in California and our first excursion after returning had us remembering why California is such a beautiful place. After our Vanagon had safely arrived back in the United States I asked around for nearby places to camp and was told we should check out Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Established in 1931, this park now preserves two groves of giant sequoias - the largest trees in the world.

Travelling can work up an appetite so we stopped for lunch before arriving at the campground.

A relatively short drive up the mountains and we arrived at our site that was close to the washrooms and backed onto the beautiful meadow.

 

One of the great features of this park is that all the amenities are within walking distance. Some of the highlights include an impressive visitors center, gift shop, and rangers to provide education and tours. The area was discovered by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852 - when chasing a bear in unfamiliar territory he discovered the most enormous trees he had ever seen. Dowd's description of what he encountered was considered a "tall tale" until he returned with a group of men and from there word spread quickly about these massive relics.

Before it was realized that we need to protect these beautiful trees of course there was a great deal of exploitation. One of the first casualties in the search of money was the Discovery Tree. It took 5 men 22 days to cut this astounding giant down where the stump still remains.

If you enjoy trails and hikes, there are tons here and all have scenic views.

Nature at its finest and creatures to discover.

Both girls also completed the Junior Ranger program.

This State Park will hold a special place in our memories as not only the first camping trip after returning to California but also a reminder of why we enjoy getting outdoors to explore.

Lake Camanche

Lake Camanche Campground is a reservoir in the San Joaquin Valley and the location of our short camping trip. It boasts 53 miles of shoreline and our campsite was the perfect place to enjoy the water.

I have read this campground gets quite busy (and hot) in the summer but we arrived without a reservation and set up our spot for the night.

We quickly brought out our Kayak to do some exploring.

Our site was spacious and there was a playground close by.

Food always seems to taste better when you get to eat outdoors right?

We finished off our short trip with a very impressive sunset.