The Blogs They Are A Changin'

ATTENTION "LONG, LONG HONEYMOON" FANS (ALL THREE OF YOU)!

We HAVE MOVED OUR WEBSITE to a new location.

The new URL is ... (can you guess?) ...

THELONGLONGHONEYMOON.COM

So please go there now, check out the NEW site, and change your bookmarks.


Yes, our site is finally located on our own thelonglonghoneymoon.com domain. I know, I know... It's a crazy name for a website, but flibbergibbet was already taken. The new site will be powered by different software, and it should have some whiz-bang features. But best of all, we're planning to present all of our video material in a more organized fashion. It will take us a while to migrate all of the content over to the new site. But once we do, it should be worth it.

We don't update update this seanandkristy.blogspot site any more! Check out our new site now!

Back to the Beginning

Airstream RV Blog, Episode 1 : The Long, Long Honeymoon from Sean on Vimeo.

I Want My RVTV!

Toshiba Regza - The one to watch from Sean on Vimeo.

Today's blog entry is a 29-second advertisement for a Toshiba television. Kristy and I are available to shamelessly hawk your corporate product. We'll conceptualize, shoot, edit, and distribute your ad. For a typical 30-second spot here on The Long, Long Honeymoon, we charge a reasonable $1.7 million -- which is a substantial discount over what you might purchase for the Super Bowl! And yes, we do accept PayPal.

Ranch on the Rocks

Sadly, it may be curtains for Airstream Ranch. Or so says this story.

Why RVs Are Like Mexican Food (And Other Deep Thoughts)

Airstream RV Blog - Why RVs Are Like Mexican Food from Sean on Vimeo.

When I was a college student, my net worth at any given time fluctuated. But it typically hovered between five and seven dollars. This led to developing a taste for such culinary staples as ramen noodles, spaghetti, and ketchup-covered cardboard. But for a special night on the town, I’d go to my favorite “Mexican” (and I use the term loosely) restaurant: Taco Bell. Utilizing some coupons, I could manage to purchase three tacos and a drink for less than two dollars.

But the Bell’s head chef was crafty. He was always unveiling a tempting new, yet vastly more expensive, dish. This concoction would boast an exciting name, like the legendary Grande Double Decker Gordita Cheesarito Crunch Supreme. It would be advertised everywhere throughout the restaurant, often on huge posters featuring talking chihuahuas. Its price might even approach the three-dollar stratophere.

Sometimes curiosity would get the best of me. I would splurge and try one of these relatively costly meals. Invariably my reaction was the same -- because all of these entrees were composed of the EXACT SAME INGREDIENTS! The SAME lettuce, beans, cheese, and “meat” (again, I use the term loosely) were packed into the SAME taco shells. In the end, I felt like a sucker for getting the expensive meal, which was little more than a shameless repackaging of obligatory cheap taco ingredients -- but had to begrudgingly respect the inventiveness of Taco Bell’s marketing wizards.

There’s an analogy here with RVs. All RVs toss together the same basic ingredients. You get a bed, a bathroom, a couch, and a kitchen wrapped together in the shell of your choice. But these core ingredients get cooked up in an amazing variety of ways.

And here's where my Mexican analogy falls apart like a soggy flour tortilla. Because when it comes to RVs, there are substantive differences between ingredients. While Taco Bell may shovel the same government-issue cheese into every menu item, there's no denying the difference between formica and granite, or between plastic and stainless steel. There are some real differences that are worth extra cash; the question is whether they are worth it to you.

It wasn’t so long ago that Kristy and I were wading through the confusing menu of RV choices, debating which to purchase. For us, our Airstream was a Burrito Supreme -- a solid, classic choice that was guaranteed to satisfy. But that doesn’t mean we weren't tempted by the newfangled chalupas on the other side.

Married Couple Outlasts Airstreams

Here's a nice story from Mesquite, Texas. Francis and J.C. McDearman just celebrated their 74th year of marriage. Perhaps even more impressive, their union has outlasted three Airstream travel trailers!

Congrats to the McDearmans. These are the type of people who started the American tradition of Airstreaming and RV-ing. They paved the way for the rest of us.



Apparently the McDearmans were married at about the same time that Wally Byam started building Airstreams. Over the course of their lives, they have toured the country via travel trailer, wearing out three silver bullets.

