As the ever-witty Mark Twain once wrote, ”Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.” Well, this weekend we decided to do something about the insanely-hot weather by getting the hell out of town. After contemplating all the staycation hotspots compiled by our pals at Local First Arizona, we decided to go another direction altogether. In fact, we took a road trip back in time, to an era when men were men, women wore poodle skirts, and everybody smoked cigarettes like they were going out of style.

Yes, greetings from the Shady Dell, quite simply the state’s most charming trailer park. Located just outside of the mining-town-turned-Hippie-hideaway of Bisbee, AZ, the Shady Dell is a collection of restored mid-century AirStream trailers, vintage buses and even a land-locked yacht. We stayed inside the Royal Mansion (pictured at right), so named because it includes a ‘throne,’ (wink-wink), and loved it’s kitschy-coolness. Like all of the units, our sleek aluminum palace was restored to full 1950s glory, including leopard-print fabrics, polished blonde-wood built-in furnishings, vintage books and magazines and a black and white TV (perfect for watching the provided copy of the Lucille Ball classic, “The Long, Long Trailer“).

Even the meals at the Shady Dell are a throwback. Located right on-site, Dot’s Diner (pictured at bottom left) is housed inside a compact 1957 Valentine’s trailer, just like the now-closed Welcome Diner at Roosevelt and 10th St in Phoenix. Parked for decades in LA, this dynamite dinner was tranplanted to the Dell in 1996. We ♥ the super-thick shakes and the plate-bending fruit pies.

Best of all, since Bisbee is located about a mile high, it actually felt like Fall here at the happiest trailerpark on Earth.

Park It: 1 Douglas Rd., Bisbee, 520-432-3567

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