I would like to extend a welcome to all the new followers of my blog. Thanks so much to Brenda at the Cozy Little Cottage for featuring me. I'm new to blogging so thanks for your patience. I'll try to improve my site so that it will be fun for you to check it often.I have been so impressed with so many blogs. You bloggers are so creative!!!
I thought you might me interested in knowing the history of how I fell in love with vintage travel trailers. I grew up on a farm in western Iowa. My parents didn't own a trailer, we had a pickup camper. We always took a summer vacations in our camper. My father loved history, so I believe I've been to every battlefield, fort and National Park west of the Mississippi. I never had even been to an amusement park until I was in college. I've always had such great memories of travels in our camper.
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Now I'm a forty something mother of four and live on an acreage just outside of Iowa City, Iowa. I have a country store and antique shop in our acreage.
The shop is called The Rug Cottage which I started in 1993 out of a grain shed and the antique shop is called "Barntiques" and is located in our turn of the century barn.
Several years ago we bought a "woodland" camping theme for the Rug Cottage. One of the items was a small rounded travel trailer. It was like a light bulb went off in my head... I love vintage and I love traveling... what a perfect combination. Buy a vintage trailer and decorated it with vintage stuff. It could be my vintage time capsule for "Mom's" timeout getaway to read and relax.
I found my first trailer just miles from my house. A young man was using it to stay in while he restored an old farm house. It was a 1958 Yellowstone small rounded trailer. I loved the cozy warm Birch wood interiors and I decorated it with a woodland, Yellowstone National Park theme.
It was so fun ... I was like a kid again decorating my little trailer. I found most of my treasures at thrift stores, garage sales and antique shops. At that time I had never even heard of anyone else doing this.
One day while reading in my little trailer I picked up a magazine from a yard sale and starting reading it. I almost fell over when I turned to the page of an article about a group of women out west called "Sister's on the Fly" who decorate vintage trailers and travel with them for women's fly fishing outings. That was it I was hooked!!!!!
Since then I have a acquired several more trailers. All need restoration work. I decided since we live on an acreage and I have a very understanding husband.. why just have one trailer when I could have a "Vintage Trailer Park"...
We have then all encircled and at night we light them up and sit around the camp fire and roast marshmallows. The "Vintage Trailer Park' has hosted many 50's parities, slumber parities and just plain ole' camp outs.
My sister and I in front of our Camper in 1968, Notice the trailer next to us. I'm the one in the white coat.
I'm a new follower and love vintage trailers...my husband is from eastern Iowa..Independence....and we've been to Iowa City..small world, huh?
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI clicked over from Brenda's. Love this blog.'
During the 1950's, when I was a child, my dad was in the Air Force. One winter, we lived in Illinois while he was attending school. We were only there two or three months. My parents bought a 16 foot trailer...aluminum, can't remember name. We towed it from MO, crossed the Mississippi on the old bridge with the bend, in Saint Louis. Unforgettable trip.
Mother cooked on a hot plate. There was a tiny ice box. I remember the ice man delivering ice. The only heat was a small electric heater. No bathroom. We used the trailer park shower house. I seem to remember a laundry at the shower house too. Lots of snow while we were there. In early May, 1952, my dad was transferred to Texas. Before leaving Illinois, they sold the 16 foot trailer and bought a beautiful brand new 1952 27 foot Alma...aluminum with a red stripe. We towed it behind a 1952 Mercury..gorgeous car. The Alma had 1 bedroom and a real bathroom plus a real stove and refrigerator. The following year '53, we bought our first TV, I was 10 that year. It sat on a counter between the kitchen and living room. I'll never forget either of those trailers. Years later, my first husband and I lived in a trailer...our first "real" home, after he got out of the service. It was 8x50...the year 1965. We lived in it until 1967 when we bought our first home. Of course that was long ago, before the name mobile home came into vogue. I've had lots of life experiences and happy memories from those years, living in trailers.
While browsing your blog I saw your post about the show in Indiana. I have to tell you...those long ago years living in a trailer and the neighborhoods/parks, are so ingrained in my memory, I recognized the gorgeous 1954 Spartan, right away. To me, way back then and way back when, that was the most beautiful trailer I ever saw.:-)
Thanks so much for taking me on a trip down memory lane. I might just have to write a post about living in those homes back in the 50's.
I love your blog! I, too, am enamored with little vintage trailers. I am on the lookout for a "Canned Ham" like yours, but it has so far been a fruitless search here in Central Oregon.I will soldier on, tho', and someday have a sweet little trailer to decorate and call my own. In the meantime, I can live vicariously through your little blog. Keep posting!!!
