a fellow airstreamer q & a…

May 20th, 2011 1

welcome fellow bloggers and airstreamers, malimish (= little mouse) and the malimish family: dan, marlene & kiddos ava & mila. they went on a five month long cross-country journey this past year and have logged many weekends traveling the west coast. they take full advantage of their pacific coast home and enjoy the beach, mountains, and desert whenever their schedule allows. we caught up via cyber space and they did a fun question & answer for us all.. thanks dan & marlene. be sure to pop over to their blog and say hello!

1. What made you decide to buy an Airstream?
We looked at some small trailers initially and bought a used T@B trailer first. While looking at the T@B at an Airstream dealership, we just knew one day we had to have one. Sure enough, when it was time to upgrade, we couldn’t resist.

2. You drove cross country for 5 months in 2010, what did you learn about the United States from your travels?
We had big plans about a tour around the country and had hoped to see as much as we could. One thing we suspected and found out for sure is that 5 months is nowhere near enough time to see the country. Not even in a year will we be satisfied in seeing everything.

3. What did you find challenging, and also not as hard as you thought, traveling with kiddos?
The most difficult thing was probably keeping them entertained. It’s not so hard when we are sightseeing because there is always something new to do. The hard parts are the transit days. They get restless and you do the best you can to prevent any major meltdowns.

4. Do you have any wisdom to share with other families thinking of taking the plunge with their children?
Our kids are fairly young so we can only share information about kids in their age group. The single biggest thing for kids under 4 is to make lots of stops at interesting places. Even if its just for an hour here and there. They will appreciate it and likely have more fond memories of the trip later on rather than remembering being miserably strapped into their carseats for days on end.

5. Do you have plans to go out on another journey for months at a time?
We are going to Europe for a month and a half this summer so it would have to be after that. We had had plans to go out again this year but because of Mila turning 2 in September we wanted to take advantage of the free international flight for kids.

6. Where have you not traveled that you are anxious to go?
Basically everywhere else. We don’t even feel like we saw enough of the places we did go to. The only place in the U.S. that we don’t need to see any more of is California. We are very fond of the southern states mostly due to the warmer weather and we can go there more or less year round.

7. What do you love about Airstreams versus other RV’s? and what made you choose the model you own?
We think the 25 foot is about the perfect size for a travel trailer. It is small enough to take to pretty much every campground while big enough to house a family and a cat. There is no comparison between Airstreams and other travel trailers. They are so well constructed and designed to last practically forever. I hate to sound like an Airstream snob but I think people who have not owned one, or even been inside one, will have to see it to believe it.

8. Did living in the Airstream for five months change either of you in any significant ways?
We thought our house was small at under 1,000 sq ft. Now we are much happier with the size and sometimes think it might be too big for us. Actually we think we are ruined now because we are so unwilling to make long term commitments to stay in any one place, just so we have the option of taking off whenever the urge arrives.

9. Favorite places you’ve traveled so far?
We both agree that the beaches of Florida are very nice but I think the south is where we really enjoyed as far as the environment and culture goes. Marlene loved Savannah, Georgia and I was a big fan of middle and eastern Tennessee. Driving through the Smokey Mountains was just an amazing experience. I remember being in Chattanooga and looking at the scenery all around us and just being awestruck at the beauty.

10. What do you love most about where you live and what would you say is a must do for people visiting your area?
Southern California is known for its mild year-round climate. That is obviously a great benefit of being here. It’s hard to say what is a must do because it really depends on what you are into. Most people come here in hopes to catch a celebrity in Hollywood while others want to spend time at the beach. I think some of the best things we have around here are the mountains and deserts. After all, all of southern California was originally a desert plain before we starting pumping water from the Colorado river into it. We spend a lot of time camping in the Palm Springs area and just recently went to Anza Borrego for the first time. We really enjoy going there but I think to each their own when it comes to that. I would say that the beaches are probably a bit over rated as the water is generally too cold to swim in even in the warmest months.