MG Awareness Roadtrip - USA from east to west
This page contains:
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(a) Planned route – PHASE 1: coast to coast from MA to CA,
November 2011 to January 2012
(b) Spontaneous short trips – PHASE 2: west coast Jan-March 2012 -
Itinerary – dates, places and mileage
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Updated maps from the road
1. Planned route – first leg from MA to CA Here’s the planned route, as far as eastern California, that is. However be aware that when driving a ’71 VW bus anything can happen! Also, some of you have asked for an itinerary. Once the trip starts, dates will be added in the itinerary section below as far in advance as possible, but because invitations to events pop up last minute, please keep checking back here for updates. You can also join The YesWeCan CamperVan on Facebook or Twitter to keep up with the latest news. 
Carole Brown is driving her VW Bus, The YesWeCan CamperVan, from Massachusetts to California (and beyond) for a good cause. She invites you to support the campaign for “MG Awareness” along the route by coming out to meet her. You might be able to help her arrange an event, or if you have a Classic VW you could drive a few miles in your vehicle alongside her to draw more attention to the cause. Also please comment below about MG events and support group meetings or VW club meetups and campouts …. or maybe you can offer a place to park overnight, a shower or a beverage? Carole says most of all she’ll appreciate your comments here and your fine company if do get get to meet!
2. Itinerary for MG Awareness Drive
| 1. MA = Massachussetts | |||
| Provincetown START (only 750 miles since arrived from California July 5th 2010) | 20 Oct 2011 Start of cross country trip |
mileage 171,667 |
|
| 2. RI = Rhode Island | 20 Oct | 171,800 | |
| Amy in Millbury, MA | 20 Oct 171,841 | 9 Nov 171,842 | |
| 3. CT = Connecticut | 9 Nov 2011 | pass through | |
| 4. NY = New York from Bronx onto George Washington Bridge and NJ | 9 Nov 2011 | pass through | |
| 5. NJ = New Jersey | |||
| Susan and Ed, Metuchen, NJ overnight hosts | 9 Nov 172,049 | 10 Nov 172,049 | |
| Meet RACHEL in Milltown re her MG story | 10 Nov 172,088 | 10 Nov 172,088 | |
| 6. PA = Pennsylvania | 10 Nov | pass through | |
| 7. DE = Delaware | 10 Nov | pass through | |
| 8. MD = Maryland | 10 Nov | pass through |
| 9. VA = Virginia | ||
| Tom & Cammie, Falls Church, VA (near DC) my hosts from VW club | Arrive 10 Nov 172,304 | Leave 11 Nov 172,304 |
| Ronnie Pugh’s VW repair shop Bug Haus, 10 Westover Hills Blvd, in Richmond, VA (804-232-8989) | 11/11/11 Veterans day 172,416 | 11/11/11 Friday 172,418 |
| 10. NC = North Carolina | ||
| NC Welcome Center on I-95 Overnight | 11 Nov 11 172,504 | 12 Nov 11 172,504 |
| MGFA Carolinas Annual Meeting East Regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Lane, Durham, NC George Naderman, Chair NC Chapter (877) 643-2221 |
12 Nov 2011 172,620 | 12 Nov 2011 172,620 |
| Richard and Lila, Fuquay Varina, near Raleigh |
12 Nov 2011 172,656 | 16 Nov 2011 172,656 |
| 11. SC = South Carolina | ||
| MDA 1st meeting of new support group for MG patients, Myrtle Beach, SC. Meet Cindy to talk about her MG. | 16 Nov 2011 172,837 | 16 Nov 2011 172,845 |
| Myrtle Beach: visit TV News station; meet Nicola–her MG story. Meet Coffeebus (Full Moon Bus Club) and camp the night in M’ Beach. | 17 Nov 2011 172,845 | 18 Nov 2011 172,868 |
| VW Campout weekend: Full Moon Bus Club SC group “Thanksgivin’ Misgivins” at Awendaw Green, SC (Snoopy et al – clutch repair) |
18 Nov 2011 172,868 | 20 Nov 2011 172,948 |
| Leave campout and head to Charleston, SC for overnight stay with club member | 20 Nov 2011 172,948 | 23 Nov 2011 172,969 |
| Stay with other FMBC members for Thanksgiving from start 1303 miles | 24 Nov 2011 | 27 Nov 2011 |
| Meet Laura Ann in Aiken, SC | 27 Nov 2011 | 28 Nov 2011 |
| 12. GA = Georgia | ||
| Peachtree City, near Atlanta, stayed with MG patient Debbie | 28 Nov 2011 | 30 Nov 2011 |
| 13. AL = Alabama | ||
| Birmingham MGFA Chapter – met Christie Glaser and her team |
30 Nov 2011 | 2 Dec 2011 |
| Met Staci, MG patient, Alabaster | 2 Dec 2011 | 4 Dec 2011 |
| Breakdown and tow in Alabaster and Bill comes out to do repair | ||
| Stay with Bill and Carol (VW) Sylacauga | 4 Dec 2011 | 7 Dec 2011 |
| Engine repairs in Montgomery | 7 Dec 2011 | 10 Dec 2011 |
| Montgomery South RV Park | 10 Dec 2011 | 11 Dec 2011 |
| overnight stop at Windcreek Casino, Atmore | 11 Dec 2011 | 12 Dec 2011 |
| quick stop and tour at Mobile | 12 Dec 2011 | 12 Dec 2011 |
14. LA = Louisiana
New Orleans one day visit - 12 and 13 December
Steven Taylor MG patient, Branch, LA – 14 December
15. Mississipi – drove through
16. Texas
Houston – 15 and 16 December
Austin and Spicewood – 17 and 18 December
Fort Stockton – VW breakdown! – 20-22 December
El Paso – stop with friends for Christmas – 23-27 December 2011
17. New Mexico
Quick stop for tea at McDonalds in Las Cruces – 27 December 2011
18. Arizona
Tucson 27 December 2011 – 3rd January 2012: more engine checks and time to enjoy New Years, visit Anglican Church in Tucson and talk about MG.
