RVs that crank up the kitsch
Posted Thursday, May 24, 2007, 5:33 PM by Lonely Planet
They're small, they're sassy and they're not going anywhere.
The Shady Dell, an Arizona trailer park in the historic copper mining town of Bisbee, is the most fun you can have stranded on cement blocks. A collection of almost a dozen restored trailers and kookily converted vehicles from the 1940s and '50s, guests overnight here in fabulous retro style. 
Where most recreational vehicles swagger and sway down the gusty open road, these trailers charm with their cocktails-on-the-lawn indolence. There's a 1947 turquoise transit bus reimagined as a swingin' palm-fringed Tiki Bus. Decked out in cacti prints and flaming sunset reds, a homemade 10-footer stays cute and cosy on the inside and very Flash Gordon to the world outside. The gleaming gold 1957 Airfloat exudes Rat Pack-era Las Vegas. At dusk, an iconic 1949 Airstream glistens against the sensuous Mule Mountains.
Each trailer - and one landlocked Chris Craft yacht - comes decorated with vintage furnishings and stocked with popular period magazines. For the full-on cultural flashback, you can watch old movies on black and white TVs or listen to classic 45s as they spin, scratch and wobble on the phonograph.
Proof positive that RVs don't need gasoline to get your motor running.
Beth Kohn is currently on a road-trip through the Southwest States researching the USA guidebook. Over the next five weeks, Beth will be unearthing the quirk and bringing you the best in kitsch Americana. Got any hot tips for Beth?
Labels: The Americas
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2 Comments:
Shady Dell is a fantastic place, but for even more adventurous kitsch, spend a few nights in "real" trailer parks across New Mexico and Arizona. Rent a camper van, lock the doors at night and spend all your free time in the community room. You can't make up the kinds of characters you'll meet. Viva la Slim Whitman.
If you're still looking for kitchy (or just plain bizarre) Americana, swing through Lake Havasu City, AZ. It's two hours from just about everywhere right on the Colorado River.
I just moved here from LA to open a restaurant with my husband (stearnseatndrink.com) and I am floored by this place every day...if you come through be sure to check out the original London Bridge, the 'true' trailer parks, the mines, the old Dixie Bell tour boat and the breathtaking sunsets.
Have a wonderful trip!
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