Camping in Rio Vista - The Annual Anti-Super Bowl Campout

The route.

Last weekend our attendance at Static's Anti-Super Bowl Campout marked the one year anniversary of camping with this group of Northern California VW folks. But, while last year's weather was cold and rainy (click here for last year's entry), this year's weather couldn't have been nicer. I even got a little color on my cheeks.

The campout also marked Big Blue's first trip back into the wilds after being out of the game for a while (too long!). While we are making progress on Blue and are far from over, it's nice to actually use him for what he's there for - seeing the great wide open!

Loading up!

About 60 miles away...

These guys greeted us when we entered the campground!

Big Blue ran fine, if not slow up the hills, and seemed to enjoy getting out again. EP and I were happy to be once again in Blue's moving beach shack. Not knowing who would show up this year, we were quite happy to see the large number of buses chillin' out when we arrived.

Aaron's bus Tinkerbell and Static's bus.

This is John's Dormobile. A pretty cool setup. I really like the fact that it has sun roofs in the pop top.

The Dormobile with the top up.

Aaron's bus.

This nice split window showed too, proving that we are not Bay Window snobs. It was a '60 (or '61?) and looked like it would have been really fun to tool around in.

Highlights on the split window.

In all, there was something like 11 buses there. Pretty good turnout.

Aaron, Regis and I talk weather and body work. EP took these pictures to show "what happens at these campouts". Sometimes I feel sorry for her that she doesn't read TheSamba.

We set about trying to put up our awning. Mainly because I owe some guys the size and pictures of it. We had put it together once before, but that didn't stop us from messing it up a few times before we got it right.

Almost.

Ta-da!

Some buttons on the awning left over from Monty's (the previous owner) days.

In the evening, a giant campfire...

EP and I went for a walk through the campground. We are trying to figure out photography at night.

The Dormobile at night.

We played some cards in the bus...

Then EP made some pancakes in the morning:



We took our time getting home, hitting some of the back roads of the delta. Aside from the crazy windmills they have out in that area, there's not much going on. We did go through Bird's Landing, where Clint Eastwood's 1982 film, Honkytonk Man was filmed. It's also home to the Shiloh Wind Farm.

These windmills - which are over 250 feet tall, are everywhere in that area.

EP's self-portrait.

We made it home without trouble.