Wagging Tail

His tail may be wagging a bit slower these days, but this red dog is still ready for adventure. His new favorite place to be is front and center in the Gronckle, chin on the dash, keeping watch for squirrels and deer.

Upchuckwagon Tail

This weekend's trip was cut short when the two youngest adventurers were very suddenly and sort of violently under the weather.












We still managed to recover Dad'n from his Pacific Crest Trail adventure, carefully define the line between Hot and Overheating, and get the new tires off the freeway and onto the dirt roads where they belong.

Flat Tail

This week's adventure took us up Highway 2 to mile 2476 of the Pacific Crest Trail. Dad'n will spend the next week hiking south, while the official expedition support vehicle reports to the shop for some tire repairs.

Adventure 6 - Home Tail

The Gronckle spent the 4th of July weekend lazing about in the tiny town of Home, Wa.

We are now experts in the art of the push start, much like these parade-going pageant queens (although we don't make Mima wear a star spangled inner tube while pushing The Gronck out of the gas station):

Adventure 5 - A Broken Tail, Part Two

View from the top bunk

After returning Mima to her armchair to properly recover from surgery, we gave the Gronk a little push start and headed up into the Olympic National Forest.

Broken down on the banks of the Dungeness river.

We parked between a rushing river and a little hill (to be used for starting the old girl back up again), and explored the Olympics with Cousin Dana.

Riding on Dana

Riding on Daddy

Water filtration 101

Adventure Dog

Adventure 4 - A Broken Tail, Part One

This week, the spirit of adventure crossed the line into hubris.
A certain Grandma decided that a day off of work for minor surgery should not be wasted sitting at home in an armchair.

Since The Gronckle was newly released from a checkup at the VW guru, who gave the all clear for a summer of close-to-home adventures (with "minimal hills, and a really good towing policy"), we picked up Mima from outpatient surgery and hit the road.

In our haste, we forgot the cardinal rule of fahrvergnügen; don't leave home without lots of spare parts. 15 miles down the road, an assortment of lights came on, and the temperature gauge shot up. Daddy hopped in his car, delivered a replacement belt, (then re-delivered the correct smaller sized belt), and then we were on the road again.

The combination of hot sun and painkillers proved to be a bit much for Mima's tummy, and she lost her lunch out the window. Unfortunately, it was a very hot day, so all of the windows were open and the boys gleefully squealed from the backseat:
"It's RAINING!!"

We arrived very late at a very buggy campground, and sleepy Ewan announced:

"This a looooong day, mommy".

Agreed.

Waiting for parts

Hot dog on the side of the road 

Adventure 3 - More Goat Tails

We're still in shakedown mode, sticking close to home and learning the personality quirks of this particular Volkswagen.
Here's what we know so far:

The Gronk does not appreciate idleness. (Please turn off the key while waiting at the Greek drive-thru window.)

She likes to keep things simple. 3 windshield wiper speeds is too many. (But that's ok; Washingtonians don't need Intermittent anyway.)

She's not as speedy as the thinks she is. "70" mph is actually more like 50.

Adventure 2 - Goat Tails

First overnight! At the Goat Farm with Grandma Connie, and since you can never have too many grandmas, we brought Pope!

Here's a great way to tell tails:

And look at this: Mommy figured out how to make the front seats turn around!

Adventure 1 - Horsetails

Our first Gronckle adventure –

There’s a well-kept secret, just across the Narrows bridge from T-town; a municipal park and beach, easy walk from the parking lot, dogs allowed. A beach blanket, gluten-free beer for some, juice for others, pine-cone rings –aka dried pineapple, sun, sand, rocks, and trains across the channel. Pretty much all that's needed for an excellent day.

Mommy taught us how to take horsetails apart and put them back together. Not as easy as it looks.

Prequel

Prequel

This is The Gronckle:

So named because of her resemblance to:

- both in form and in character. ‘… relentless, stubborn, and direct like a compact rhino, yet very loyal to its rider.’

You must know that How to Train Your Dragon is a great favorite with us.

Dad’n found her on Craig’s List, some 60 miles north of us; sellers unaware of what a Westy is, but very happy to let her go to a grandma to go camping with her grandsons – a traditional role for her, apparently. She is a 1983-1/2 VW Westfalia camper. Very first of the water-cooled VWs.  Seems to be in excellent mechanical condition; has some appearance issues, but she is, after all, a 30-year old Volkswagen.

Mima bought her, and the adventures begin.