Amarillo was home to the oldest RV dealership in Texas, Jack Sisemore's Traveland. Joani's research found that Traveland was also home to a highly regarded RV museum (with free admission). That was enough to justify a visit, but I also wanted to check their parts department for several small things I had been trying, unsuccessfully, to get for some time from Camping World. As it turned out, Jack had exactly everything I was trying to find.
One of the salesmen led us out back to a separate building where we were free to explore the museum exhibits on our own. Having seen the RV Museum Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN, we were not expecting too much. WOW! We were very much impressed. Make sure you visit if you are ever in the area - what a trip down memory lane.
Jack and Trent, his son, have been collecting rare and unique RVs and motorcycles for almost 30 years. Each item was nicely restored and displayed. He even recreated the Standard Oil Company service station where he began his business in 1963. I hate to admit it, but a lot of it looked very familiar - I worked in a Shell station for a few years in the late 60's. I guess that means I'm getting old when I see stuff from my youth in a museum.
This 1935 Torpedo is the worlds oldest Airstream. It was owned by the Holman family for 81 years.
This 1948 Flexible bus was modified for the Robin Williams movie "RV" and used by the Gornike family in the movie.
Can't you just see Jeff Daniels behind the wheel? No? You need to watch the movie again.
This 1975 Itasca was the 1st Itasca Motorhome ever built - Serial #1. It was the prototype for Itasca.
It was in Winnebago's Welcome Center for over 20 years. It has 6,000 original miles and is in brand new condition.
This 1955 (the year I was born) Airstream was found in Santa Barbara, CA. The stove, refrigerator, and bathroom have never been used.
The curtains and bedspread are original.
The A&W drive-in menu board brought back a lot of fond memories from the late 50's and early 60's for both of us. A frosty mug of root beer was quite a treat back then.
The Coleman Desert Water Bag triggered memories of camping when I was probably no more than 10 years old. The slightly porous material would sweat and evaporative cooling would provide us with a nice cool drink. There was also an Argus camera like my dad had and a picnic basket that was virtually identical to the one our family packed for lots of outings.
We spent almost an hour wandering through the displays. I forgot to mention the museum was pet-friendly, so Sam was right there with us, tail wagging, even though he was less moved by all of the nostalgia.
Back in the campground we saw this on a late afternoon walk and had to snap a picture. This was based on a line in the Disney version of Robin Hood, a favorite of our kids (and Joani) when they were very young. It seemed like a very nostalgic kind of day.
This put a smile on my face. (My kids will know why.)
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