Phoenix – 2nd to 8th January: BUSY TIME for MG Awareness … SanTan VW dealership for meeting, Phoenix Channel 3 TV News interview and weekend information booth at Phoenix Swapmeet
Lake Havasu City arrived on Monday 9 January for Buses by the Bridge XVI 12-15 January, 2012 – MG information table for 3 days.
19. California
Arrived Mentone, south eastern California, Sunday 15 Jan 2012,
arrival mileage 176,776 !!!!!
Start was 171,667 = ? TOTAL Miles
- MGA Route plan modified 22 Nov 2011 at 12.40 EST
Will now be reviewing the drive so far, success of MG awareness campaign, and plan the next legs of the road trip, phases 2 and 3 (see below).
3. UPDATED MAPS from the road
10th December 2011: at last a map showing the route completed so far by the red line.
10 December 2011 - At last I stuck a map in the back window and marked the route driven to date !
UPDATE Sunday 18 December 2011: from TEXAS
Arrived in Austin, Texas, this weekend and updated our window route map
Over 3,000 miles completed, as shown by the red line – about another 1,200 to go before we reach Mentone, California. Thought we’d be there by now, so not sure where we’ll be spending Christmas day yet! UPDATE Thursday 22 December 2011: remaining route for phase 1 of drive for MG Awareness
Another 1200 miles to go as this route plan on google maps shows
As you can see, from the map above (click on it to enlarge), there’s another 1200 miles to go and hopefully we’ll make this with no further delays, except for those of a good kind!
UPDATE Sunday 1st January 2012: from Tucson, Arizona
[ not to editor - NEED A NEW MAP HERE!!!]
PHASE 2: Jan-March 2012/
will include shorter tours for MG awareness in California, Arizona and Oregon.
January 2012
Tucson, Phoenix and Lake Havasu, Arizona.
15 January drive from Lake Havasu to Mentone, California.
mid-end January Burbank, South Gate, Long Beach, Newport Beach and Huntingdon Beach, California.
February 2012
The YesWeCan CamperVan goes into Jim’s VW in Monterey Park for new engine and repairs.
Go on bus to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hire car to test drive section of Route 66 from Kingman to Seligman, Arizona to see if would be good for MG Awareness drive with a caravan of classic cars.
Return of my beloved VW bus with NEW engine!
MG Awareness Campaign continues around areas of South Gate and Monterey Park (Los Angeles environs) and Costa Mesa, Southern California.
March 2012
Southern California: Corona, San Bernadino, Redlands, Mentone, Yucaipa, Beaumont, San Marcos, San Diego.
San Diego 20 March 2012 – odometer reading is 177, 589
This may be the most southern and eastern part of our drive, hence taking the odometer reading.
Now what was that mileage when we left Massachusetts last November? From the start of our drive for MG Awareness on 9 Nov 2011, to here in San Diego 20 March 2012 is …………….. miles?