Their story makes me wonder whether Airstreaming is good for marriage. My answer would be a qualified "yes," assuming of course that the marriage in question actually survives the first couple of trips aboard the RV.

It's fair to say that this form of travel tests a marriage. As I've written before, you had better really like the person with whom you're sharing 200 square-feet of living space!

Doing It Yourself

Airstream RV Blog - Doing It Yourself from Sean on Vimeo.

The old saying goes, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." Nothing illustrates this principle better than the sad saga of our Airstream ceiling fan.

When the fan malfunctioned, we first entrusted our Airstream to a local RV service center. It wasn't an official Airstream dealership because the nearest such business is located far away from our hometown. This was a local place that specializes in RV storage and repairs. But still, we're talking about a simple ceiling fan here. What could go wrong? Right?

After keeping the unit some three weeks, we got our baby back. Not only was the fan still in a state of disrepair, but the RV service guys damaged our roof! Apparently an employee walked on the aluminum portion of our Airstream's roof end cap, which is a major no-no. Aluminum stretches, and once bent it does not return to its exact previous shape. This was kind of like taking your car to a place for an oil change, and having them destroy your engine.

The RV guys offered to repair the damage, but quite frankly we didn't trust them anymore. Sure, they might be able to fix the roof. But what else would they wreck in the process?

Thankfully, Kristy's father Harry has the knowledge and skill to repair just about everything ever created by human hands. As you'll see in the video, Harry has almost restored our Airstream to its original condition.

The roof looks about as good as possible. The only way to repair this sort of damage 100% is to literally remove the aluminum roof panels (risking future leaks, etc.) and replace them with new panels -- an expensive and time-consuming process. I think we can live with it now, as the indentation is scarcely noticeable. If you didn't know about it, you'd never notice it.

As for the ceiling fan? We've made progress, but the fan still refuses to spin. Harry isolated the problem to a faulty switch. Note that the RV service guys never reached any such conclusion. In fact, they appeared to just replace one part, slap the pieces back together, and then surrender. Stay tuned, because unlike the "professionals," we're not giving up.

Special thanks to Harry for all of his help with our Airstream...and everything else he's managed to fix!

The Joy of Dump Stations

Airstream RV Blog - The Dump Station Experience from Sean on Vimeo.

The Internet Gods are doing something pretty strange with this one. If you watch the above video here on the site, it appears in a highly abbreviated format -- as in only 25 seconds long! I have NO idea WHY this is happening, but after trying every fix I'm going to just accept it and move on. Sometimes it's best to punt. Please click the link above to see the ACTUAL video.

Word of the Day: Caravan

This article intrigued me for several reasons.

The Airstream pictured looks almost exactly like the one Kristy and I call home away from home. It must be a 25-foot Classic model. Yet it must also be the European version of our Airstream.

European Airstreams differ slightly from their American counterparts. There are a host of small distinctions; for example, the running lights on this Classic are arranged differently than on ours. But more significantly, European trailers are a few inches (or should I say centimeters, since the English don't actually use "the English system" of measurement?) more narrow so as to better traverse European roads.

Apparently in the UK an Airstream is not called a "travel trailer" at all. Rather, it is called a "caravan." And I suppose one tows it with a "lorry"?

Anyway, it is interesting to see an American icon like the Airstream catching on with our friends across the pond.

10 Fave Blog Videos

All of our Long, Long Honeymoon material has been shot in high definition. But you’d never know it by watching YouTube. After YouTube gets through compressing our videos into its proprietary BD (blur definition) format, it looks like they were shot by a blind drunkard using salvaged World War II era equipment.

So recently we’ve begun transferring our online video content into the world of HD. As part of this process, I’ve waded through reams of content. We have over 70 videos! That's enough footage to pull together a feature length film (one we could call Hello, Blog: The Movie). So I thought, “What the heck. Let’s do a top 10 list!”

Here are ten favorite videos (not really in any particular order) with a few comments about each. These have all been upgraded in online quality. Most of them are in HD. So break out the popcorn and Junior Mints...

10. The Long, Long Trailer (HD)


Airstream RV Blog - The Long, Long Trailer from Sean on Vimeo.

