Travels with Primrose
Acquiring a vintage VW camper van in the winter of 2013 meant a shift in how we camped: roaming Florida in a tin teepee, a 1982 Westy.
We acquired our 1982 Westy acquired after we'd completed two trail guides. Using our vintage camper as our base camp, we joined in on group hikes and trail research and spent our honeymoon-on-wheels across Florida.
In chronological order, here's how our travels with Primrose unfolded.
Finding a gem
Hiking Can Wait
Leaving the Florida Trail to chase down a lead on a new antique VW Westfalia camper, JK discovers it’s well worth the detour.
John Keatley
Home Sweet Camper
What’s an upgrade from tent camping when you’re hiking? A camper van! JK’s history with VW camper vans led us to a Westfalia of our own to use as our base camp.
John Keatley
Shakedown trips
A Twisted Valentine Tale
A planned Valentines Day hike on the Florida Trail morphs into something completely different as a chain of coincidences fall into place.
John Keatley
Off-roading, Westy-style
It’s one bumpy ride as we tunnel our way through the Big Scrub of the Ocala National Forest with Primrose, our brand new vintage Westy, on a jeep road.
John Keatley
Camp WhereUWanna
More adventures in Primrose as we head for the Florida Trail Conference and discover that the speedometer isn’t quite telling the truth.
John Keatley
The Panhandle Trace
Prepping Primrose for the Panhandle
Before taking a 1,000-mile journey across Florida to hike distant sections of the Florida Trail, we find it necessary to upgrade the tires on Primrose.
John Keatley
Little Campsite by the Chipola
En route to the Panhandle Trace Hike, we take a detour along the Apalachicola River Valley to pick up some new sections of trail, and end up camping at a trailhead.
John Keatley
Westy Rambles West
We’re in the thick of our third road trip with Primrose, crossing Florida’s Panhandle to pick up sections of the Florida Trail.
Sandra Friend
Calhoun, Chipola, and the Altha Trail
A quick introduction to the Altha Trail, the first public footpath in rural Calhoun County south of Marianna and north of Blountstown, part of the Florida Trail.
Sandra Friend
Ramble on the new Hinson Trail
The newly opened Hinson Trail, a loop south of Marianna along the Chipola River Greenway, is truly scenic, rugged, unusual, and historic.
Sandra Friend
Converging on the Panhandle Trace
Arriving at Blackwater River State Park Easter weekend without a reservation, we find ourselves fortunate to share a space with Tony, who’s On A Dam Tour.
John Keatley
South to Florida!
Kicking off the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike at the Alabama border is no small task without help from a lot of friends.
John Keatley
In the Land of Tall Pines
Day 2 of the Panhandle Trace we rambled nearly 13 miles along the Wiregrass Trail and Jackson Red Ground Trail.
Sandra Friend
Following Juniper Creek
Day 3 of the Panhandle Trace we followed the Juniper Creek Trail away from the wildfires, experiencing beauty and absurdity
John Keatley
The Harold Store
A hiker stop for resupply and refreshment along the Panhandle Trace, the Harold Store is right along US 90 in the tiny roadside hamlet of Harold. A visit was a must.
John Keatley
Hiking the Hills of Hutton
Hiking the Florida Trail across the Hutton Unit of Blackwater River State Forest means you’re in for a hilly walk.
Sandra Friend
Two Sides of the Yellow River
Hiking through the newly opened Yellow River Ravines on the Panhandle Trace Hike explored new ground for us all
John Keatley
Camping at the Blackwater River State Park Campground
A candid review of the campground at Blackwater River State Park where we spent nearly a week between various sites during the 2013 Panhandle Trace Hike.
John Keatley
Wraupup: The Panhandle Trace
Joining the hike’s founder on her final hike as leader was our reason to heading to the 2013 Panhandle Trace with Primrose.
Sandra Friend
Closer to Home
Primrose, Tie-dye, and VW culture
Visiting the No Dough VW Show in Port Orange gives us a good idea of the wide spectrum of vintage VW camper vans still tooling around the Southeast.
John Keatley
Westy in Hibernation
When summer heat settles across Florida, the thing to do with an antique VW camper is to squirrel it away in hibernation in the garage until the weather cools down.
John Keatley
The Return of Primrose
Fall is in the air. Time to bring Primrose out of hibernation. After some decal application and updates, she’s ready for the road in November!
John Keatley
VW Love at the Pasco County Bug Jam
We left Primrose home for the 25th annual Pasco County Bug Jam, but many of her cousins were on display at Florida’s biggest Volkswagen gathering in Dade City.
John Keatley
South Florida
A Year with Primrose
It’s been a year since we purchased Primrose, our 1982 VW Vanagon. Here’s a recap of where we’ve been and what we’ve seen.
John Keatley
Walking the Reservation
Hiking the Seminole Reservation between L-3 Canal and the Big Cypress Campground is mostly a roadwalk – more dirt roads than paved – but is quite scenic and interesting.
Sandra Friend
Lake Okeechobee’s High Point
Views from the top: this Florida Trail roadwalk between the two sides of Port Mayaca offers an excellent perspective on the lake.
Sandra Friend
Still Life, with Cows
Completing the entire Florida Trail means miles of pavement pounding. On this lonely dead-end road in Basinger, my companions are cows.
Sandra Friend
Kicking off Hiker Season with Primrose
The first of our 2014 explorations with Primrose helps kick off Florida Trail thru hikers season at Oasis Visitor Center
John Keatley
Nine More Nights in Primrose
With our first Primrose trip of 2014 behind us, we see how snowbird RVers live in Florida. Not like us!
John Keatley
Primrose and the Big O Hike
Our first outing with Primrose this fall was a trip to the Big O Hike. It rained, of course, to and from Okeechobee. But we had a splendid road trip in our VW camper.
John Keatley
Honeymooners
Just Married
After three years of roaming the woods and the world together, John & I get married in the Ocala National Forest with a very hiker-style wedding.
Sandra Friend
Going Primitive with Primrose
How do you car camp in a Volkswagen camper when you have no power? It takes ingenuity to keep electronics powered and a lantern to keep you up past hiker midnight
John Keatley
As responsibilities in our lives shifted, Primrose wasn't a good fit for us anymore and needed the special touch of someone who'd love a classic Westy. Tim and Amy were the first to come to mind. Like us, they'd also met on the Big O Hike. They camped in their respective VW campers, doubling the vintage VW population at the hike. Like us, they married soon after.
When we were finally ready to let go of Primrose, we reached out and they welcomed her to their collection of vintage vehicles.
