2013 proved to be a wild ride!
2013 was by far the best year for eWillys yet. In March we embarked on our trip through the Southwest, which included the 2013 FC Roundup, camping, offroading and exploring. We followed that up with a trip to the East Coast and back, also full of rewarding experiences, festivals, and adventures. Especially important, we got to meet so many people with whom I’ve only known virtually. Everyone was kind and wonderful; I especially appreciated how welcome you made Ann feel. So, thanks to everyone!
The CJ-2Apage forum regulars got together for a group photo at the 2013 Willys Reunion.
For 2014, we plan to do a trip in March through California on our way to the FC Roundup. From there, depending on funds, time and my kids’ schedules, we may head only as far as New Mexico OR we’ll head deep into Texas. Either way, we’ll likely be doing another trip through rarely traveled areas of Utah and Idaho on our way back north.
Our side trip off the Burr Trail in Utah – March 2013
Part of the California trip is designed to help inspire me with my third book, tentatively titled October Gold. It’s named after a painting completed by my Aunt Emma and display at an art show in 1915 in New York City. The title was so perfect for my subject (Pacific WWII gold) that it seemed tailor made for my book. In the book, the characters travel part of California, so we need to trace some of the characters intended travels (trying not to pay spoiler here). The book’s a long way from being finished — I’m currently enjoying the research (my favorite part of writing).
I currently anticipate no big upcoming changes to the website. You probably noticed I finally placed a good adsense box at the top of the website, something I was forced to do because of the change by eBay in the way they calculate revenue.
I expect to have Biscuit back on the road by early summer. I haven’t seen any reason to endure the cold garage temperatures at the moment (it’s a better time for reading and book research).
I don’t know if 2014 can top 2013, but I can’t wait to find out. Happy New Year everyone!
My wife sure is a good sport . . . even when I put her in ‘jail’. I expect there will be plenty of photos in 2014, too.
A Happy New year Dave & Ann as well as all the eWillys readers.
May the road be long and smooth for the both of you in 2014.
Happy New Year, Dave, Ann, and to all the other eWilly-ers out there!
Happy new year Dave and Ann!
Happy New Year Dave, Ann, & all of the eWillys readers. Looking forward to another year of interesting reads. May we travel through our trails without getting hung up.
Thanks for all your work in 2013, Happy New Year Dave and Ann.
Happy New Year Dave and Anne- Hope to see you in March at the FC Roundup!
Welcome? HAHAHA. Happy New Year Ann. When you see Dave, tell him I think he’s doing a wonderful job. As interesting as the jeep nuts and bolts format is, the travelogues are at the very least that entertaining.
Love
John
Happy New Year, everyone!
Dave, let me know if you want me to send you on some back roads of the Gold Country to get a feel for what it’s like to live in California, not including San Franfreakshow and the megalopolis between Bakersfield & Mexico. Some of the old Gold Rush Towns haven’t changed much over the years. You could expect to spend at least one extra day getting a feel of the Gold Rush Days on your way to the FC Roundup in Phoenix, or even several days exploring the mountains that started the Westward Expansion in the mid 1800’s. The local historical society in town is a great place to start if you don’t want to venture off too far from the freeway.
**Steve E.**
We will give ourselves 3 weeks to a month to reach the FC Roundup, so we should have a few days to explore gold rush towns and a couple gold rush museums. I’d like to venture to a few california ghost towns as well (must be a couple in northern cal?).
I’ll do a little data collecting and find all the best places in Shasta, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties to explore to get your mind into it. To start with, this link shows some photos of your easiest stop, only six miles from Interstate 5.
https://www.google.com/search?q=old+shasta+ca&tbm=isch&source=iu&imgil=GjUuclfIy5apGM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcQ500kMMxX8K5spxO9OtWh1oNHNr44ozufrqBqKRkKeBOouEtBr%253B640%253B480%253BjWt4pV9SeKLTPM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fusers.snowcrest.net%25252Fwb6fzh%25252Ftcosh1.html&sa=X&ei=p_LEUvaNPKmI2wX4q4HoAg&ved=0CDoQ9QEwAw&biw=1067&bih=682#q=Historic+old+shasta+ca&tbm=isch&imgdii=_
The town of Old Shasta still has brick ruins of the old town business district along Main St. (now Hwy 299), including the oldest active Masonic Lodge. The old courthouse is now a museum complete with a gallows out the back porch. (It used to scare me as a kid. I refused to step on the trap door, even though is was nailed shut. lol. Now it scares me for other reasons, and I won’t diverge further from the topic here.)
Gold in the West was discovered in 1848 at Sutter’s Mill in the central third of the state, Coloma, CA. It wasn’t long until they found gold in the Northern third of the state. The town of Shasta was the stage stop and where you bought all your supplies before heading slightly West, then North into the gold fields. There are only 1,700 people spread throughout the hills today, but there were over 10,000 livestock in the town 160 years ago. I don’t know how many people back then.
There will be many back roads and stories you can discover. Later we’ll talk about it.
(Actually, gold was first discovered in the Calif. at Scott’s Bar along Scott River, Siskiyou Co., in the 1830’s by the Hudson Bay Company. Their horses pulled up some bunch grass and they saw gold in the roots. They thought nothing of it because their income was based on the fur buyers in the United States, on the East Coast. California became a State in 1850.)
**Steve E.**
The gold road is very interesiting,my wife and I did that trip last year and enjoyedi it very much.