I just got back from yet another epic trip in the Dormie. The Mendo list is an ad-hoc email group that I and others belong to and once a year, there's a gathering in the Medocino National Forest in northern California. This is the 20th year of the list and the gathering, so everyone made a real effort to attend, resulting in 60 Land Rovers and their owners. There were 6 Dormobiles present, including a 110 with Dormie roof.
Foreground is the Green Rover owned by the legendary TeriAnn Wakeman. Middle Dormie is my 1962 Dormie Zuma and behind is Alaska, Nick Baggarly's Dormie that he drove around the world in company with a 2nd Dormie called Hercules. To the right is Carl Kruger's Chevy powered Dormie With No Name.
I had driven up the previous week from Malibu, starting Monday afternoon. I took Route 33 up from Ventura via Ojai and up the central valley through Sacramento as I don't like freeways. Monday night I camped wild at the side of the road but Tuesday night I stayed at a campground by the Sacramento river delta. There was an interesting assortment of ex-military vehicles - Jeeps, a half-track, a deuce and a half radio truck and several self-propelled canons. Apparently, I had wandered into a meeting of ex-military enthusiasts who were having their half-yearly convention. I was awakened at 8am sharp by reveille played at full volume from a speaker not 20ft from my Dormobile, quickly followed by the Star Spangled Banner.
I was awake alright.
Around 400 miles from Malibu,
I reached the campsite on Wednesday afternoon and was greeted by Paul who, along with Brett and Matt, had a nice fire going which was nice considering that at 4,300 feet it was a bit on the cold side.
Ike Goss's Dormie and his Series 1 - an early import to the USA fitted with a horn that went moooooo!
I parked over by TeriAnn Wakeman,
the start of a Dormobile enclave where we were later joined by Nick Baggarly and friend Todd in Alaska on Friday and then Carl Kruger in his Dormie With No Name on Saturday. The potluck on Saturday evening was fun and apparently went on long after I had retired for the night.
I left on Sunday morning and convoyed with Nick and Carl in their Dormobiles, heading south through Bear Valley as far as the Indian casino at Cache.
We split up there. Carl, with his Chevy powered Dormie being the fastest, went on ahead, then Nick, then me in Zuma bringing up the rear. I stayed in Santa Cruz Sunday night, then took a leisurely drive down Highway 1 along the coast and enjoyed some gorgeous views with sunny weather.
Monday night was spent in a state campsite in a great location at Montana d'Oro south of Morro Bay called Islay Creek. On the way there, a family in a LR4 pulled up alongside as I was driving and waved and took pictures. How strange is that?
I pulled into my driveway at 5pm last Tuesday and was promptly knocked flat by Alice the dog who had apparently missed me.
Another Epic trip - around 900 miles. Can't wait for the next one!
Ian
