Sweet Emmaline

After almost a year of dreaming and months of searching, I have finally bought my dream vintage camper. Her name is Sweet Emmaline and she is a 1966 Mallard. She is still in Omaha, where I bought her off Ebay. She is waiting for me to get a hitch put on my Jeep and new tires, before making the journey home.





This all started a year ago. I had received my issue of "Mary Jane's Farm" and it had an article on the group, Sister's on The Fly. I had heard of this group before, but this time I really caught the vintage "glamping" bug. My family was having our annual family reunion that weekend, and I announced to my cousins that this is what we needed to do instead of being "Red Hat Ladies". We had a lot of laughs with everyone tossing around what they thought the decorating theme for their individual camper should be. Themes ranged from cowgirl to Barbie to Lucy!!! Little did they know that by our 2010 family reunion, two of us would actually own our campers!

Cousin Jan was the first to purchase a "glamper"! She found a 1968 Pathfinder and has named it "The Happy Hippie", as a tribute to the year it was made. She has been working hard getting her road safe, including re-packing bearings and re-sealing the roof and caulking windows. Jan also tore out a place that had some damage from the air conditioner leaking. Really, there is no job Jan cannot do!

The Happy Hippie made her maiden voyage to Lake Okabodji a few weeks ago, when Jan had a get together with old friends. They, too, fell in love with the "glamping" adventure!

Sam and I spent our first night in "The Happy Hippie" last weekend at our family reunion. Although we were parked in town in front of my Aunt's house, we really got a taste of the good life! Cool breezes gently blew through the cozy trailer for a great night's sleep!

The next day, Jan proudly showed off her glamper and her hard work to the rest of the family. Who knows who will have their "glamper" by our next reunion!!!

For some strange reason, I cannot find my pictures of the Happy Hippie. I'll have to share those another time.

Plagued by prior commitments and still no hitch, I've arranged for Jan to go pick up Sweet Emmaline next week. Jan will find new tires for the trailer and then drop Emmaline off in Adel, Ia for a safety check and repairs to make her road ready. Next she'll have to have an air condition installed for those really hot days.

Jan, and Sam and I are already planning a trip to a vintage trailer rally later in the month. Hopefully, we will be able to connect with like minded folks who can link us to resources we need for replacement parts, etc.

While we haven't even gotten Emmaline home, it amazes me at how many people are asking me when they can see her! I have gotten so many positive comments from people since posting pictures of Emmaline on my Facebook page. I am so excited to be starting this new adventure!!! I hope many, many lifelong memories will be made traveling the back roads in our glampers!!!