Modern Stargazer Life

We pulled into the dealer lot like two kids arriving at a candy store—but instead of grabbing gummies, we were here to take home something shiny, silver, and full of dreams.

There she was—Stargazer—sitting there polished and perfect, waiting for us to hitch her up and roll into this next season of life. It was equal parts exciting, surreal… and slightly terrifying.

The Walkthrough (and the Must-Haves)

Before we could hit the road, there were walk-throughs to complete, questions to ask (and forget to ask), and essentials to buy. We picked up hoses, a pink camp chair (non-negotiable), and—of course—flamingo socks that were not essential in the traditional sense, but absolutely necessary in my opinion.

While I was mentally taking stock of what essentials we still needed, thinking through storage ideas, organizing strategies, and cute bedding, Chris wasted no time getting technical. Within minutes, he had climbed up to inspect the solar setup on the roof. He was checking everything—airflow, water flow, battery systems, tire pressure, brakes. He wanted to understand it all before we even took her off the lot. In his mind, a dozen upgrades and tweaks were already queued up. Stargazer was officially “in project mode,” and we hadn’t even driven a mile!

👉 You can follow along with his ever-growing list of upgrades and gear reviews in Chris’ Tech Corner.

First Stop: Indiana Dunes

With keys in hand and nerves semi-intact, we pulled away from the lot—Chris towing confidently and me triple-checking the backup camera.

Instead of heading straight home, we planned to break up the trip with a one-night stop at Indiana Dunes State Park. I hadn’t been there since I was a kid—it’s actually where my sister famously lost her glasses while swimming in Lake Michigan (because she forgot she was wearing them). Returning decades later with our Airstream felt oddly full circle.

Rookie Moves

It was early in the season, so the trees weren’t fully leafed out yet—but the park was still peaceful and beautiful in that quiet, pre-summer way. Not many campers were around, which made the experience feel even more serene. When we arrived at our site and saw the flat, level concrete pad, we both sighed with relief. That perfect rectangle looked like a dream come true as we backed Stargazer in for the first time.

We snapped a quick photo in celebration… and then realized we hadn’t dropped the stabilizer jacks. A quick laugh, a few cranks, and we were finally set.

That night, we figured out the basics: how to stabilize, hook up water and power, and not panic when something beeped. There were no major mishaps—just a lot of “let’s figure it out together” energy.

A Beginning Worth Remembering

Stargazer had officially joined the family, and that day will always be a reminder: every great journey starts with a little excitement, a few nerves, and maybe a missed stabilizer jack or two…and thankfully, flamingo socks to keep your footing along the way.