The first cross-country “road trip” by car happened in 1903, and since then, Americans have been obsessed with the freedom and adventure of the open road. Near the center of America’s Mother Road (aka Route 66) is a museum that captures many of the ways we’ve traveled that road in style.
I pulled up to the drab aluminum building on the south side of Amarillo and had no idea I was about to enter a time portal. Inside the 18,000-square-foot Jack Sisemore RV Museum sit dozens of vintage recreational vehicles and trailers looking like they just rolled off the showroom floor. Classic motorcycles, cars and even boats add to the intrigue.
RV dealer Jack Sisemore and his son Trent, who loved hunting down and restoring old trailers, started the collection over 25 years ago. When they ran out of room in their driveways, they decided to open a museum. Each vehicle is displayed with memorabilia, old advertisements and an explanation of what makes each model unique, such as the 1935 Torpedo—the first Airstream.
I roamed through 30-foot-long coaches and peeked inside chrome pods that looked more like spaceships than RVs. Every trailer offered a look at the technology and style of the era, with plenty of linoleum and shag carpet to spare.
The museum, closed for the season but reopening in March, boasts rare specimens of the first Fleetwood and Itasca motor homes, and every turn revealed more treasures, such as the 1948 Flxible bus driven by Robin Williams in the 2006 movie RV.
While wandering through the museum, part of me yearned for the days before phones or GPS, when the road ahead was truly a mystery yet to unfold. But then I remembered that I would never have found a hidden gem like this one without the help of the all-knowing internet.
