Thanksgiving Trip

The beauty of owning a small trailer is that it is easy to tow and easy to maneuver. Taking my girl out for the first time on an actual trip proved to be exciting and full of adventure. I decided to bring my hubby along and our two dogs. This was the first outing we had all taken together. Hooking up the trailer was a cinch. Towing her was no different than driving our truck alone. During our freeway journey I was bubbling over with excitement that we would be embarking on a new chapter in our lives. Since my hubby and I have been married we have been faithful tent campers. We are efficient at packing the car with only the essentials. We know what we need and how to pack it. Having a trailer has posed a new way of life that I’m not sure we were ready for. For years I would see trailers and RVs in campgrounds and think about how I didn’t want to become one of “those people.” Fast forward a few years and I have become one of “those people,” complete with electric blankets and microwave.

Let me back up a bit, you see my husband is an art teacher by day and a musician by night. This translates into me spending a lot of time home alone. I wanted to change that and joined an all women’s fly fishing and “glamping” (glamorous camping) club, Sisters on the Fly. Part of this new membership meant that I needed a trailer to call home while “glamping.” Thus began my labor intensive search for a trailer. It was not until a fellow sister recommended I go see this trailer that I felt hope. You see trailers even used were just too far out of my price range and I needed a small trailer to go with my small truck. Little did I know that the older the trailer the higher the price because it is “vintage.” Well, I finally saw the 1966 Serro Scotty Sportsman recommended to me and knew that she would be mine. It just felt right. The gentleman I bought her from even towed it to my house. I set about thinking of how I would make her mine. First came the name. I struggled to decide on something that described me. While I have always wanted to live somewhere else I kept coming back to the fact that I was a born and bred Southern California girl. My husband thought that was worth cherishing and so I named her SoCal Gal. Of course I have grand plans to paint and redecorate her completely, but in the meantime I plan to enjoy the heck out of her.

Back to the present moment of my trip and I will tell you that it was my first experience camping with full hookups. Although there is no bathroom, there is a sink, stove and electric plugs. Camping was so comfortable that I couldn’t see how we would ever be back to sleeping in a tent. They always say that once you turn to the dark side there is no hope of ever returning. I guess it is something that we will just have to wait and see how it turns out. We spent three glorious days on the beach in Carpinteria. Time was spent walking with the dogs on the beach, riding our bicycles, eating at our favorite bistro (Jack’s Bistro), enjoying a beer at Island Brewing Co., and sharing conversation over tea at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. It was one of the most relaxing trips I’ve had in a while. I’m sure we’ll have no problem adjusting to this new life in “glamping.”