Here Kristy and I discuss the classic movie, “The Long, Long Trailer.” I'm already breaking the stated goal of our list, because this really isn't one of my favorites. So why is it here? This video has been quite popular on YouTube, for two reasons: Lucy and Desi. Befuddled by its popularity, I recently reedited it in HD.

What I love most about Lucille Ball is that she was told by “experts” that she’d NEVER make it in Hollywood. She just didn’t have the look they wanted. I guess she didn’t accomplish much, other than becoming the definitive TV icon of the century, and one of the most beloved entertainers in American history.

9. Grand Tour (in 2 Minutes!) (HD)

Airstream RV Blog - Grand Tour (in 2 minutes!) from Sean on Vimeo.
Take a peek inside our Airstream. You know you want to! This video is fast, sloppy, and effective. And that expression on my face above? Priceless.

8. Banff

Airstream RV Blog - Banff from Sean on Vimeo.
I studied French from 1984 to 1985.

After nine months of concentrated study, I remember one complete sentence -- and it is grammatically incorrect.

7. Redwoods! (HD)

Airstream RV Blog - Redwoods! from Sean on Vimeo.

This is one of my personal favorites. The external mount shots are very pleasing to my eye (and were taken about 30 minutes prior to our getting a flat tire). Airstream camping in California’s redwood forests was a spectacular experience. It's like a visit to Jurassic Park, without all the dinosaurs.

6. Towin’ and Backin’ (HD)

Airstream RV Blog - Towin' and Backin' from Sean on Vimeo.
Many people are intimidated by the towing and backing requirements that come along with owning a travel trailer. There’s no need to be. Towing these trailers (once you have a solid tow vehicle) is a breeze. Backing them is easy enough, so long as you have enough space. It's no more difficult than parallel parking a 747.

But seriously, these are tasks that grow simpler and easier as you gain experience. Let's just hope that your "experience" doesn't involve broken bones.

5. The Simple Life (HD)

Airstream RV Blog - The Simple Life? from Sean on Vimeo.

Speaking of simple, what could be more simple than watching marshmallows and roasting moose? Wait! That's not what I meant.

Truth be told, Airstreaming is not simple. No lifestyle that involves handling a sewer hose on a regular basis can be dubbed simple. But it does offer fundamental pleasures (unrelated to sewer hoses). You just knew I would quote Thoreau sooner or later.

4. The Grand Canyon


The Grand Canyon in HD. Even I can't screw this one up.

3. The $2 Million RV (HD)

Airstream RV Blog - The $2 Million RV from Sean on Vimeo.

This is a popular video, mainly because everyone wants to see a $2 million RV. What do you get for $2 million? A heavy bus that’s stacked with the most expensive housing materials available, and is built to withstand the abuse of a rock band, corporate CEO, and the occasional five-year old.

There’s no doubt these things are impressive, but I’m not sure I get the value proposition. It might make sense for Tom Cruise. But personally, I’d prefer a loaded Airstream (freeing up the leftover $1.9 million for beer and pizza).

2. Disney’s Fort Wilderness (HD)

Airstream RV Blog - Disney's Fort Wilderness from Sean on Vimeo.

This video offers a good combination of information and entertainment. Kristy really loves Disney, and Fort Wilderness is a lot of fun. In this video I tried to give a decent overview of the resort. We had a blast at Disney, even though it rained 96.7% of the time we were there.

And the number one "Fave Blog Video"...

1. The Goat Incident (HD)

Airstream RV Blog - The Goat Incident from Sean on Vimeo.

This is probably my favorite blog video, thanks to our surprise guest star: the random mountain goat. Also, the location in Glacier National Park must be one of the most beautiful spots in the world.

You never know what’s going to happen on a hike. If this had been a grizzly bear instead of a goat, I doubt my memories of the experience would be so fond.

Airstream Ranch

We just can't let this one pass without comment. A fellow down in Florida named Frank Bates has built an eye-catching tribute to Airstreams and RV-ing. He calls it "Airstream Ranch."

Inspired by the famous Cadillac Ranch, this artistic display consists of eight Airstreams partially buried in the ground (one trailer for every decade Airstream has been in business). The display is located alongside Interstate 4 in Florida. Of course, it's a nice promotion for the creator's RV dealership, Bates RV. If you've ever driven to Disney World, you've seen billboards for Bates RV.

