RETRO ROLLERS

At this quirky Kansas festival, vintage campers ruled the road.

-  JENNIFER BROADSTREET HESS

EIk Falls, Kansas, is known for the Outhouse Tour, a quirky festival that each fall celebrates the glories of the outdoor privy. My good friend Holly Bethe and I decided to attend the festival a few years ago, largely because we wanted to see the gathering of vintage campers that was part of the festivities.

We pulled into town just as the sun was rising over the horizon. The vintage trailers were gathered in a lot off the curving highway that runs through town.

A quaint white chapel sat nearby. There you could sample a slice of homemade pie a la mode, attend a quilt exhibit or view homemade arts and crafts for sale.

As the two of us strolled through the parking lot, the sweet aroma of cherry dumplings drew us into the circle of rustic campers. A young lad was serving up the dumplings from the doorway of a cheerfully decorated red and white trailer. Who could resist a warm plateful of tasty goodness for breakfast on a cold morning?

The camper exhibitors were mostly local people from the Elk County area. Eclectic paint jobs and handmade curtains gave each participant's trailer its own identity.

It was easy to see that these folks had put a lot of time into fixing up their trailers. Everyone was eager to share a personal story or two about their camper and its decor.

Vintage campers were open to the public during the show. Gale McCammon's camper captured his personality.