I Dream of Airstreams: Traveling to the Shady Dell

Words: Tiffany Owens

For fans of ‘50s nostalgia, or those that salivate at the sight of a vintage trailer (or simply wish for the perfect pink flamingo backdrop to drink PBRs while wearing a wifebeater), Bisbee, Arizona’s Shady Dell Trailer Park is your time-travel nirvana.

Here, you get to stay in one of nine lovingly restored aluminum-bodied tag-along trailers: a ‘35 Homemade, ‘49 Airstream, ’50 Spartanette, ’50 Spartan Manor, ‘51 Spartan Mansion, ’51 Royal Mansion, ‘54 Crown, ‘57 El Rey or ’57 Airfloat Flagship. Owners Ed Smith and Rita Personett are sticklers for details: from the Formica countertops and plexiglass shades to vintage martini shakers, plus real record players that spin classic 45s and 78s. Some of the larger trailers have old black-and-white TVs that play films and shows of the era. Guests can also stay in a vintage dry-docked and champagne-stocked Chris Craft yacht or a ‘47 Airporter “Tiki Bus” (dubbed the Dell’s “Polynesian Paradise”) adorned with life-size tiki carvings by Arizona artist Dennis Hamblin. Rates are from $40 to $125 a night.

Also on the property is Dot’s Diner, a 1957 Valentine diner relocated from Hollywood and restored to its original art deco splendor. Open for breakfast and lunch, the diner sticks to the basics of good food at good prices, serving up omelets, burritos, burgers, meatloaf and $1.99 "workmen’s specials," which can be anything from pasta to catfish platters.