PORT ANGELES — Strait Aire Volksgrüppe of Port Angeles is on its way to the Mexican border as part of the 18th annual Treffen Border-To-Border Volkswagen Cruise.
The cruise began Friday morning on Ediz Hook. The caravan had made it as far south as Yachats, Ore. as of 3:37 p.m. Saturday, according to http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Treffen18.
The 10-day cruise — organized by Airhead Parts of Ventura, Calif., — is a “traveling Volkswagen carnival,” with cruises, campouts and car shows covering the entire length of the West Coast, according to the event website at www.straitairvw.com.
Airhead Parts provides accessories for vintage Volkswagen vehicles.
Owners of rear engine Volkswagen vehicles are invited to join the caravan at any point along the journey, and leave at any time, organizers said.
“Last year, we started with 24 VWs at Ediz Hook and ended up with over 400 VWs in San Diego,” said Francie Louden of Strait Air Volksgrüppe in a news release.
“We cruised down [U.S.] Highway 101 and [state] Highway 1 to Borderfield State Park in California. It took 10 days of driving through beautiful scenery. We drove our ’57 panel bus the entire round trip of 3,550 miles.”
Treffen is German for “meeting,” according to event organizers.
In the spirit of meeting like-minded vintage Volkswagen enthusiasts, and making new friends, the Airhead Parts crew has spent the past 17 years making the cruise the largest vintage Volkswagen-themed event in the U.S., according to their website.
This is the second year that the cruise has begun in Port Angeles, Louden said.
Previously, the cruise began in Blaine, Louden said, but the organizers enjoyed the Port Angeles area so much last year, they decided to begin the cruise here again.
The cruise attracts Volkswagen owners from the western U.S. and Canada, Louden said.
For more information, visit www.straitairvw.com.
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Features Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.