Annals of Trailer Trolling: Hood River, Oregon

'What is trailer trolling?' you might ask.

Think of it as active birdwatching. Or as similar to hunting for big game and bagging it with a camera.

It's a favorite pastime among certain Girl Camping Girls, including Miss Patty, above, and yours truly.

We're into the exploration of back roads and fresh neighborhoods anyway, and the trailer hunt--spot it, take a picture, move on to find another--is a bonus.

On our latest girl-getaway adventure, to Hood River, Oregon, we learned that the 'food trailer' concept is alive and well in this area some 60 miles east of Portland. We spotted several vintage trailers converted for use in mobile vending--with serving doors set into the side.

We spied this newly painted Oasis in a newer neighborhood and gave it a camera-salute. Note the big front window, and the distinctive arcs in the paint design--two Oasis characteristics that help make the brand easy to ID. We concluded that this trailer is very likely to be somebody's Girl Camping baby!

We've seen hundreds of trailers over the last few years, but this was the first time we saw one like this--with masonite construction (a type of plaster over wood) rather than metal. The sign said the trailer is a 1949 Traveleze. It would have been fun to know more about it, but no one was home.

At a place that was having a yard sale, we noted a 1962 Aristocrat sitting in front of a much newer motorhome. The owner gave us a tour. He even coughed up a price when we asked if he wanted to sell it. I gave it some serious consideration--have ladder, can inspect roof--but ultimately, it wasn't roadworthy enough for a trip of any distance to get it home.

The only trailer we went home with was this birdhouse trailer, plus birdhouse truck, that we sleuthed out at the Rite Aid store in Hood River. Much easier on the fuel bill for the homeward trip!

Travels to Hood River, Oregon

It's a ritual. Each March, to mark the start of spring, I tuck The Little Little Trailer into a purse and set off to meet up with Miss Patty for exploration of some Northwest town or other. (Because the weather often is still iffy, we leave the big trailers home.)

This year we chose Hood River, Oregon, in the Columbia Gorge. We've previously met up in Pendleton and Joseph, Oregon, and in Walla Walla, Washington.

For accommodations, we rented a small, quaint house not far from downtown. Then we imposed a little of our own camping style on it, with a few blooming plants and such. We each had our own tiny room--a little bit like staying in a trailer, right?


Hood River has several claims to fame, one being its title as Windsurfing Capital of the World. Windsurf boards are so ubiquitous that they're almost trash--which is how Miss Patty ended up with a pickup load to take home for a clever project.

The weather turned out to be lovely and calm, and the mighty Columbia reflected this with an almost-still surface.

Mt. Adams, to the north, was clearly visible. So was Mt. Hood, to the south.

Hood River has a lovely, well-kept, and thriving old-fashioned downtown. The restaurant scene is active and creative, with a serious 'farm to table' bent to it.

We got all excited when we walked into a gift store and found a rack of items featuring cute vintage trailers. So excited that we 'forgot to remember' the name of the store!

Hood River's orchards and vineyards make for another of the area's claim to fame. We didn't have to get very far out of town to find both the orchards, and some intriguing roadside businesses.

Like this one, which sold everything from secondhand sporting goods (see Photo #1) to landscape trees (I bought three) to old furniture and house fixtures.

Of course, like big game hunters, we also scout for trailers all the time. 'Trailer trolling,' as it were. When we can get a photo next to one, so much the better. Here, Miss Patty bagged a big one! It's converted into a food trailer, which seems to be a popular idea in the Hood River area. We saw several of these.

To be continued--with more about the trailer trolling.

Addictive: Trolling for Vintage Trailers

No one warns you about this at the start of your infatuation with vintage camping vehicles, but... you will become addicted to spotting them. Even become a U-turn expert, in no matter what you're driving at the time.

Maybe even to the point of turning into the Girl Camper version of a trespasser and a stalker.

This could be an area of obsession that needs a 12-step program. Because it is, without question, addictive.

If you're of the rescuer persuasion, these puppies can be more dangerous to be around than an abandoned batch of real puppies. Yes, it is actually possible to feel sorry for an inanimate object.

In advanced stages, you will find yourself bringing home a trailer you just could not pass up. Exhibit A above: Barbie, the Girlfriend Trailer, spotted for sale in the middle of nowhere and purchased with "just in case" trailer trolling cash.

Could we cure this addiction with group therapy? Doubtful--because camping with the girls is group therapy, and all it does is feed it!

(So...anybody see anything interesting out there today in Trolling Land? Some ad links to post, perhaps, for a little dreamin'?)