Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Tin Can Dreams

Lately there has been a lot of trailer talk in the blogs. Have you seen this post? It really has me swooning. This is a whole blog about a vintage travel trailer. And don't forget Suzanne and her road trip. Anyway it all has me thinking about the trailer we had when I was little. We probably got it in 1959-ish, my sister was born in early 1960 and she's not in these early photos, and my little brother was born in 1958 and he's there in the stroller. That's me lollygagging back there, perfecting the slouch at 5. We pulled that little trailer around for years when we were small, but probably by the end of the 60's it was retired and eventually sold. My mom and I were talking about it this past weekend. The trailer was always packed with its own dishes, and equipment, all you needed to add was a block of ice for the fridge and some food. Dad would call home telling us what time to be ready and off we'd go.
Sometimes at antique stores I see the old dishes like we had in the trailer. I think they were originally a cereal give-away if I'm not mistaken. I really need to grab one of those cups to have my coffee in. You know.. just for the memory.
Ok, enough lollygagging, I better get a move on. Have a wonderful day peoples! xo

21 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm de-lurking for this post. You caught my eye on this one...

I love our travel trailer. I'm an airstream owner -- a big, beautiful 27 footer with a new interior (sewn by me!). We spent most of last year living in it, and are hoping for the same this year.

Hubby has it up in New England (working) while I'm home in TN (blogging). It's been since Sunday since I've been in it and I already miss it! [sigh]

Love the pic. Those campers make such wonderful memories... don't they? Btw, LOVE the awning fringe...too cool!

7:06 AM  
Blogger HMaas said...

We just bought a travel trailer this year and can't wait to create those same memories for our chilren. Love the old picture - I have to laugh at things have changed - your brother is in a baby walker and in Canada those things are illegal - I guess too many kids got hurt falling down stairs - just think of all the fun toys we had as kids that are no longer around. Kinda sad.

7:15 AM  
Blogger Sinta Renee said...

I have a big nostalgia thing for trailers too. Lots of memories with my grandparents. Maybe that's what drew me to the area that I live in... where there's a lot of camping going on. I am always on the lookout for one of those 50's trailers to buy.

8:45 AM  
Anonymous happy zombie said...

I love this photo! I dream of having YOUR trailer parked in my little forest. And you in that chair, sipping coffee... and we'll put E in the stroller.

I'm so glad you found this photo, I've been dying to see it! And look at you all cute (you haven't changed a bit) in your chair. And I SWEAR I SEE A MUG OF COFFEE in your hand.

My lollygagging break is over... I have fabric to cut and fold and must get moving. WYWT!

9:34 AM  
Blogger alobsiger said...

OMG, that pic is priceless! I heard a story about a trailer we had back in the 60s. From what I gather, I should probably be glad I don't remember the one trip we took in it. Scarred me for life. I don't camp. Our current neighbors drag a Casita home from time to time. I wonder what they could possibly carry or do in that tiny thing. It looks like a closet on wheels.

9:35 AM  
Anonymous happy zombie said...

PS... I wish you still had this, and could turn it into a Mobile PKM Studio! Oh yeah, I could see it behind The Slipper.

9:35 AM  
Blogger jen duncan said...

That is the BEST picture Pam. Priceless.
We (I) too have been on a traveltrailer kick since I saw the one in Marie Claire Idees a month or so ago. I told John we NEED one to take the grandkids on weekend jaunts. He said, "You just want to decorate it and fill it up with vintage doodads." Um, yeah...got a problem with that? :-) Well, you know having the idea is the hard part. Now it's all but decided and I just have to find it!

10:02 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Love the little campground. Looks like a happy family. ALso enjoyed the comment from Heather about the walker. That's an old stroller with adjustable handles. Pam you must have been walking him around. If you enlarge the photo you can see he's standing on a little tray and his baby feet don't touch the ground. No crashing for him.

It reminds me of my youth, we must be of a similar age.
Love your blog. xxbetsy

10:15 AM  
Blogger Candace said...

Great photo and story, Pam! I have a friend who also found an old airstream and decorated it to the hilt - she travels all over the country by herself in retirement - what a hoot!
Cheers!

