Eric Demay

Or Roulotte Sweet Roulotte for the fancy-pants french inclined.

Contrary to what one might think of the immediate and most obvious uses of having a house on wheels—a house which can go basically anywhere, anytime—many of these camping trailers reside (and reign) on similar camping grounds in Cape Cod all year long.

Because the campgrounds are close to the sea, and with so many fantastic camping facilities (25¢ hot showers!), the trailers are used as summer houses during the warmer months and then simply locked-up till next summer once winter comes about. A camping lot for the season starts at $4,450, and you get the full hook up: water, sewer, 30 Amp electric and cable tv. (Honey, what would we do all summer by the beach without cable?!)

The eventual repercussion of having a large group of sedentary campers with very clearly defined lots, paved alleys, amenities and luxuries, is that it all starts to look like the suburbs.

Kids are playing in the streets. Neighbors are having bbq cookovers. Large SUVs and pickups roam about. But the most curious effect of all is the decoration and landscaping—or should I say lot-scaping? It becomes worth spending time and money to decorate around your 30 footer Winnebago. Sea shells, flags, screens, patio chairs, flags, patio deck, sea shells, potted plants, flags, shrubs, small trees, sea shells, ponds, flags.

And it’s not for property value’s sake either, just for the sheer enjoyment of being the lot’s summer tenant, living in these Cap Cod camping ‘burbs.

I feel like this is how the founding fathers wives’ decorated their family home at the time: sea shells and American flags.