As any person owning one can affirm, having a T@B impacts camping awareness in wonderful ways. Tom and I learned that “less is often more”, and that the tiny confines of a little camper can open up the world of nature wherever your travel. After 7 years of enjoying the T@B lifestyle, we have moved on to another iconic travel trailer, but the lessons learned in the T@B are still the main focus of our camping outings. This has all been a bit bitter-sweet ----- until NOW! Thursday I sat out on an adventure to Tennessee. The plan was to meet sister Johanna for an all-girl’s rally hosted by Misty River Campground (www.mistyriverrv.com) in Walland, TN. After a lazy 9 hour drive, I pulled into the campground at 4:00 pm, and saw . . . . a silver T@B with orange trim, and a slight, blond-haired woman busy setting up the awning! My old T@B camper, and the new proud owner Sheila Jones, were here at this rally! Even better – I was assigned the campsite right beside! Sitting at my front table in the Airstream, here is the view looking through my window! The whole story has come out and will go down as one of the great T@B acquisitions: Last October when I found the Silvermine Airstream at Chilhowie RV, I was camping at this very campground! I always had a suspicious feeling that the salesman at the dealership was anxious to not only sell me the Airstream, but also anxious to get his hands on that little tricked-out, orange-trimmed T@B trailer. Sheila’s story is that she had been looking for a small camper and had declined on one that was just a “cozy bed on wheels with a kitchen on the back;” she wanted a bit more room. As soon as I drove off with the Airstream, the dealer called Sheila and told her he had a little camper she just might be interested in taking a look at. Look, she did – and in a couple days it was hers! Like any good T@Bber, Sheila says that it was love at first sight, and she knew it was the right camper for her! Having bought at the end of the 2011 camping season, both Sheila and I had to endure a long winter dreaming about camping in our new rigs. Imagine the double delight of showing up at this early Spring rally, being camped beside each other, and enjoying 3 perfect days putting together our stories! So, here I am again, doing what I have done for the past 8 years – taking pictures of that little T@B camper! This time there is a new chair sitting out front, and a new owner posing beside, and even a new name! One of Sheila’s friends told her she looked like a little “Barbie” with her new little trailer. Now the name has stuck: T@Barbie P@D! Now that she has been indoctrinated in the T@B lifestyle, Sheila is busy scheduling her 2012 camping season. I’ll be seeing her again in June at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mts, and she is traveling to The Kentucky Horse Park in July to rally with my sister Johanna and the R-Pods! I want this story to never end!
3 Comments
Ella Brown
4/29/2012 04:30:33 am
Oh Rob, I DID know that, and Sheila does have the right information! Can't wait to see you later this week!
Reply
Sheila jones
5/9/2012 07:27:24 am
Ella, I hope you are not sad! I absolutely love the T@Barbie P@d. I will see you soon and thank you for all your support and a fun time at Misty River. Next year I will try to make it to BRR
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |