It was during my college years that I began to appreciate country. There was a dirty hole-in-the-wall called Harry’s Bar where my friends and I liked to congregate and consume excessive amounts of adult beverages. Harry’s was a converted automotive garage, the sort of lovable dump where you could drop a glass beer bottle on a concrete floor and no one would mind. (Seriously!) In addition to the worst billiard tables known to man and random free shots of tequila (personally administered by Harry himself), Harry’s offered a brilliant old school jukebox stocked with your grandfather’s country music. No pretty girl fluffy fluff. We’re talking about grizzled old veterans like Willie Nelson and George Jones. When that jukebox started pumping out the right country tunes, it was magic. There’s something about hearing George Jones singing from a jukebox that, even today, that gives me the uncontrollable urge to guzzle a pitcher of cheap domestic beer.

Then I got married. Although I (sadly?) stopped hanging out at places like Harry’s Bar, I began listening to even more country music. That’s because my wife loves country music. She buys the albums. She watches the awards shows. She knows about all the artists and seems to have memorized the lyrics of all the latest songs. She has increased my aptitude for country and I guess I like it more every year. While I don’t profess to be an expert, I now can distinguish between Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.

Funny thing about the Internet – you never know who might be out there reading and watching your stuff. A few months ago, I got an email from this fellow. He wrote, “I’ve been following you guys for a couple of years now. I’m the drummer in the country band Lonestar. Let me know if you are ever near one of our shows and we’ll get together.”

“Hey Kristy,” I said. “I just got an email from this guy in a country band. Do you know Lonestar?”

“Yes!” she replied. “They’re really good!”

“Really?”

“Yeah!” she said. “They’ve had a bunch of great songs. Number one hits. Heck, they’ve even got a song that fits with Long Long Honeymoon. It’s called What About Now.”

I did a quick Google check. It was true. Lonestar is a massively successful country band. Over the past twenty years, they’ve carved out a nice career with a series of platinum albums and hit songs. They tour the world. It’s now mandatory law that their #1 song Amazed is played at every wedding in North America.

Then I looked up the guy. His name is Keech Rainwater. Keech is an original member of Lonestar (which with the return of lead singer Richie McDonald has been restored to its original lineup) and has been banging drums for the band for more than two decades. In fact, Lonestar started in 1992, which is right about the time I was slurping tequila at Harry’s Bar.

Next I checked out the song Kristy mentioned. The lyrics were spot on. What About Now is about a couple who finally hits the road for the trip of their lives. Instead of endlessly waiting for someday, they decide to focus on now. “Why should we wait?” the song asks.

Backstage with Lonestar.

Fast forward a couple of months. We checked out the Lonestar tour schedule, and found an appropriate date. I sent Keech a message about the event.

“Just finished a show at an undisclosed location in Asia where we performed for the military,” Keech replied. “Am about to board a 29-hour flight back to Nashville.”

It turns out that Lonestar has a long history of supporting the military, performing shows for troops who are serving far from home.

We agreed on a suitable date. Then on the appointed day, we towed our Airstream to the venue. We met Keech outside the arena and spent a good deal of quality time together.

We arrived early and with Keech's help secured an awesome parking spot for the Airstream.

Sometimes you meet people and you feel an immediate bond. This was one of those times. It turns out that in real life he’s exactly what you’d hope – a down-to-earth, sincere, all around nice person. 

Over the course of a day, we got to know Keech. He hails from Texas, though his home is in Nashville. He’s got a daughter in Canada. When he’s not touring with Lonestar, he’s usually spending time with his daughter. The upshot is that for Keech, travel is truly a way of life.

The subject matter that brought us together, obviously, is our common interest in Airstreams. A few years ago Keech bought a vintage Airstream. He’s currently in the process of renovating it. His plans for the silver bullet extend beyond weekend camping trips. Since he spends so much time traveling anyway, the traditional suburban brick-and-mortar home doesn’t seem to make sense. Instead, he’s thinking about selling his house and pursuing fulltime life on the road.

Hangin' out backstage with Keech and the crew.

In addition to Airstream trailers, we share interests in other obsessions — like filmmaking, cinematography, and quality coffee.

