Our first trek in the Airstream, well other than when we picked it up and drove from somewhere in Pennsylvania to Chapel Hill stopping in a Walmart parking lot to sleep, involved speeding from Chapel Hill to Austin. So… what did we learn? That traveling 1400 miles in 6 days was way too fast and that we were missing experiences along the way. The good, the bad, and the humorous experiences are what make the Happy Campers. So our learning was that after that first trip, we needed to slow down, smell the flowers, meditate on the landscape, and not worry about the clock.
Some notable education on the trip:
- Harvest Hosts stops helped the newbies ease into the camping experience. We stopped at Russian Chapel Hills Winery, Currahee Vineyards & Winery, and Bayou Teche Brewery. All three were lovely and had an added bonus of relatively level ground. The wines were what you would expect from the region. The beer at Bayou Teche Brewery was outstanding!
- Interstate travel is not preferred. Lots can happen on the interstate and when its crowded a lot can go wrong quickly – like a 12 x 4 x 10 ft piece of wood bounding down the interstate at you or a ladder appearing on the road without warning. Hard to swerve pulling a 28 foot trailer while driving in congested traffic.
- Airstream trailers have problems, just like other trailers. This was the beginning of our education on DIY fixes to the Airstream. Our furnace kept tripping, and waking up to a very cold trailer is not fun. The community of airstream owners is vital to helping. Be sure to sign up for Air Forums.
- We needed two sets of golf clubs for each of us. One for home and one for the trailer. How fun is it to find great courses along the way!
