handmade homes take to the open road

i want this to be us so bad...rollin away in a fairytale bus made of wood and wheels, porch and books.

this is from another book in the series of rad 70s handmade house books that i've written about before and missa wrote about here (raddest houseboats ever, ever, ever)
this one is all about handmade hippie houses on the road.
we have it at the bookery in the locked case; it's a collectible and thus way out of my price range.
but i still get to look at its gloriousness.


these photos of the pages look much better than mine, found in this wonderful little delight here, check these caravans out:

standing in the mist with its little terra cotta pots and windowpanes,
killing this fairytale heart a mine.


i can picture joey and emily in this one, our neighbors.

and this one can house addie and art, and we'll drive cross the prairies together.

this covered-wagon one seems the most fun of all.

roll back the canvas and sleep under the stars.


cozy enough to have our cats curled next to that woodstove,
or peeking out this window.


those pages got me thinking about traditional gypsy caravans, or vardos.
i know i over-romanticize the romany life, and i have never been to europe or encountered actual romany people except at festivals in the bay area.
but what i really long for is my own version of life on the road, in a pretty home-on-wheels that looks colorful and quaint.
and i could ply my trades while a-wandering.
and we'd play music and put on shows and be free from the weary constraints of modern life.

i know, i know, i know. you might say i'm a dreamer...

but i'm not the only one ;)
this and others here

on our long cross-country rambles,
as i've written about before, my job is to keep the inside of Isis (our van) as tidy as possible.
it's a trick when there are four or more of you traveling together, but it is satisfying to shake out the blankets and make the bed, to tuck the suitcases into their proper niches and slide the stove into its compartment under the bed.
the unfettered compactness and parsimony of vagabondia appeals to me.



but best of all is roaming vast landscapes, camping out in new forests under new skies, full of the spirit of something wild and free.

you all know this happens to me, and i have to go back and look through my travel journals
and start dreaming up schemes for more big journeys.



these pages were all taken from my journal of our 2002 trip; we lived in Isis for 3 rumbly-tumbly months on the road.

and then in 2007 we spent a couple months on the road and joey and addie joined us and we went back to south dakota and minnesota and all those mysterious and strange places that form the landscapes of our history and hold so many ghostly wails and weepings of the past.






i know that our little home on wheels doesn't even come close to the romantically gorgeous gypsy caravan of my dreams,
but if i can actually live in a tiny woodsy cottage one day then we'll just keep good old Isis as our traveling partner.

you can also find lots of lovely similar inspirations at moon to moon.

thanks for indulging my whimsies.
and happy travels in the upcoming year.

Comments

Sadie Rose said…
i was just thinking bout these kinds of vehicles today! on my holiday trip i saw a vintage ford with a shingled little camper/house contraction on the back. swoon and a half.
Sadie Rose said…
p.s. you look so pretty in the scarf!!
Milla said…
Oh what a dream! I love glimpses at your travel journals and will definitely keep my own on the road down to a certain someplace ;)

I'm very envious of your van and Missa's teardrop trailer, we camp in the back of our volvo among books and shoes and lost pens and have crazy rumpled dreams at times.

What fun it is though...
you've read http://intothehermitage.blogspot.com/
I trust. If not you'd love it I'm sure, especially when they were still travelling on their bus.

Lots and lots of love and more plans a coming!
theequinebovine said…
Again, blown away by your awesomeness!
ailsa said…
those caravans are so amazing! i'm with you on the compactness thing - packing for a trip is one of my favourite things ever, i love having just the essentials and everything in its place. it feels like you just *live* more when you're travelling because you're not weighed down by stuff. like choosing what to wear in the morning...when you don't really have any options your energies are directed to way more productive and interesting things. it would be such a dream to have a vehicle i could kit out everything i needed and then head off to really see the world and drink everything in.
Crystal said…
My poor heart wants a rolling caravan to call it's home. There's a bit of a custom here on the island of folks living in retrofitted buses. I've always wanted that and only ever managed it for a brief few months one summer. Somehow my life path led away from my pretty bus (with the seats pulled out there is a LOT of space) with a bed in the back. Wood stove, propane cook stove, yellow floral curtains and the only nod to it's previous incarnation is the driver's seat and wheel.

I'm feeling the ticklings of wanderlust...
If you do travel, come up to my island, we'll put you up nicely :)
*Love*
Nicky said…
haha, I could so see you living in one of those mysterious and wondrous gypsy caravans!!!! 3 months is a LONG time to be traveling and wandering, it sounds like so much fun- especially to have friends join up on one of your journeys! Hope you find your sweet little cottage one day :D Cheers to traveling!!!!
Cel said…
My uncle actually took an old school bus and converted it into a travelling home. He, his wife and their three sons spent a summer in it, driving around from place to place. It didn't look as amazing as some of these but still...! I love the idea of being unattached to any one place though, moving around... I definitely know where you're coming from :)
Courtney said…
These are just fabulous. I had no idea you've spent so much time on the road! How wonderful. Your journal pages are amazing, I'd love to just sit with you some afternoon and hear all about your travels.
Andrea said…
amazing! I also loved your post about the tree houses? Or, did I dream that? I had no idea that Isis was such a dear family friend? How cool that she's still around and making travels.
a.smith said…
Do you follow The Hermitage? (http://intothehermitage.blogspot.com)
A wonderful artist and her partner who roam about in one of the most lovely vehicle-homes I've seen! If you have gypsy-life on the brain then you'll love it!

~Atropa
Anonymous said…
How enchanting!
anne said…
oh the housetrucks! they are so frickin' awesome! i dream of traveling for a good amount of time. three months is amazing and must have been quite the adventure. isis is a great name for your traveling vehicle! one day when i get my bus, i will name her bessie :D

your journals are rad! every year i tell myself i will start journaling and never do! see pictures of yours is inspiration for me. thank you sweet lady!

happy new year!
Kaylie said…
I dream of having an awesome caravan one day too!

Best thing ever.

I have a book that has the cutest picture of a caravan that the author uses as an office in her big, green backyard. I love that!
Katha said…
i love the rolling homes, i always wanted a boat to live on! great photos.
Moon to Moon said…
Hey thanks for the link!
We have a converted VW Camper van called marvin, not a proper bus but we love him all the same
xx
Missa said…
*Sigh* This is so inspiring Heather!

We have really got to get our little trailer out on the road this year!
pam Aries said…
Love your site! We are hitting the road in our gypsy vw camper soon
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