April 27, 2017

Across America with a Cute Camper



And we'll have fun, fun, fun! We have become Snowbirds. Tucson Arizona is the winter palace and Havre de Grace Maryland is our summer get-a-way. This will be our second visit to Maryland and this time ALL the pets come too!

During our SUV travel last year we carried along one cat and one dog. Finding motels wasn't that bad. Many motels even cater to pet owners. But cats and mysterious motel beds are an uncomfortable mix for me. I'm worrying about the cat becoming permanently part of the mattress and I'm worrying about picking up bed bugs and infesting our homes.


So this past winter we decided that a caravan would improve all these crazy thoughts running wild in my head. Let's start with our pulling vehicle. My husbands baby is a 2015 Lexus 450H, white. This is a hybrid, nice mid size tuffy. Not 4 wheel drive though and we can pull up to 3500 lbs.

Our choice of campers was not the one in my minds eye. I was hoping to get one with an extra set of bunks as we have 6 grandkids. Nope, to heavy to pull. I also have this strange thing about "wet baths". Now many of you know what one is already, and the idea of taking a shower on the road over the toilet and sink makes me think that camping is NOT for me. We found a tiny camper with a real bathroom!


Style was an issue too. Those incredibly sweet retro campers looked terrific- but I couldn't find one that didn't have a wet bath. Rats. My husband really didn't care for the look of the boxy aluminum trailers either. After an hour of hopping "Rich" the salesman around the Lazy Days RV extravaganza lot, I remembered the first camper we looked at and easily forgot ('cause it had no bunks).


I called Steve over to look at the "Hipster" one and his ears and eyes lit up! And we fell in love for all the right reasons. Right size, right weight, right look, just enough frill and we have a new addition to the family- The Comet Mini made by Starcraft.


Wee! The kitchen compartment extends 18" when parked creating a feeling of extra space. Very brown inside so we added blue and navy to our bedding. So many pillows we call it the Harem bed.

I've had it a week now and little touches here and there have been added. One has to remember anything not nailed or glued down must be placed in a safe spot during transport. As a kid we had a cabin cruiser and I know the havoc of household items floating and crashing about!


How pretty my little camper has become! (and picture all this flying all around :) We found the cutest Melamine Dish Set at Costco. Blues and greens as a watercolor underwater life. Little crabs and seahorses with lots of blue coral and seaweed. Our plastic 24 oz tumblers have that watery effect too. Mid Century pitcher and thrifty round small table cloth. The flower vase is something my husband picked up at HomeGoods. He knows what I like to photograph.


My husband is the cook of our house. This is his area, and I dare not add anything else. There is also a fridge with icebox and a convection microwave. All the cabinets and drawers "click" tightly shut.



A real bathroom! You'd be amazed at how many campers have the wet baths. Our shower is a corner style with an attached pull curtain. The whole bathroom is the back of the camper. Most of the time our three cats litter box will be riding in the shower base. Hey, it works!

I've taken this moment to plug Bay Breeze Soap too. The little bowl above is filled the little guest soaps I make for myself from left over soap icing batter. They look like meringue.


Tah Dah! The infamous triangle litter box from Amazon. Currently sans litter and liner bag.


The front of the camper is where the horizontal short queen bed lies. What a combination shot! Bed of a thousand pillows, 2 ravens and a four foot long soft cat pen. Our camper came with it's standard mattress. I have improved with a waterproof mat pad, queen feather-bed, Egyptian cotton 400 count striped sheet set, 4 foam pillows, 2 feather pillows, 2 sleep wedge pillows (under the feather-bed) and a pinch pleat comforter. Almost GLAM camping! I've been keeping Amazon prime hopping!


Oh yeah....the ravens. One is a real sized puppet and the little is a JoAnn's Styrofoam number available at Halloween. Why?....Baltimore Ravens fans.  At least I didn't decorate in Black and Purple.....nuff said.


And this! This is the BOMB! Victory is Mine! We purchased this incredible pet pen from Amazon earlier this year and it is wonderful! Purchased for 4 cats, they enjoyed it in the living room all winter. Just this week our 17 year and oldest, Bozo passed to kitty peace. He was eternally sweet and sleepy.



So that's the new camper, our Starcraft Comet Mini.
 Thanks for stopping by.
 Cheers, Vicki