PHASE 2 is continuing/PHASE 3 on hold, due to insufficient funds or sponsorship for Route 66 drive
April-May 2012
more spontaneous trips to see MG patients and talk about MG:
1st April: Nojoqui Falls near Solvang, central CA, for Vintage VW Club meeting
2-4 April: Arroyo Grande
5 April: Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo
6 April: San Luis Obispo- Cal Poly Newspaper and radio station ; Morro Bay; Watsonville
6-10 April: Crystal Bay Farm, Monterey Bay, for Easter
11 April: Met MG patient at the farm. Left to go north to Moraga, east of Oakland.
11April onwards: Moraga will be my base for next couple of weeks to visit Lafayette, Oakland, SF, Sacramento etc
PHASE 3: was planned for April-May 2012 (CA >> back east to Massachusetts) – TBC later
We’d like to drive on Route 66 from Santa Monica to Chicago and we’re looking for OTHER VINTAGE VWs and OTHER CLASSIC CARS to join us. Please comment below if you’d like more information or email info@vw4causes.org and put Route 66 in subject line. We’d love to hear from you 
Hi! My wife Lisa, daughter Cora, and I live in Norfolk, VA. We have 3 VWs: a 68 Westy, an 86 Westy, and a 66 beetle. The local VW club is VCOT https://www.facebook.com/VCOT81 We meet the 1st tuesday of every month.
Great to hear from you. I’ll be sure to join your Facebook group. Will I be able to meet you and your family (your ladies and your VWs), too?
You are welcome to stay with us when in Washington DC!
yes please!!! and THANK YOU
I met Carole at the Prado campground/park in Ontario, CA in 2010….this is the official camp site for Run For The Wall ( POW/MIA Awareness )
Carole then decided to ride along with us for several days…. then thru FaceBook I’ve followed her adventures!!
Next month, Carole will be traveling thru my part of the country… so I’m going to round up some other RTFW friends and escort Carole into Louisana!!!
Chrome
Oh Lisa, that’s so nice of you! An escort, really !!!
You guys changed my way of thinking about all those who serve in the armed services. It will be an honor to meet you again.
Stop by Walnut Grove, Alabama! The more, the merrier around here!
Remember on the way back you MUST take a more northern route so you can come to MICHIGAN!!!!!
Way to go Carole! This is a great cause. As I mentioned the last time we met and earlier today, I was diagnosed with MG at age 13 about 30 years ago. I consider myself very lucky to have been diagnosed so young. If more were diagnosed as young, I believe more would experience a full remission as I have. Spread the word and hopefully making more people aware will help some get the help needed to go into remission.
Hey Bob my son just got diagnosed in June with Ocular MG he is 5 it took us 2 years to get a diagnosis. I totally agree with you. He was diagnosed with all kinds of other things but no one could tell me why a 3 year old had a droopy eye it just didn’t fit. Now we are learning new things and just trying to navigate it all . Thanks for giving me hope
Thank you Fran for your reply; your comment gives me hope, too – for this road trip to build awareness for MG. I wish your son the best of luck. My mother was diagnosed when she was 20, before I was born. That was way back in 1945 when treatments were not as effective and MG produced much greater weakness and muscle fatigue.
Nowadays with the internet and social media, I’m hoping we can all work together to raise visibility for MG and talk about what it is really like to live with this little known disease. My hope is that through others knowing the symptoms, we’ll shorten the time to correct diagnosis and treatment. Bob was diagnosed quickly and soon afterwards he had a thymectomy and an amazing result. I hope my efforts will help to spread the word. If you have any suggestions for me to be more effective, perhaps you can comment under the Support page? Thank you.
Bob you are one of the few that was dx’d at an early age…I had symptoms at 14 or so…dx’d at 16ish…hope you are doing well…keep in touch! Cindy
have room to camp and a spare bedroom
Thanks to everyone for the offers of a bed for the night or a place to camp or help for my VW. I have emailed you directly or sent you a message on Facebook. I look forward to meeting MG support groups and hearing/sharing MG stories and also to meeting fellow members of the VW family.
If you happen to be swinging through Patagonia, we’d love to meet up! Good luck with your trip!
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YEAH!!! I am “F”…Wilmmywood North Carolina…better known as “Wilmington”!!! YeeHaw! Wilmington has a large movie making business here…Hollywood East is what we are known for…hahaha…growing up here that sounds SO funny! Can’t wait for you to get here…Can’t wait to meet’cha! and..Can’t wait to help you get the word out…thanks so much Carole…on behalf of us with MG…we love you!!! cindyLou Beasley
Wtg for logging 2333 miles for MG awareness! Yay! Don’t forget to come visit Maine you’ll have a place to lay your head!
Camping world RV outlet for your map your looking for.
Hi
Our club is located in Albuquerque NM, on your way back if you use Route 66 you will pass right through Albuquerque, maybe you could stop for lunch with us.
Myron
Definitely would like to meet you. Perhaps we could arrange for a number of us to meet up. Can you send a reply with your phone number or best way of making contact. I’d like to plan ahead as early as possible for the Spring. I love Albuquerque. Met JP last time through in 2010. If any of you guys are going to BBB in January, can we can meet there too?
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