Southern Belle Reincarnated: Vintage Style Camping

This weekend officially marks the beginning of summer - Memorial Day! Each year when this marker rolls around I begin making plans for my summer: visits to the beach, backyard barbecues, vacations, camping. Ahhhh, yes....camping!

My grandparents taught me to appreciate camping while I was in my early 20's. They had a travel trailer that they hauled up to Mammoth Lakes, California behind their old yellow Ford pick-up every June 15th and would return around August 15th.

For TWO MONTHS they would stay in the remote area known as Upper Dead Man. I know, sounds like a scary place, but actually it was one of the most breathtaking and serene spots I've ever camped in my life (if you don't mind a brown bear or two (or three) tromp-sing through your camp site every other night or so looking for snacks!).

My grandparents would set up their camp consisting of their trailer which was their personal accommodations plus a couple of tents for "guests". During the two month retreat they would be visited by friends and family members that would take turns making the six hour trek from where most of us lived to spend a week or even just a few days relaxing at the camp, hiking the pine tree-lined trails, fishing for trout in the cool streams, sipping gin and tonics or "wine in a box", cooking (Grandpa made the BEST turkey baked in a hole in the ground!), eating, telling stories and enjoying evenings in their tent cabin that was set up for them perfectly by a roaring campfire. I learned to appreciate the good times camping offers, the closeness of friends and family and the appreciation for nature through these mini trips with them.

Twenty-five years later I bought my own trailer. It's a used pop-up tent trailer which isn't the Taj-Mahal but certainly offers more comforts than laying on the ground in a sleeping bag with a sharp rock sticking precariously into your hip all night. I've had my trailer for five years now and use it once or twice a year but it's looking old and shabby; basically, it's falling apart.

I started researching on the internet ways I could give it a little face lift; add a little lipstick to the pig, as they say. Well, after looking around my mind is racing....new floors (they make a vinyl plank that looks like hardwood but is cheap and very durable that would look great), a coat of white paint on the faux wood cabinets would brighten up and enlarge the space and finally new curtains and seat cushions would look amazing especially in a cute vintage print all seem to be in order.

After researching what I could do to my old pop up I started looking at vintage trailers. Oh myyyy...I have fallen in L-O-V-E! These cute little tin can cottages are so adorable that I NEED to have one. All it takes in money and time I suppose. One day.....one day! Until then, I will keep planning, wishing and dreaming.