Kristy and I have a personal connection to the dealership, since our Airstream was originally purchased at Bates RV! It's one of the largest Airstream dealerships in the United States.

I have to be honest. At first I was slightly offended by the thought of sticking a bunch of Airstreams in the ground, simply because Airstreams can be (and often are) restored. I was wondering why these vintage trailers shouldn't receive the royal makeover treatment. With a good exterior polish and fresh interior bits, $35,000 later you've got a livable and über-cool RV.

Apparently the neighbors were offended as well. They just don't seem to appreciate the aesthetics of aluminum travel trailers the way that we do. Some are petitioning for the removal of Airstream Ranch. You can read about the ongoing drama here: One Man's Art Is Another's Trailer Trash.

But now that I've had a little time to think it over, I really like Airstream Ranch. Granted, a few vintage Airstreams were sacrificed for the sake of art. But viewing this sort of kitschy folk art is what great American road trips are all about. If it's allowed to stand, I can foresee Airstream Ranch becoming a pilgrimage of sorts for Airstreamers, RV'ers, and road trippers from around the continent. At some point in our lives, we all visit the Sunshine State. Perhaps Airstream Ranch will become a required stop along the way.

Kristy and I will probably venture back into Florida this spring. We may even return to Key West for our first anniversary. If we do so, we'll be sure to visit Airstream Ranch, video equipment in hand. Stay tuned!

Snowstream

We received about an inch of snowfall today. In other parts of the country, this sort of weather would be little cause for alarm. But here in the Deep South, it's a veritable blizzard. This is the most snow we've seen in years.

Our attitude toward tornadoes and even hurricanes is almost blase. "What, it's only an F3 twister?" But merely mention the word "snow" and the general populace panics, stockpiling enough milk, bread, and canned food items to survive an extended Medieval siege. Schools and businesses close. The local TV stations offer continuous coverage of the arctic storm.


This is as cold as it gets here, folks.

Special thanks to Kristy's father Harry for taking these photos of our snow-dusted Airstream.

Sir Edmund Hillary, Rest in Peace

Part 1

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to scale Mt. Everest, died today at the age of 88. Hillary's 1953 climb of the world's tallest mountain ranks as one of the great adventure feats of the last century. And so today we’re going to do something a little different, and showcase some blog travel videos of a different nature. We call this show Walkabout Club. In a tribute to Hillary, the star of our show is Clifton Hillary III. He’s basically a charlatan with no actual relationship to the real life hero. But he does his best.

Part 2


While I have no evidence that the REAL Hillary ever went Airstreaming, there are parallels here. At its heart, the Airstream travel experience is about wanderlust. It’s about climbing the next hill to see what lies beyond. It's about conquering your own little version of Mount Everest. As Airstream founder Wally Byam said, the goal is “to stir the venturesome spirit that moves you to follow a rainbow to its end... and thus make your travel dreams come true.”

Part 3


Byam even saw a global role for Airstream, pledging “to play some part in promoting international goodwill and understanding among the peoples of the world through person-to-person contact.” Wally walked the walk, leading a legendary 1959 Airstream caravan all the way from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt.

Part 4


Kristy and I shot this material in Antigua, Guatemala during the world famous Semana Santa (“Holy Week”) celebration. Antigua is a beautiful town and its annual Easter festival is amazing. These videos are a little (okay, a LOT) longer than the videos we usually post. With each segment clocking in at almost 7 minutes, you ADD Internet surfers may not be able to watch everything at once. But anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

Sir Edmund Hillary, rest is peace.

A Very Good Year

Camping on the Gulf

We’ve been looking forward to this final sojourn of 2007 all year long. We are now camping at one of our favorite campgrounds. Appropriately named Camping on the Gulf, it's located in Destin, Florida. We’ve seen some scenic campsites throughout North America, but this one takes the cake. Although the campground itself boasts some decent amenities and a highly professional staff, the obvious draw here is raw natural beauty. (And I'm not talking about my ugly mug.)



Yes – this location is as good as it looks. Our Airstream is literally parked on the beach. If we were any closer to the Gulf of Mexico, we’d be floating. You can lie in bed and listen to nature’s majestic symphony as waves crash to shore. You step from your RV onto powder white sand. And yes, you’ll find that same sand scattered throughout your RV from now until eternity, but it’s well worth it.



