Photo by Garrick Ramirez
Airstreams are back! The sleek silver icons of the American road trip are becoming a more frequent sight on roads and Instagram. In Santa Cruz County, you won’t just see them being towed to the nearest campground. Local businesses have gotten creative with the cute gleaming trailers, transforming them into fun and unique spaces to shop, sip, and even spend the night!
Photo by Garrick Ramirez
SHOP
A delightful roadside stop along Highway 1 in Davenport, Slow Coast celebrates the majestic coastal land between Santa Cruz and San Gregorio via a lifestyle boutique housed in a 1954 Airstream. With modern surf shack vibes, the vintage trailer is surrounded by gardens and stocked with goods produced by local artisans. Browse locally made body products, jars of local honey, and luxuriously soft, upcycled shirts and sweaters. You can also pick up a copy of co-owner Wallace Nichols’ “Blue Mind” which details the beneficial effects of the ocean on our brains and well-being, something that should be immediately apparent when gazing out from the glorious seaside bluffs across the road. (Stop in adjacent to Slow Coast and check out the sweet spot inside the Davenport Road House for locally made soaps, jewelry, and postcards too!)
Photo courtesy of KraftBar
SIP
Food delivery apps are so 2017. How about bar delivery? KraftBar will dazzle guests at your next outdoor event with seasonal craft cocktails served from a stunningly renovated 1965 Airstream. Owners Breana and Toby White are hospitality and event pros, and designed the mobile bar and lounge for their own wedding. The gorgeous 28′ trailer is outfitted with dreamy wood furnishings, seating for eight, and a cozy bar with a welcoming serving window. With vibrant, handcrafted drinks featuring organic ingredients and small-batch spirits such as Venus gin, plus beer and wine from local producers such as Alfaro Family Vineyards, KraftBar is the life of the party.
Photo by Garrick Ramirez
STAY
The Santa Cruz KOA offers an awesome south county opportunity to stay in a sleek new Airstream that’s walking distance from the shore. Tucked away in a quiet part of the campground, six shiny trailers are outfitted with everything for a luxurious glamping trip-including kitchen, bathroom, AC, and heating-while sites play up the fun, retro theme with pink flamingos and colorful vintage patio furniture. At night, gaze at stars and cozy up around your own crackling fire pit. Plus, the exceptional general store will deliver firewood direct to your site. Kids are never bored with recreational amenities such as a heated swimming pool, giant bouncy platform, palm tree climbing structure, train, and scheduled activities. Perhaps best of all, the campground is a 15-minute stroll to the gorgeous, sandy expanse of Manresa State Beach!
Slow Coast, KraftBar, and the Santa Cruz KOA aren’t the only businesses on wheels you’ll find in Santa Cruz County. For unique shops and services that come to you, check out our story on hip, mobile businesses!