The Story of the First Around-the-World Airstream Caravan | A 30k Mile Trip Through 30+ Countries

In almost every way, the Around the World Caravan over the course of 1963-64 was astonishing: 105 people in over 40 Airstream travel trailers traveling over 30,000 miles through more than 30 countries.
Read more in our blog -- www.airstream....
What began in Singapore ended 14 months later in Portugal on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. Journalist Mac Smith was hired to document the trip and brought along his wife Jackie and their three children, Lorie, Judy, and Scott. Mac would go on to write an account of the Around the World Caravan in his 1966 book, Thank You, Marco Polo: The Story of the First Around-the-World Trailer Caravan. Almost 60 years later, the Smith family recounted their incredible experience on the Caravan and the indelible mark it made on each of their lives. Relive the Around the World Caravan through the eyes of the Smith family in our new video.
#airstream #caravan #adventure

[@StevenGuest]

Why do we love Airstream ?? its because of storys like this !!!

[@calevel]

That caravan made the Airstream one iconic American way of living and exploring on wheels. So cool!

[@Litboge]

Wow. This journey needs to be recreated today. Absolutely incredible story.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

yes or the one where, we put our airstream on a flat bed train and go to mexico or Alaska

[@Free_Ham]

My great grandparents went on the trip! The Tolle's

[@judysmith4396]

Do you want to get in touch? This is Judy. I was when we left and turned 6 the day we returned. My parents and grandparents got to know your parents on the caravan and kept in touch afterwards. Have you met with anyone from the Airstream company recently? Joe Peplinski or Samantha Martin are both historians who have played very significant roles in creating the Heritage Museum at Airstream's headquarters in Jackson Center, OH. Joe put in a huge number of years tracking down all the participants who are still alive. Our parents being the youngest adults on the trip were also the last adults still alive. Dad unfortunately died just before the idea of this video emerged. Joe P also has developed an uncanny expertise on being able to identity trailers or trucks that went on this particular caravan. I am pretty certain your parents Airstream is one that has been identified, bought, and restored. Sorry for babbling if you are well aware of all this... Let me know if you're interested in following up. I'm interested in meeting people who were children of or relatives or friends of people that went on this trip. Joe and the Airstream company is as well... Samantha has taken a new job with a museum in Colorado. But she'd still be interested in any new connections with people who have a special connection with this trip...

[@patriciakipps315]

Thank you for sharing your story.

[@dbelden]

This is beautiful, thank you for creating it. I’ve always been curious about the round-the-world Airstream caravan.

[@Airstream-Inc]

Our pleasure! Such an incredible story.

[@vwaudiwelder]

@@Airstream-Inc Were these all towed with Dodge trucks? It would be interesting to see their video documentation profile of this same journey.

[@AdventureVanExpo]

This is a really cool piece! I think that this type of trip is what a lot of people aspire to do when envisioning a life on the road.

[@TheHungryCubanAdventures]

I loved this

[@scasey1960]

Can’t find the book anywhere

[@rickpaul9858]

Their book a out of print. Airstream should spearhead getting it re-released. At least in ebook form

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

very cool , moms high school friend, her parent s did the trip to Panama -south America in the early 60s any info on that trip at airstream ?

[@Atitlan1222]

Didn't go through latinamerica?

[@ker4all]

What a wonderful story to be told. I wonder if the same memories exist around the world from those sharing in the Airstream experience? Is there more to come?