The Beauty of Remembering the Past

 

 

 

 I had a friend who lived down the street from me when I was in grade school. Her parents had an old travel trailer parked on the side of their house. It was great fun to use as a play house. It was never used for vacations or any sort of travel.  The years took their toll. The sun, rain and snow beat down on it turning it from a shiny silver to a dull grey. The girls in the neighborhood cooked up many imaginary meals and traveled thousands of miles on pretend trips. The door did no close properly and the benches around the table had torn upholstery. It definitely had seen better days and had not been loved.

Move forward to 2016 and you might see that poor neglected tin can in the modernism trailer show in Palm Springs. The first generation of small RVs has found new life through the clever hands of restorers. I find it interesting that so many people, myself included, are drawn to the things of the past. Is it because old is new to us and the nostalgia of a past we can only imagine peaks our curiosity? Perhaps, the past helps us make sense of the present.

The simple little camp trailers brought the post war generation of the 50's and 60's to the road and the travel bug and the desire to explore has continued on. Many of those first homes on wheels have been saved and lovingly restored even down to the dishes and period fabrics. Unique in their simplicity and functionality they are a curiosity. I find myself thinking of families that vacationed in these small units and how they opened up the world of travel.  Parents were able to show their children the  sights of the of the United States in an affordable and exciting way.

The oldest trailer at the show this year was a 1948 tear drop, which happens to be the year I was born.
The wood was polished and the bed covered in a simple cotton fabric. The basic of the basics, but a darling loved once again by an new generation. Today's road homes are without a doubt more livable, beautifully equipped and comfortable.  I have to explore the question--are they as charming and endearing. The answer lies with restorers who take their old ladies on the road and experience the past of trailer life. Ask them how they feel about traveling with the old, newly refurbished charmers and the answer is always the same--I love her. Fortunately, the old and the new can co-exist together and both find travel companions to continue the quest of travel and adventure on the road.