Although I didn’t start my blog right when we bought the Silvermine, I did start keeping detailed records! So many times during our 7 years in the TAB I wished that I had kept better records of her miles and wanderings. Thus, the day that we towed the Silvermine home from the dealership lot in Tennessee, I started keeping a log. Now that I have started the blog I want to bring our short 2011 camping season up to date. Because we didn’t buy the Silvermine until September 7th, we didn’t have a lot of time to take any extended camping trips before the winterizing process. We settled for several trips close to home, allowing us to get used to the feel of the towing, to perfect our hooking and unhooking techniques, investigate how to run all the on-board systems, and figure out our outside camp set-up and our inside packing and organization. I worked hard to write a check-list cheat sheet to help me hook up for a trip and set up at a campground. I wanted to be able to do the whole process myself -- without a hitch! From September 7th – October 30th we drove her 1,763 miles; 425 of those were driving home from Tennessee and the rest were weekend trips originating from home. This included 7 camping trips and 12 nights of camping. Ella was able to spend two more nights in the Silvermine than Tom as he started teaching in the fall. Ella even towed the rig to Jackson Center, OH (where Airstreams are made, only 1 hour from our house) for a service appointment. The factory has its own campground called the Terraport, and it was a good place for Ella to practice backing in, unhooking and setting up all by herself. Oh, and learn to dump the holding tank! During these few camping trips we got to camp with Airstream clubs as well as our long-time TAB buds and we had not one regret about trading the TAB in for the Silvermine. So the winter has been spent dreaming about spring and the 2012 camping season and working to fill the camping calendar. At this time we have 7 outings scheduled from April to the end of June, including a TAB rally, several Airstream rallies, the annual 10 days at the Indianapolis 500 and a three week vacation! July is open for some unplanned trips, and there are already 4 fall outings planned in August and September. Meanwhile, we are keeping our eyes open for that first perfect March weekend when the weather cooperates and the urge to take that first spring camping trip overpowers us -- to officially begin the 2012 season!
1 Comment
Sharon
2/15/2012 09:35:41 am
I love your idea of keeping a log with dates, destinations, and mileage. It's way too late for SplashT@B, but I'll definitely do this for The Coffee Cup. I hope my 2012 season is going to be as great as yours! Hugs...Sharon
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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 |