Summer Dreams: July 2019 Note from the Editor

Photo of Wendy Manwarren Generes by Jennie Sullins.

I met local interior designer Melanie Raver last October. She invited me up to her Oceanside home after I’d asked to see it in person (I’d been slightly obsessed with her Instagram feed). The house was incredible, but then she took me out back to show me her latest project: a 1973 Argosy trailer that she and her husband Dave had recently purchased. They were planning to redo it and live in it for a year with their three young daughters. I loved the story instantly—probably because it’s something I would love to do. Read all about how the idea came to be, what they’ve learned along the way, the mistakes they’ve made (and fixed) and where they plan to go in “Life on the Road.”

It’s actually just one of three stories in this issue about recreational vehicles and how they’re being used and redone. Read “A Glamporous Life” and see what an architecturally designed trailer looks like. Streamlined and modern with all the luxuries of home, these campers (which can be purchased) become more sophisticated with additional off-the-grid amenities on each new version that the couple—who designs them—releases. Then meet the family of avid campers who turned their love for adventure—and a knack for turning ho-hum RV trailers into stylish campers—into a budding rental business in “Hot Wheels.”

Besides camping trips—or potentially living mobile for an extended period of time (or forever)—summertime feel-good vibes continue throughout the issue. There’s the colorful container garden blooming in “Garden Evolution”; the sand castle sculptor making mountains (and more) out of piles of fine rocks; and a chance run-in with Clint Eastwood during a picturesque road trip up the coast in “Hideaway By the Sea.”

My family is staying put this summer, but a girl can dream. Hope you find all the inspiration you need for your crew’s next summer adventure in our July issue, on newsstands now.

Wendy Manwarren Generes