Everyone has a story

One thing we learned very quickly about VW culture is that everyone has a story, especially when it comes to the microbus. We get a fair amount of attention with our Beetle, but there is just something special about the bus. Pretty much everywhere we go (short and long trips alike) we are approached by people who are anxious to talk about their bus experience:

• A neighbor a few houses down shared her childhood VW camping experiences in New England.

• A guy in South Dakota stopped us in a grocery store parking lot because (in his younger years) had a van "just like" ours. 

• On the way home from the trip to Aspen, a small SUV pulled up along side of us on the highway (we were going really slow in the right lane - near Vail Pass). At first we thought they were making fun of us, but it turns out they just wanted to honk, wave, and offer a thumbs up! 

• Another couple told us about their honeymoon: traveling for 6 weeks along the coast of California in a VW (40+ years ago). The wife said that by the end of the trip, she was convinced they'd have a long, happy marriage.

On our street alone, there are three other VW campers (all newer than ours). Everyone has a story. Admittedly, I can't go very long without mentioning Greta in conversation. The VW culture is irresistible. There is a truly unique quality about driving, traveling, and camping when you're in a Volkswagen. I still haven't gotten used to all the attention we attract, but we are definitely dreaming and living our own Volkswagen story.

I'm sad that our "camping season" has pretty much come to an end this year. We have one more trip planned in October, but our conflicting work schedules aren't going to allow us many opportunities beyond that. I'm already dreaming about the trips we'll take next year.