Black Forest Westfalias

My wife and I, along with our 6 month old son, were recently honored with the inaugural rental of Gretel, the beautifully renovated Westy van rented out by Mike at Black Forest Westfalias. We took her out on a week-​long trip around the Olympic peninsula and had an unbelievably great time.
To start, Mike met us at the airport on a Saturday with the van, and went over all of Gretel’s features and quirks in detail. He brought the van equipped with full water and propane tanks, linens for the van’s two fold-​out beds, cookware, and even a french press for coffee! After our orientation, we were off with Gretel on our trip. She drove very smoothly, handled surprisingly well, and was able to tackle a variety of road conditions, including some steep dirt roads. The van was surprisingly comfortable for sleeping and cooking; we had planned to take some breaks from car camping by staying in a motel for a night or two, but we enjoyed glamping it up with Gretel so much that we ended up camping with her for 6 nights straight. Then it was back to Seattle via ferry; Mike was kind enough to meet us at the ferry terminal for van drop-​off.
Start to finish, renting from Mike was a very positive experience. He really has a passion for Westfalia vans, and has been taking trips with his family in one for years. We’re very fortunate that he has decided to share his passion with the world, renting out these beautiful vans for others to enjoy. There is something really unique about driving and sleeping in a Westy; it gives you a sense of being out in nature much more than RVs, but is much more comfortable and enjoyable than regular car camping. My wife and I couldn’t have imagined a more enjoyable first trip to take with our baby boy. If you have a chance to take a trip with Gretel or one of Mike’s other vans, its a really great and unique experience. Highly recommended.