Airstream Rally

My parents are avid Airstreamers and belong to the Wally Byam Caravan Club. Each year they have an annual international convention, in 2018 it was in Salem Oregon. That being 3000 miles closer to Tahiti, I took the opportunity to go visit them. We had last been together in 2016 at our Polynesian wedding in Mo'orea.

Mom and I with our Tahitian flowers in our hair.

Dad included this time. I am showing them how to take selfies.

There were over 700 Airstreams here, all parked at the Oregon State Fairgrounds. These are just the ones in the area where Mom and Dad are parked.

Dad's, new to him, Dodge Ram diesel, 4 door, One Ton dualy tow rig. Wow!

Their 30 foot Airstream in full camping mode.

Another area of Airstreams parked together with all flags flying.

In the convention hall everyone gathers for the opening ceremony. With an average of 2 people per Airstream that is approximately 1400 people!

Each regional group is represented with a flag.

Mom and Dad are in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia Unit.

The wife of the guy who was carrying their flag is playing keyboard in the band. They are both friends from home.

A local micro-brewery had some special ale brewed up for the occasion. Airstream IPA!! Cool can!

It was too cute to throw away, so we made it a flower vase.

Walley Byam, the founder of the Caravan Club and original builder of Airstream trailers.

We joked that they would circle the wagons, like the old pioneers, and by golly we were right! One of the first big rallys.

The difference between a Rally and a Caravan is, the first one is where you park as a group, and the second is where you travel as a group. Wally and his wife Stella got together a group of Airstream owners, starting in the late 1940s, and organized Caravans. This is Airstream #1 which was their unit. The list shows all of the Caravans that they took this camper on.

This is the back side of the same camper, which has obviously been fully restored! And note, it was not the famous silver aluminum, but painted. The current owners have an electric bicycle on the back.

Inside of Unit #1.

The thing that interested me the most was the Around the World Caravan which was done in the 1960s!!

The logo for the trip.

A map showing how they went. In California, they put their tow rigs and camper units on a ship to Japan. Then again to China, and again to the Malaysian peninsula. From there, they drove up through Burma and into India, all through the middle East, Turkey and the Czech Republic. From Italy to Moscow, up over through Finland and Sweden and across to Holland, France, Spain and Portugal. From there, back on a ship across the Atlantic to NYC!!! It boggles the mind how they did this, and today could not be repeated. One man has made it his mission to put together all of the old film that was taken on this trip (which is now owned by the Airstream company) and put together a movie with everyone's films into one. This was one of the seminars we attended and I thoroughly enjoyed. It was an epic adventure!

This trailer was actually on that trip and lists all the different countries they went to.

I believe this was also Wally and Stella's second camper.

The fun part to me as a sailor, is that they are called “Land Yachts” and this model is a “Trade Wind”. I had no idea they had actually sailed these land yachts around the world!!

This is one of the original Airstreams, before they changed to the silver bullet look.

This one even has a cozy boat feeling with its wood interior.

The other end.

Mom standing by the original vintage silver bullet.

Vinyl booth seats which convert to the bed.

Antique stove and oven too.

This was the most unique looking vintage camper, The “Airstream Clipper”,but it made me think of Spider Man's eyes with those windows in the front.

Then there were the Vintage tow rigs too! Here is a classy convertible, complete with fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

A Nash convertible. I had never heard of this car, but Mike knew it right away being the car guy.

How about this baby, reminds me of Al Capone days! The Chrysler Airflow is complete with suicide doors, big white wall tires and a fender skirt.

She has a trunk big enough to put a body in.

A split windshield and big headlights that look like sad puppy dog eyes. The license plate says she is from 1937!

Another cool tow rig, diesel truck.

The back of the truck with their antique goodies and a license plate that tells us she is from 1936!

And of course the classic Woodie!

After checking out all the vintage rigs and campers, we went inside the building to look at brand new ones. My favorite was the Mercedes van Airstream camper.

It has swivel around bucket seats up front and a GPS and rear video camera screen on the dash.

Very modern interior!

Back at our own Airstream, Dad is making us sandwiches wearing his La Paz Yachts strap to hold his name tag. Doesn't Mom look pretty with her new haircut (I gave it to her!) and her shirt matches her Tahitian flower!

One day for breakfast, dad made us waffles! Hmmm, de ja vu??

Dad cooking on his barbecue.

Their modern Airstream has a center-line queen bunk, where I snuck this photo of them napping.

Me and my mommy!

With Dad too.

Got the neighbor to take this photo of all of us in front of their camper.

Getting packed up to head out. They will be departing for the WBCC caravan to Alaska for a two month trip, that they have been dreaming of going on for a long time! Congratulations on doing it!!

Their WBCC member number is 3664. You may have noticed all the trailers have numbers on them.

The big truck! Rides like a Cadillac and has the new GPS system to guide them, so Mom no longer has to study the map.

Dad walked me through his departure check, for after it is hooked up and ready to roll.

Have a great trip to Alaska! It is almost like sailing to the South Pacific! So proud of you both for making your dreams come true!!