Text by Patrick Bell.
A polar vortex has tightened its grip on much of the U.S. once again so let’s escape to some better weather trips to the woods. These are primarily fifties and sixties images with a forties and a seventies one as a bonus.
For our first image, we will ease into the warmer weather by showing a winter scene. A ’62 Chevrolet Corvair 700 Club Coupe with perhaps a New York plate is parked in what may be a future building site. The snow is fairly fresh, but the car apparently spends much of its time under a cover.
A fall hunting trip at Hardy Ridge in Washington state in a ’48 Pontiac De Luxe Streamliner Station Wagon.
Springtime camping in New South Wales in a ’50 Ford Custom Deluxe Fordor with a V8 and right hand drive.
A gentleman looking in the trunk of a ’56 Oldsmobile 88 4 door sedan in a heavily forested area.
Camping in another heavily forested area with a ’58 Ford Country Sedan with a roof rack and paired with a Sportcraft camper trailer. In the background is a ’60 Chevrolet.
This appears to be Sequoia National Park in California, where you can see some mighty trees but not get away from the crowds. From the lower left corner heading to the right a white ’63 or ’64 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova Super Sport Coupe, dark blue ’63-’65 VW Type 1, grey ’62 Pontiac Catalina Safari, two ’63 or ’64 Cadillacs, a tan Four Window Sedan and a white Coupe, and a light green over white ’55 or ’56 Chevrolet Two-Ten 4 door sedan. In the driving lane from the left a brown ’63 Dodge 880 or Custom 880, tan ’63 Ford Falcon Futura or Sprint hardtop, and the white car partially hidden further up may be a ’65 Plymouth Fury.
In the parking lane on the far side from the left a blue ’63 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop, gold over white ’58 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Sedan, grey ’63 Pontiac full size 4 door hardtop, white ’63 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan, white over blue ’60 Impala convertible, grey ’54-’57 VW Type 1, ’57 Chevrolet Two-Ten Townsman or Beauville wagon, black ’63 Ford Country Sedan, white ’64 or ’65 Ford Ranchero, tan ’60-’64 Chevrolet Corvair coupe, and a blue ’62 or ’63 Chevy II 4 door sedan with a roof rack. Above the Chevy II is a white ’63 Ford Country Sedan, and to its left is a caramel colored ’61-’67 International Travelall. I also see two orange wreckers so it must be a place where car trouble is common. It looks like a cool, damp day.
More camping in the woods with a ’63 or ’64 Dodge D200 Sweptline long bed with a cabover camper and a ’61 Chevrolet Impala 4 door sedan to the left.
This fellow is well equipped for a nice camping trip and has a good fishing hole. The car is a ’62 Rambler Classic Cross Country.
Another well equipped campsite with a ’61 Chevrolet Apache 20 Fleetside long bed with a six cylinder, an El Dorado cabover camper, and a Michigan license plate.
Here we have some Colorado camping in Brown’s Canyon, with a ’70-’74 Ford Club Wagon with a pop-up camper trailer. It looks like a beautiful day.
Thanks for escaping with us and have a great day!
Great shots. The first image has the appearance, of a modernized Currier & Ives print.
The more secluded and pristine location photos, are especially appealing. I always loved the opening of Deliverance, watching the International Scout and Ford Country Squire working their way, deep into the Georgia woods.
Is that a bear checking out the ’61 Chev pickup? Hard to tell from the picture.
I remember wonderful times as a child visiting Sequoia National Park. One of those ‘must see’ places before you die. My eye went directly to the 1963 T-Bird and 1960 Chevy convertible, both of which I have fond memories. But I am a city boy at heart and love those city lights. The sweet sounds of sirens, car alarms, and early morning trash trucks lull me to sleep. The occasional gun shot no more alarming then July 4th fireworks. The sound of crickets will keep me awake. Are they outside or inside, how many and how big. A stroll in a park, like Central Park, can be enjoyable because I can hear the sirens and know help is near.
Once owned a cabin in the Catskills which was a nice getaway during the hot summers when I lived NYC. No cell phones then, not even three channel TV without a rabbit-ear antenna. Relax, read a book, fresh air and cooler weather, what could be better. The area was known for river tubbing and UFO sightings which was interesting. My last summer at the cabin, isolated and deep in the woods, was when I lost interest in what I considered camping. One of my city cats got bitten by a bug, $2,000 in vet bills. I laid a rock path to the front porch, installed path lighting, and planted flowers. Deer ate the flowers. One morning at 3 AM my city cats and dog started screaming and howling. Every spooky movie I ever watched came to mind and what about those UFO’s. It was a bear on the front porch wanting to come in for a visit. The ‘for sale’ sign was soon posted. My remaining summers living in NYC were spent at the New Jersey shore. I love the ocean but not going to swim in it sober because I not comfortable with sharks. Today, camping would be a 3-star motel beside an Interstate highway.
Alfred,
You gave me a good chuckle I could relate to. I did some early growing up in NYC. West End Ave. Camping to my parents was as foreign an idea as taking a tramp steamer to the Arctic. I had limited experience with it. Now, the closest I come is overnights or extended stays on our sailboat. It’s a bit like an RV on the water. Sometimes, I miss NYC – where I lived briefly as an adult and visited many surrounding vacation areas. But now I’m a westcoaster relegated to the ‘burbs. Sirens often enough.
These wonderful pictures *almost* make me want to go back in time .
Almost .
-Nate
In the ’70s my Uncle Verly’s family had a ’61 Chev Apache 20 with the El Dorado camper. My cousins and I spent many happy hours looking at Playboys in the Granny’s Attic.
They lived in Westminster, CA and took the camper on trips to Washington and to the Salton Sea (which I always thought was “Salt & Sea”).
I agree with pol that there’s a bear trying the door handle on the far side…