What was that special moment in your SMB?

[Chumley]

Hello All,

I thought that I would finally post some fun stuff here on the forum after about a year of being more or less just a chronicaler (is there such a word?).

Last September my wife and I greeted a new member into our family. His name was Charlie and he was 232 inches and 8,421 pounds of bouncing joy. Of course life started out with some puking on us and teething problems but now he was all ours, warts and all. He is maturing nicely but there were moments when we had doubts and wondered which side of the family he really came from...

But there was a moment that hit us one day. It was that moment that the dream of having our own Sportmobile rig had indeed been realized and it was real and it was good.

That day was the day after I was about to return Charlie to the stork but realized that we could make the best out of a bad trip and focus on the fact that we had just fulfilled a many years old dream. We were driving down the Eastern Sierras on Hwy 395 and stopped for lunch at one of our all time favorite road food stops. Actually this place is anything but just your typical road stop, they have incredible food. Whoa Nelly Deli is well known and we had dreamed of going there and eating in our own Sportsmobile rig so we could be with our dogs and not eat in the front seat of a car or wrestling with 2 crazy canines freaking out if they saw a bird or other dogs while at a picnic bench. We just wanted to eat in the solitude and comfort of our own little home on wheels and just enjoy a great meal and the incredible scenery of Mono Lake just outside.

We did it and it almost brought tears to my wife's eyes.




I had pork chops with a cranberry sauce (I think) and the wife had something probably girlie and light (I remember, the lobster taquitos). We sat there and snarfed it all up. Afterwards we just sat and stared out the windows and looked at each other and smiled. We had done it. My wife made the dream come true and it was at that lunch that I realized that this was now going to be a big part of our lives going forward.

We are now SMB faithful. We have drank the Koolaid and it is good, except the chunks I choked on...

So do you have a moment that stands out or maybe several moments that you experienced that might be described using words like "epiphany", or "breakthrough", or "milestone", or maybe just that special moment that you will never forget for some reason related to your SMB?

Please share it.

Thanks.


Chumley

[Angel]

Great topic. It has got me thinking/reminiscing but cannot decide # 1 yet. There have been so many times I have had to pinch myself to make sure "This is for real?" We are all luckier than most.

Angel

[shenrie]

i dunno if we can really comment in here as we dont have a pop top installed yet, but my wife called me the other day when she had her moment. I was suprised i even got the call as i was up in the foothills mt biking.

i answered "hello", and all i heard was "i love our van" in my wifes 'cute' voice (like when i hear her talking to her stupid cat). i just laughed and asked what she was talking about. She said she was having a crappy day at work and went out to the parking lot to eat her lunch. Got in the van, noticed the bed and plopped down to relax for a bit. she called as she was laying there in comfort. i knew right then and there that i could start spending money on it without resistance.

and i suppose i have had a moment... we were coming back from our second camping trip in the van. having met up with my sister to camp for the first time since we were under 10 years old, needless to say, we tied one on. on the way home my eyes were getting heavy and kept getting heavier. i finially pulled over. wife woke up as i did and asked why we were stopping. I said cause im falling asleep and if i dont get some rest, im going to kill us. jumped in back and crashed out at a point of intrest for 2.5 hours. woke up super refreshed and did the last hour home no problemo.

i cant wait to have the "moment" like in the first post. i might even be the one crying, lol.

[jage]

The first real moment was camping with friends up in Anza-Borrego. We were at a pretty good elevation and it rained, and got cold. Our poor friends had to abandon their 2 person dome and lay in the back of the Land Cruiser with the gate down to be out of the wet.

Meanwhile we're snug inside, my wife being introduced to the Suburban heater and I whipped out some coffee ice cream she didn't know I'd brought. The one thing the norcold does well is keep ice cream at the perfect temperature, and we sat there in the warm toasty van eating coffee ice cream and feeling bad for our compatriots... but obviously not bad enough to invite them in!

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by jage

The first real moment was camping with friends up in Anza-Borrego. We were at a pretty good elevation and it rained, and got cold. Our poor friends had to abandon their 2 person dome and lay in the back of the Land Cruiser with the gate down to be out of the wet.

Meanwhile we're snug inside, my wife being introduced to the Suburban heater and I whipped out some coffee ice cream she didn't know I'd brought. The one thing the norcold does well is keep ice cream at the perfect temperature, and we sat there in the warm toasty van eating coffee ice cream and feeling bad for our compatriots... but obviously not bad enough to invite them in!

Aw man, that was cold.

[daveb]

One of mine was when a camper next to me got in a fight with his girlfriend and threw her in the fire. Got a Subpoena to the Federal Magistrates Court and lost several days of vacation. [edit]Forgot to add it was in Yosemite...turned those days into a vacation work couldn't object to.

[BajaSportsmobile]

I've had several of those moments where you are camped on a remote beach in Baja and there is no one around for miles and you look down the beach and see the SMB up on the dune with the Penthouse up - a smile comes to my face and I think "this is cool!"

[ridintall]

Most every weekend camping on the beach in the summer. One day, while enjoying watching the waves to some nice tunes, hundreds of butterflies surrounded the van as they flew by. Very special moment. The other time was on my very first cross country hunting trip, was fortunate enough to fill both my tags that year in southern Utah.

[MKRyan]

Pretty much every time we use it!!

I remember one extremely cold winter afternoon at the Oxbow in the Tetons. Kris and I pulled over at the turnout and were taking photos of the Teton range and the water fowl that were hanging out in a small area of open water. (everything else was frozen over) We decided to wait until sunset, so we popped the top, ate lunch in a warm SMB and then kicked back. Other vehicles kept slowing down and looking. Some of them even stopped and took pictures of the rig. We were warm and comfortable and smiling due to all the on-lookers. We read, talked and snacked on chocolate. Great afternoon!

Ended up not being a very good sunset, but was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Mike and Kris

[86Scotty]

Well, mine's not an SMB but hopefully y'all won't kick me out.
For me, it was about a month after we had our pop top installed (when it really became a camper van). We headed west from Tn for vacation and about the 5th day we woke up in Vegas (not the best part). We headed west into Death Valley on 190 and spent the day leisurely passing through and enjoying a pleasant 124 degree summer day in the valley. From there we continued across 190 over to Lone Pine, perhaps the most beautiful drive I've ever done in a day. We went up to Whitney Portal CG and stripped down and jumped in the icy creek that runs through the CG, since there are no showers there, and we were pretty sticky from DV. We had gone from 124 deg and 282’ below sea level to a 40 degree night 8000 ft up in just a few hours. We were cozy and happy in the van!
I envy you guys who can get there in a day or less. It's hands down my favorite area and precisely 2242 miles from home.