We’ve been here before. In fact, this campground was our first major destination in the Airstream. A few short days after we bought our “vacation home on wheels,” we hitched and headed to the beach. You always remember that first camping trip, so we wanted to make our maiden voyage a good one.

We particularly enjoy visiting the Gulf in the off-season, as it feels we’ve got the beach to ourselves. That’s a little bit of Walkabout Wisdom: The best time to travel is when the rest of the world does not.

Even mundane tasks are somehow more pleasant here...

Merry Christmas!

The Hallmark ornament pictured above was a gift from our Airstreaming friends Tye and Emily -- and we also received one from my mother. :-) I guess great minds really do think alike. Honestly, we're happy to have two of these thoughtful gifts. One will go in our home, while the other will reside in our "home on wheels." The detail on the Airstream ornament is fantastic. The wheels turn, and the blue-and-white awning even retracts!



Kristy and I also like that the date is emblazoned on it. Between our Key West wedding and insane honeymooning, 2007 has been a landmark year in our lives. Whatever happens in the future, we'll always look back upon this year as a highlight. We've enjoyed sharing the adventure here on our website, and really appreciate all of the kind comments received from far and wide. As I've said before, positive energy keeps the 'ol blog going. It's been a satisfying creative outlet, and we've learned a lot along the way.

Stay tuned... We look forward to more good times in the year to come. The "honeymoon" is just beginning!

Happy Camper

My love affair with wine began in college. It was there I discovered the ubiquitous Boone’s Farm label, whose rancid swill offers a delightful alternative to Thunderbird, MD 20/20, or even a six-pack of Blatz beer. Take it from me: Strawberry Hill pairs well with Top Ramen noodles.

Some of the finest wines I’ve ever tasted were served at fancy corporate dinners, the kind of over-the-top restaurant meals in which the handmade chocolate souffle cost more than my initial apartment furniture budget. In my heyday, I drank several bottles of wine that were older (and arguably more complex) than Jessica Simpson.

But alas! The problem with most of those rarified upper crust wines is that their branding strategy caters to wine snobs. They all boast elegant family names and tasteful labels that are, ultimately, forgettable. Especially after you’ve downed a couple of bottles. You wake up the next morning, shave your tongue, and mutter, "That was a fantastic wine last night. Wish I could remember what it was called..."

Therein lies the rub: although I’ve drank many fine wines costing more than a full tank of diesel, I have absolutely no recollection of the best of the bunch. Those brands are but fuzzy, pleasant memories rapidly fading in my mental rearview mirror.

Then there are the party wines -- the daily drinkers, if you like. Because these cost around $10 a bottle (give or take a few dollars), they are found in every store. And their branding strategy is designed to impress a mass market consumer such as myself. This often means screaming florescent yellow labels with names like "UNGA BUNGA - the Tribal Shiraz!" The more memorable the brand, the more likely a sober mass market consumer will pick it up for the next party.

Enter Happy Camper -- the first wine brand I've seen that caters to the RV/camping market. The name is brilliant, instantly memorable. The label is its equal, boasting an Airstream-like travel trailer, an aluminum-skinned towable nested somewhere amongst the California redwood trees. On the bottle neck sleeve are camping scenes of (hopefully sober) people canoeing, bicycling, and even piloting a motorboat. How can an RV enthusiast not remember a brand like Happy Camper?

Then there's the wine. As I state in the video review, Happy Camper is a good wine. I daresay that if it were served in your glass at a fancy steak and lobster dinner (the kind with those exquisitely delicate chocolate souffles) you wouldn't skip a beat. Happy Camper may draw you in with the label, but what's inside the bottle will keep you coming back.

The Art of Airstreaming

Airstreamers are sometimes referred to collectively as a cult. While this description is a little extreme -- there are few ritualistic ceremonies beyond flushing the tanks -- there’s no doubt that Airstream owners are passionate about their iconic silver trailers. Thus it only makes sense that Airstream-themed artwork would gain an audience.

This Grand Haven Tribune article about artist Mary Sundstrom is interesting on a couple of different levels. First of all, Mary's an artist who courts the Airstream niche, and does so quite nicely. That’s one of her pieces above. You can check out her website here: Airstream Art Studio. She sells prints on eBay (just search for "Airstream art") and even does commissioned pieces.

