I've Known (Of...) This Bus For Decades

 I've got a side gig. I work weekend evenings at our local amusement park, Lagoon. Perhaps you've heard of it. Deep inside the park, among the rides and terraces and people having fun, you'll find a Volkswagen bus. It sits next to the water park and one of their smaller roller coasters.

And it's beautiful.

I've known of this particular bus for decades. Not that I'm stalking it, mind you. It's just, when you see a classic VW over and over, you pay attention...at least, I do.

The first time I saw this bus was at the park. Years ago there was a show at the park that included the bus. It pulled up and singers/dancers exited and put on a show. I think that's how the show started. If anyone remembers that particular show and I'm incorrect, I apologize...it's been a long time.

Because I lived in the same town as the amusement park, I drove by the park several times a week. The park owns fields that surround the property, you know, for future expansion. They parked that bus in the field and that's where it sat, sat for years. I kept wondering if they would sell it to me--I had no idea if it even ran. I never talk to the park or pursued it in any way because I didn't have the money to buy it. Still, it was a fun fantasy.

Then, the park decided to put the bus near the entrance of their newest coaster (this was years ago...). I knew then, my opportunity to own the classic German-made vehicle was officially over. It was now once again part of the park's attractions. Last weekend I carpooled with my daughter who also has a side gig at Lagoon. Her call time was earlier than mine, so I decided to walk around the park and let the memories come back to me.

That's when I came upon the bus. I just had to snap a picture or two. Yes, the fantasy of somehow obtaining the bus from the park is long over. But, I can still admire it from afar.

An Old VW Bus...Grass Is Always Greener

I saw the classic green VW bus parked on the side of the road. I stopped (thank goodness no other cars were driving by...), and snapped a couple of pictures. These vehicles are seen less and less nowadays--such is life. It's nice to see people taking care of the old cars and vans. I'm sure it's an act of love.

And although I thought it would be cool to actually own one of these ancient (in automobile terms...) vans, I wondered just how cool it would be.

My wife and I almost bought a 1976 VW Westfalia Camper Van back in 1993 or 1994. I think the seller was asking around $2K for the--the seller's term--baby puck green van. I believe most of the camping accessories worked and it had an automatic transmission. We test drove it, but we were never really serious about actually buying it. If we had, and if it were still in the same condition, we could probably get around $10K today, maybe more. I haven't priced 1976 classic VW camper vans lately.

It was very cool, though.

There were other times I've flirted with picking up an old VW van, but, like the camper van, I wasn't serious. The question is, would I actually like having one of these things? Back in high school my friend Darin had a couple of these vans their family drove. To hear him speak, they were not good vehicles. I always drove classic VW beetles. I can only imagine many of the problems I suffered through were also found in the bug's bigger sibling. Things like no heat, no way to defrost the windows. The safety features in these things are non-existent. 

I remember a story my mother told me after I bought my first VW beetle. She couldn't understand why I'd buy a VW. I asked why. She told me. Back when she and my dad lived in Nebraska, she took a several hours-long trip in a VW bus. This must have been in the 1960s. She said it was the longest trip she ever took. It was hot and the bus barely moved. I can only imagine how unpleasant that trip was. As an adult, I know I would have hated that trip, too.

After taking a couple of pictures of the pretty green bus, I drove away in my car, a 2004 Pontiac (built by Toyota...). My car has operational heating and cooling systems. My car has airbags. My car gets 30+ m.p.g. My car has brakes that work, window defrosters that work, windshield wipers that work, a radio that works. I left a vehicle parked on the side of the road that lacks heat, a/c, most likely a nice radio, defrosting systems, and safety systems. There's no way that green thing can compare to what I have.

But still, there's a little slice of me that thinks, owning an old VW bus would be cool.