ReplyDeleteLori
hello there...i just found your blog and i own a vintage trailer and belong to sisters on the fly...you are living my dream to have a vintage trailer park! ahhhhhhh...too many trailers not enough time! check out my 1953 field and stream...lil cupcake trailer...Cat~
ReplyDeleteI'm a sister too (#1509) ... owner of a 67 Shasta LoFlyte ... not a canned ham and like an idiot I passed one up at Goodwill of all places years ago, right after that Country Living article about Sisters on the Fly came out but oh well. I'm in northeast Nebraska ... you're not that far from me. I'd love to come visit your "trailer park" some day ... I think I'd probably end up moving in and never leaving *lol* I'm looking for a tiny round camper too but until then, I'll just keep working on my shasta!
ReplyDeleteI don't own a vintage trailer, but I sure do like them. I know many people who go absolutely gaga over these. Here is one blogger who blogs often about her cute as a button trailer. http://happylovesrosie.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
Maureen
Im one of the gals that followed you over from Brenda's blog. I dream of vintage trailers & recently hubby has caught on too. He wants to get one to tow behind a jeep on hunting trips. I want to get one to decorate & have Mommy time outs in. (also want to be able to travel before retirement age)
ReplyDeleteI love ur trailer park! That is such a cool idea & what fun it would be to decorate each one. If we had acreage it'd start one up too! The nights around the camp fire & slumber parties would be a blast! What a fun blog to find & I'm glad to be around for the ride now. :)
Welcome to BlogLand! I haven't been blogging long either and still have so much to learn! I love your trailers! I have wanted one of them myself but probably won't go that route. I think they are adorable though and I look forward to reading your blog and learning more about them.
ReplyDeletejust found your blog.. i own a vintage trailer and I am a sister on the fly member... i love my 1962 sHASta!! come see me!
ReplyDeleteI too just started blogging and found you. I just got a "63 shasta compact and am hoping to "cutsie" it up some. Louisiana is along way from Iowa, but maybe one day I'll venture farther down the road.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog...thoroughly enjoyed it! I have 3 vintage trailers and 3 vintage cars...the trailers are in a vintage western, smokey bear and Betty Page themes. I belong to a group of vintage trailering women on Meetup.com. We have a great, small group of women who enjoy campouts in the Northern California area. I will enjoy following your blog! Here's a blog about my Lil Loafer Trailer:
ReplyDeletehttp://lilloafertrailer.blogspot.com/
This is such a cute blog! Please take a look at our vintage trailer art at www.recycledwoodart.etsy.com
ReplyDeleteI am also from Western Iowa (Hawarden), and I love vintage campers. We are restoring a 1953 Lonely Teardrop. Pam
ReplyDeleteHi very nice blog...
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts you got there, believe I may possibly try just some of it throughout my daily life...
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ReplyDeleteThese are awesome pictures, and I just love vintage trailers. We should have a gathering in Texas if anyone is around.
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness...I have so many fond memories of my family camping. It was our vacation every year as we could never afford a real vacation with airfare for a family of five! I remember playing in our old camper as a child and using it as a neighboorhood playhouse...such great memories. I caught my first fish when I was 3 at Star Lake. I am now searching for a vintage camper to restore. Right now we have a 2004 jacyco 29ft camper that I would love to sell and start redoing a vintage camper with lots of love. I too am from Iowa and would love to come visit your store....I recently had to resign at my job at JCPenneys due to a back problem. Time is on my side and I plan on visiting before the snow flies!
ReplyDeleteI see this post is from 2010. I just "found" you through Pinterest. I love your Vintage Trailer Park! What fun! We just bought a '57 Shasta. I can't wait to start decorating her...
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy looking at all your cute trailers. I've owned 2 vintage trailers, currently I'm looking for another. Someday I'd like to have a campground like yours :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband bought an old travel trailer years ago and I felt sorry for her sitting out back being abused by the mice, bees, spiders, and ants so I decided to save her. I'm questioning my sanity (about now). After two days of working on her I'm finally beginning to see my hard work is paying off. I've take before and will have after pics to share. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteHelp, just bought a 1966 Shasta and need some advice and some resources. I really need this for my mental health and to start to live again. But the clubs all want too much private info and I do not like to do that on the www.
ReplyDeleteSo are there any women in Nebraska ,western Iowa or southern South Dakota or northern Kansas that get together to just camp. No clubs or fees,still have a child at home and money with kids is always an issue. Thanks and love the camping ground,may have to go and see it sometime. I would adore one of my own,may just do it someday.
I am glad to see that you such an amazing post here. This is so good and xtra ordinary. This is surely a good way of writing. I just love it.
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I'm excited to watch your blog! I'm looking for a vintage camper to fix up and am having some trouble. Any suggestions for a west-central Iowan? :)
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. Definitely a little vintage but always good. I love reading these sort RV blogs.
ReplyDeleteKeith
hi i live in new zealand and have a Lilliput caravan that im restoring there were only 200 ever made i was told , we call trailers those things you cart firewood around or trips to the dump cheers Bill
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