After hanging out with Keech for much of the day, we felt we’d made a new friend. I have a feeling we’ll see him again someday, when his Airstream is a little further along and he’s out there following his latest passions.

This brings me back to that Lonestar song Kristy mentioned. After she told me about the song, I listened to What About Now, and it stuck in my head. Like so many country songs, it tells a story, and it’s an inspiring one.

When’s the best time to pursue your dreams?

What about now?

And that road rolls out like a welcome mat
I don’t know where it goes but it beats where we’re at
We always said someday, somehow
We were gonna get away, gonna blow this town

What about now, how ’bout tonight
Baby for once let’s don’t think twice
Let’s take that spin that never ends
That we’ve been talking about

What about now, why should we wait
We can chase these dreams down the interstate
And be long gone ‘fore the world moves on and makes another round
What about now

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Aristocrat Mainliner & a Tin Can Tourist from Sean Michael on Vimeo.

Since this was a vintage show, each car predated the year 1976. There was a nice variety of cars on hand, ranging from an immaculate 1949 MG roadster to a 1960 Corvette to a pair of beautiful 1950s VW Beetles. There were several vintage pickup trucks that looked as if they just rolled off the showroom floor. Amongst all of the shiny mechanical gear, there was one standout vehicle. Yes, we spied a lovely vintage CAMPER resting alongside all of the cars and trucks.

Naturally, my curiosity was piqued. Who brings a camper to a car show? I had to find out. It turns out that Alex, the owner of the 1965 Aristocrat Mainliner, is a kindred spirit in more ways than one. She graciously hosted an open house of sorts, answering questions about her camper. A member of the Tin Can Tourists vintage camping club, she brought the camper to the car show just for fun.

She has owned the camper for about three years, she said. It is in pristine original condition, and for a camper that’s almost FIFTY years old this is no small feat. She bought the camper via eBay from its owners in Salt Lake City; I suspect that dry Utah desert air (along with decades of conscientious ownership) had something to do with preserving the Aristocrat over the years.

If I had to choose one word to describe Alex’s vintage camper, it would be “original.” For the most part, the camper is obviously in its original form. Alex explained that she carefully sought an unmolested example of the brand. In those places where her camper required some restoration and upgrading (for example, the curtains) she made careful period-appropriate selections.

The interior displays a decorator’s touch, with a variety of playful art. One painting celebrates “Hoppy,” the nickname Alex chose for her Aristocrat camper. “That’s the nickname,” Alex explained, “because she just hops along as we travel down the highway.”

Note that Alex’s camper is not a museum piece or a garage queen. She enjoys the Aristocrat in the manner originally intended: CAMPING! She has taken it to Tin Can Tourist rallies. “Hoppy” is a means of exploring the region, meeting people, and getting more out of life.

After speaking with Alex for a bit, we discovered that we share several common interests. In addition to enthusiasm for vintage vehicles and camping, we both are passionate about video. (Making quality video is kind of like making blood sausage, but a few of us sickos actually enjoy the process.) Alex has done a lot of work with television, while Kristy and I have had a few brief interludes with HGTV and the Travel Channel.

“I wasn’t sure about bringing this camper to a vintage car show,” Alex said, “but you never know who you’re going to meet.”

Indeed. That’s the spirit that makes events like vintage car shows and camping rallies tick. It all goes back to that phrase adopted by the Porsche Club: IT’S THE PEOPLE.

Sure, Kristy and I are Airstream enthusiasts. We’re also RV enthusiasts, vintage camping enthusiasts, car enthusiasts, and motorcycle enthusiasts. It’s more about mindset than it is the product or lifestyle in question. We’re enthusiasts of cool people and the fun activities they pursue.

From the guy who lovingly restored his workhorse 1970 Chevy pickup truck (winning the “best paint” award in the process) to Alex and her fantastic 1965 Aristocrat Mainliner – it’s always rewarding to meet kindred spirits.

Special thanks to Alex Alexander for sharing “Hoppy” with the rest of us.

Selling books out of the trunk of a car - LITERALLY!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

An artist, Michael works from the road. He hasn’t always pursued this lifestyle. He was once fully engaged in the New York rat race, plugging away at commercial art for an advertising firm. He was racking up a collection of all the material possessions we’re taught to desire.