11:29 AM  
Blogger quiltmom anna said...

When I was a kid, Pam, my family camped first in tents and then later in a tent trailer. After that my folks had a truck and camper ( I slept in the camper perhaps once as I was an older teenager when they got it) They now have a big trailer that they can pull behind the truck. My dad always poked fun at others who camped in trailers and campers when we were kids- saying it was not really camping- now we tease him about the built in bathroom and some other amenities he has in the trailer. Like your folks, the campers all had their own dishes and camping equipment ready to go when ever my folks were ready. We had lots of fun camping in the backwoods of Alberta. My gran had some dishes that came in laundry detergent - perhaps those are the ones that you are thinking about.
Thanks for sharing the memories- it brought back some fun times for me.
Regards,
Anna

12:41 PM  
Blogger Kathi D said...

I'm thinking of stealing this picture and pasting it in an album, claiming it's me. Because it is SO DARN CUTE!

I wish I had a dime for every time I have seen some of our old junk in an antique or vintage store. We didn't have any expensive or heirloom things, just ordinary dishes and stuff out of cereal boxes and from the gas station, etc. Who knew the stuff would ever be valuable???

2:06 PM  
Blogger Holly said...

We had one of those trailers when I was a kid too. Until my Mom got tired of cleaning it out after every camping trip. The we just took a tent.

2:49 PM  
Blogger Auntie Pami said...

Oh my goodness? I have a photo just like that! But, our trailer was a little bigger and it was home! I've been on the prowl for a new Airstream (I guess turning older is making me nostalgic). I know what you mean about the dishes thing. I have a set of Desert Rose, wonder if it'd make it. I think having a personal portable studio would put my husband over the edge though. Thanks for sharing!

4:54 PM  
Blogger Qubie said...

Them trailers do bring back some memories. My parents used to have one almost like that. I loved that trailer.
I do recall my mother getting towels from a laundry soap giveaway they were the towels we used when I was growing up. I think my mother still has them. Holes and all.

6:33 AM  
Blogger Elizabeth said...

Awww! How CUTE! And you had SCALLOPS! I have no childhood memories like that, altho of course I wasn't around back then either...

Monica's gonna put ME in a stroller???! That's kind of weird.
Besides--my feet wouldn't fit thru the openings.

1:54 PM  
Blogger Nanette Merrill said...

Oh the memories. That picture is precious. I hope you have that framed. It is like a snapshot of a wonderful time that is long gone really. Now with gas prices and our work-a-day world, this is hard to do anymore. We bought a trailer when our kids were really little. And we would go to a place about 3 1/2 hours away. I loved it. It was fun. It was like camping as a queen. We started going less and less as our family grew and as my husband had to work longer and longer days. Anyway long story we sold the trailer years ago. After it was sold my husband told me he hated camping, hated taking the trailer out and he was so relieved we sold it! I couldn't believe it. We had 10 years of little weekends away and small vacations and he hated it all. I was stumped. I loved it. He never let on. So strange.

2:49 PM  
Blogger suz said...

We were tent campers but my best friend at the camp ground had a trailer and her dad built this huge box that held all the kitchen stuff - once you opened the side everything was there and the side became a table for the stove - very cool.
You mentioned dishes coming in cereal boxes - do you recall towels coming in detergent boxes? I made my Mom throw out the ones she had from the 50s just a couple of years ago-they were thread-bare-and she was really annoyed with me! She covered gingerbread dough with them when she was making houses at Christmas time and said they worked just fine! :o)

10:29 AM  
Blogger Kathi D said...

You ignited memories of my camping days and I had to blog it. Thanks!

10:39 AM  
Blogger Mego said...

THANK YOU for blogging this! We have a teensy tiny cabin in VT on a stream and about 5 years ago we were able to buy a teensy tiny 1960's travel trailer for our GUESTS! It is not as fixed up as these ladies but it WILL be. I have sent the link to my DH for a serious 'nudge'...

11:56 AM  
Blogger Cheryl said...

That is the sweetest picture!! Nice to know you use to camp in a can also!

11:56 AM  
Anonymous Sandy said...

You were a little cutie pie : ) I love my childhood vacation memories.

3:34 PM  

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