But what really grabbed my attention was the story of Mary's own Airstream find. She bought a sadly neglected 22-foot Safari model for a mere $400! Then she plowed her time and energy into the restoration effort. There's a certain style about the vintage trailers that is truly timeless, and Mary's Safari is a good example. After fresh doses of tile, paint, and exterior polish, it looks beautiful.

The Airstream brand is often viewed in luxurious, upscale terms. That’s because the newer ones are priced well into the lower stratosphere. Just looking at those MSRPs may induce nosebleed. But in reality, Airstreaming is not a life of champagne and Grey Poupon. Club membership is open to anyone with a few hundred dollars and a willingness to work.

Gee... No, GPS!

Our truck SEEMORE has the subtlety of a sledgehammer. A mountain of gleaming non-aerodynamic metal, it's pretty much devoid of technological gadgetry. The 1980s-era LED dash display is illegible in all conditions except total darkness. One suspects that Ford engineers would’ve preferred installing an 8-track cassette deck, but reluctantly switched to a CD player after considerable pressure from marketing. These sins are forgivable because the gargantuan diesel engine is capable of towing the Statue of Liberty over Mount Everest without skipping an 11.8 MPG beat.



My love for technology and gadgets is well documented. I’m usually an early adopter when it comes to this stuff. Confessional case-in-point: in 1995, I made the unfortunate decision to install Microsoft Bob on my PC. We can't be absolutely certain, but I think I was the only person in North America to install Bob. I know I'm the only person who will admit doing so.

Still, I somehow refrained from taking the GPS plunge – until our Airstreaming honeymoon. After driving around North America for two months with a ratty old $10 map, I finally surrendered to my technological desires and bought a Garmin Nuvi 660 GPS system. Simply stated, it changed our lives along with our credit card statement. The resultant question was not, “Why the hell did we buy this thing?” but rather “Why the hell did we wait so long to buy this thing?”

Of course, in the comfort of your own hometown, you can probably (hopefully?) make it down to the grocery store and back without some fancy gadget leading you by the nose. But suppose you are 1000 miles away from familiar streets…it’s dark…you have a flat tire…and you’re looking for that international camping haven known as Wal-Mart. Just type “Wal-Mart” into the Garmin and you’ll find the nearest one. No phone calls, no guesswork, no hassle. A GPS is not only a timesaver, it’s potentially a lifesaver. You might make an occasional wrong turn, but you’ll never really be lost if you have one of these gadgets. This totally changes the tenor of the classic American road trip.

Our GPS has a zillion other features with varying degrees of usefulness. It broadcasts audio over our truck speakers via an FM transmitter. It has a very nice Bluetooth cellphone connection, so you can gab on your cellphone hands free. And it plays audiobooks seamlessly, even pausing the books when offering spoken directions. I haven't tried every GPS out there, but this Nuvi 660 model has been named one of CNET's editors’ best GPS navigation systems. So don't take my word for it; take CNET's.

Airstream Bachelorhood on the Rocks?

Probably the most famous Airstream enthusiast is Matthew McConaughey. For several years, he's lived in his trailer in a Malibu RV park. He's enjoyed the lifestyle so much, he's even had two additional trailers custom built to his celebrity specs. That's right: three Airstreams! He's been living the ideal bachelor's life, dating whatever random supermodel happened to be in the laundrymat. Judging from all available photos, the man doesn't even own a shirt.

We visited Mr. McConaughey’s Neighborhood in August, and found both the ocean views and the rampaging ants to be memorable.

But alas! It looks like Ol’ Washboard Abs is turning soft. He’s just purchased a $10 million house in Malibu, albeit one with a yard sufficient for Airstream storage. You can read about it here:
Airstream Bachelorhood on the Rocks?

Note that McConaughey's got a new girlfriend, a Brazilian neurologist -- check that, she's a model -- named Camila.

When I informed my wife of McConaughey’s decision, she sagely replied, “Wow -- his new girlfriend’s really talking him into a lot!”

Sorry girls, this time it must be love. I can't think of any other reason someone would trade an Airstream for a $10 million Malibu mansion.