“I had the house… the car … the boat. Heck, I even had a motorcycle,” he said.

But one day, he decided that his relentless pursuit of stuff wasn’t delivering satisfaction. So he hit the reset button on his career. He rebooted his life.

He sold everything, traded his cubicle for an Airstream, and hit the road. Ten years later, the “Artstream” is still going strong.

Liberated from most material possessions and their collective financial weight, he was free to create the art he wanted to create. He started creating it in places he wanted to visit. He’s spent the last decade exploring North America.

The New Yorker who had never experienced the American West now professes a love of the desert. Like many full-timers, he’s technically a resident of South Dakota – - simply because that state has the most favorable tax and residency regulations. He’s constantly on the go, exploring what lies beyond the next horizon.

He’s become a favorite on the Airstream scene. A few years ago he started creating art inspired by the iconic silver trailers. It has been well received. Order artwork from Michael (CampstreamUSA.com), and he’ll create it in his Airstream . He’ll even customize it to your wishes. Then he’ll drop it in the mailbox, wherever he may be.

We all have vastly different and equally valid reasons for camping. The full-time lifestyle appeals to a select few RV owners whose wanderlust is not satisfied by the occasional trip or two weeks of vacation. For these people, the journey truly is the destination. The “trip” is their lifestyle, as career seamlessly dovetails with travel.

“This life is not for everyone,” Michael concedes.

But for one artist, it’s just what the doctor ordered.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

“How did this happen,” you ask? (And yes, I can hear you snickering.)

It was easy! On an Airstream there are two door locks. One of these is a deadbolt-style lock. We use it on a daily basis.

The second lock is a sliding door lock that allows you to EXIT the camper, but prevents you from getting back inside! It puts your Airstream door into hotel door mode, if you know what I mean. This lock we call “THE FORBIDDEN LOCK.” Quite frankly, I don’t think this lock serves much purpose, other than to lock unwitting campers out of their rig. I mean, you’ve already got the deadbolt for security purposes. The forbidden lock is just kind of cruel. It just lies there, like a spider, just waiting to pounce.

So we never (intentionally) use the forbidden lock. But somehow, the other day we must’ve managed to accidentally bump the sliding lever that engages the lock. Voila! Soon enough, we found ourselves locked outside our Airstream. It was about 8 o’clock at night, the sun was setting, and I SWEAR we heard some wolves howling in the distance. And if you’re wondering why we didn’t capture this episode on film, it’s because EVERYTHING WE NEEDED WAS LOCKED INSIDE OUR RV. Our spare keys, our cameras, and our emergency phone numbers were all inside the rig. Using our cell phones, we called FIVE local locksmiths — noone bothered to answer the phone. Yes, we were in a proverbial pickle.

Little did we realize that being LOCKED OUT OF OUR RV would blossom into a wonderful experience. After searching in vain for spare keys, we glumly trudged to the campground clubhouse, prepared to spend the night on a sofa. But lo and behold, the members of the Siglo de Oro (“Century of Gold”) RV Club were having a rally.

To make a long story short, once we announced our problem to the club, they quickly “rallied” to our aid. We made some new friends who quickly put us at ease. It seems that just about everyone gets locked out of their rig, sooner or later. “If you RV long enough,” one said, “EVERYTHING will eventually happen to you.” Phone calls were made. One person managed to secure the late night services of a locksmith! Soon, we were back inside our Airstream. I must say that the interior of a 25-foot travel trailer never felt so grand.

The next day, we visited with club members at their luncheon. We really had a FANTASTIC time meeting these folks. The RV lifestyle really attracts a down-to-earth crowd of “top quality people.” Frankly, I was inspired by this happy group. They get together simply because they enjoy getting together. Their meetings are filled with laughter, love, and fellowship.

After we left the rally, I turned to my wife. “You know,” I said, “If we hadn’t been locked out of our RV, we never would’ve met those great people.”

Here’s the strange thing about the whole experience. You might ask me, “Sean, suppose you could go back in time and CHOOSE whether or not to lock yourself out of your RV? What would you do?”

The answer is easy. I’d lock myself out all over again. Every time.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.