Going camping with my Teardrop Trailer

11:11 AM: It feels like 100 degrees!! Perspiration was dripping off my fore-head. I have been busy unloading the Flea Market merchandise from my Little Guy Teardrop travel trailer. Perhaps I will load some items back into the trailer for a brief trip to a Thrift Shop--as a donation. I am so "ready" to visit some of the spectacular beauty of North Carolina!! (I regularly watch UNC-TV [public broadcasting] and see programs detailing sites from the coast to the mountains.) I particularly want to spend time along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

For your information: Most Teardrop Trailers have a "kitchen" when the hatch is lifted. I intentionally purchased a utility model because I preferred the space to haul things. I don't need a kitchen; my diet is primarily fruit and veggies. I have a one-burner Coleman propane stove to heat water for green tea, or an occasional can of soup. I have small ice chests to keep a few things cold. (I'm not planning long trips.) The mattress is very comfortable, and originally designed for a hospital bed (where comfort is King?).

Honestly, when I'm traveling, I rarely open the hatch. See the doors on each side of the trailer? I crawl in from one side or the other depending on where I am parked. And, to the horror of most people I tell, I park for the night in Walmart parking lots!! Of course, when I travel the Blue Ridge Parkway--or visit the Great Smokey Mountains--I'll stay in Forest Service campgrounds (because, Praise the Lord, no Walmarts).

See my little yellow dog in the foreground?? I have signs that I put in the window of each door saying "Beware of the dog." I trust that is adequate security. When someone asks, I can honestly show them one (of two) dogs that are in the trailer.

To see Teardrop trailers from the company I bought from, visit the Little Guy web site. To see a variety of new, and vintage, Teardrops visit Teardrop Trailers Hall of Fame.


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Postscript, 3:33 PM: I broke a promise!! I was not going to bring anything back into the apartment. I transferred things from the trailer to the porch. That wouldn't do, however, because another severe thunder storm is on the horizon. So, reluctantly, I brought things indoors. The KIA is still full of "for sale" items so no room for things from the trailer. With the shuffle, I found some more items that I can donate to the Senior Center for door prizes. Other stuff to a Thrift Shop for a donation. I'm making progress (cross my heart!!).

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Postscript 4:44PM: Reservations made for a Teardrop campout at Shenandoah Valley Campground near Verona, Virginia. Suddenly I feel as though a great load has been lifted from my shoulders. Taking a break from my labors, and the heat, I searched for a Teardrop Trailers camping event within reasonable driving distance. Gratefully, I found one scheduled and quickly phoned to make a three-day reservation!! No more procrastination about summer travel!! To my further credit: That Friday, July 10th, is one of the days that I have paid to be a vendor at "Junk in the Trunk" Flea Market at the Senior Center. Frankly, when I started unloading the trailer early this morning, I never dreamed I'd make such progress. (Obviously, some of the suggestions about disengaging from clutter had an impact on me!!)

Postscript 2:22 PM, 7/12/09: Read about my recent travels by visiting these links: Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah Valley Campground, and In the minority?!