Buses By the Beach

Comment by Big Blue's Driver on February 28, 2010 at 10:20pm

Seriously - you guys look like you're having a blast. I dig the bus with the fireplace in it. Good times! You are certainly upping the game for us out here in California. Thanks for sharing!

Comment by Pete Owsianowski on March 1, 2010 at 4:15am

It is amazing what you can do when desperate for camping!

Comment by Pete Owsianowski on March 1, 2010 at 4:21am

Here is the trip report posted on Vanagon and Type2 lists:

Wow! Back home in South Bend from Angola. Since both my buses are in various pieces and not ready until April, my brother let me borrow his ’87 Wolfsburg (The LandShark) and tool on up to Pokagon State Park. My dog Isabella and I got there around 12:45 on Saturday and my brother Chris was already there in his ’85 Westfalia with his two boys, Cody and T.J. Keith and Kara were there with their two buses, a Syncro and a Vanagon GL – having arrived with their daughters Friday night. My wife, Nancy, had some meetings in the morning and headed up later in the day.

After Asst. Park Manager Sam Boggs got the wood delivered, we both directed a guy in a New Holland front end loader to start digging out sites at campground #3. We had to work around a surprising number of Boy Scouts already there and setting up tents, but got enough sites for the buses plowed out. Temps were about 33F and not bad at all. Buses really started rolling in after that and we ended up with 17 buses – Sherrie’s 74 Bay, Dave and Larissa’s Eurovan and the rest Vanagons of all stripes.

Everyone gathered around the bonfire making new friends and greeting old friends. Todd Olson and some Buses by the Beach Volk rolled in sans shirts, prepping for the upcoming “Men of BBTB” calendar. ;-)

Talk around fire ranged from bus tech talk to the Spring Bus Benefit event. All our efforts and any money we raise is donated to support the wonderful work of The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors and they in turn donated a very nice stadium blanket and Phoenix Society hat for our Kozy as a Baked Potato bus award, won by Dave and Larissa from Ann Arbor. Check out the Phoenix Society and the work they do here: http://www.phoenix-society.org/

Sunday morning, some headed off with kids in tow to the toboggan run and some hung around the rekindled fire sipping coffee talking and packing up. We left the campsite 100% clean as we always do. Seems like bus volk are not the kind to leave junk or trash lying around and our group is no exception. Some had to hit the road early and a good size group headed to the inn for the fantastic brunch they serve. The whole park is run by some very nice, friendly people. They go out of their way to make us welcome and the service at the brunch is great.

So, everyone fired up the boxers and hit the road with promises of gathering May 27th – 30th at Grand Rouge campground in Belmont, Michigan on the banks of the Rogue River.

Comment by brownbetty on March 1, 2010 at 4:29am

Thje Spring dates are May 20 - 23rd 2010!

Comment by Big Blue's Driver on March 1, 2010 at 8:22pm

17 buses! Awesome!

Comment by Big Blue's Driver on March 10, 2010 at 10:42pm

You guys will be having your spring campout the same weekend as us NorCal folks will be having Bus City. Cool stuff!

Comment by Bob Heck on March 11, 2010 at 2:09am

The West Michigan Car show site says the car show is on May 15. The Phoenix Society says our event is May 14 -16 in the Burn Support News which I just received. I think we need to verifiy our dates since the car show is a main feature of our campout.

Comment by brownbetty on March 11, 2010 at 6:47am

The Spring dates for Buses by the Beach Bus Benefit are May 20 - 23rd 2010! Thje car show changed their date this year due to a scheduling conflict with their location. We did not. We are always the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.

Comment by Jeff Lincoln on March 11, 2010 at 6:53am

So we don't have to get up early on Saturday :) Actually, that's too bad for those who liked going to the car show - personally I'll miss the carabus more than the actual show. Don't get me wrong the show is great - but we just sleep through it :) I can only assume the planif for the events to be the same weekend in future years?

Comment by brownbetty on March 11, 2010 at 7:06am

We are still planning a cara bus on Sunday Jeff. No Worries! We will take good care of everyone:)

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