For the Independence Day weekend, we made our way over to Lake Wenatchee State Park, on the south end of the lake. The weather was hot and dry – absolutely perfect, after putting up with a cool, wet spring back on the other side of the Cascade mountains. On Saturday, we made a quick run to Leavenworth, WA, for some shopping and sightseeing.

For me, sightseeing means scoping out cool cars and trucks.

For those unfamiliar with Leavenworth, this former mill town was reborn as a Bavarian village in the 1960’s, and has become one of the most popular German-themed towns in the country. Even the street signs are bilingual, and many people who work in town speak German.

But enough about cheesy theme towns. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting cars I saw last weekend.

First off, we have this cool VW van. This van has seen more than one rattlecan, but somehow it just works. Minimal rust, complete trim and lights, and those great (13″?) wheels.

 

Later, while walking down the main street through town, I saw this pop-up Element. I’ve never seen one like this before; it has a matching roof, and a 6″-8″ extension above the windshield and doors, and running boards. Not exactly a versatile off-road car anymore, but I bet it’s perfect for weekend camping.

 

Later, I saw another sweet VW, this time a very nice little 1989 Westfalia. This is the Westy that I really like, with the full kitchen, popup top, double bed, and a manual transmission. My wife told me to stop taking pictures and staring at it.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans are not all that special, or photogenic, but this one stuck out, and I had to get a quick shot. First there’s the size- it was huge sitting there next to the cars nearby. This one is a conversion, obviously, with a high top, a wet bar/kitchenette inside, and lots of seating. It was definitely the biggest thing around, and stuck out in traffic, but I bet it was very comfortable inside.

Back at camp, this was waiting for us just a few minutes down the trail. I love spotting and sharing interesting cars with you all, but a quiet morning next to a lake that’s smooth as glass is good for the soul, and just what I needed after a hectic few months. I could live here, but they’d probably kick me out after a few months. What do you think of these cars?

 

[Photos Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Marcal Eilenstein]