You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the boy. As far as Matthew McConaughey is concerned, no truer words were ever spoken. Give him an ordinary life, any time. He is fanatical about football. And let's not forget how much he obsesses over his Airstream trailer and RV camping. And he is totally into his macho Ford F-150 truck. Wife and family? Oh sure, he loves them, too!
The guy may be a multi-multi-multi millionaire but McConaughey's idea of a good time is hooking his 28-foot, customized Airstream to his macho truck and driving cross-country for a bit of camping. Heck, as a swinging bachelor, he even lived in the pimped out Airstream trailer for a time. Trust us, it's got all the mod cons you could ask for, including a cozy bedroom.
The lovable star of films such as The Dallas Buyers Club, The Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days has a young son Levi, with his wife Brazilian model wife Camila Alves. They now live in a house, but sometimes they do weekends in the Airstream which is conveniently located in an upscale, oceanfront Malibu trailer park. See, Matthew loves his surfing. And weekends on the ocean is his backyard. While Camila practices her yoga, Matthew does a spot of skateboarding or jumps on a surfboard when the big waves hit. And sometimes they hook the trailer up to the truck and hit the open road.
Let's look into Matthew's love affair... with his Airstream.
For The Love Of Airstream
“There’s an old African proverb,” says McConaughey explaining his love of life on the road ‘Architecture is a verb.’” Driving, he says is the way to have time with yourself, catch up on music, and (most importantly) to see the country. McConaughey loves pet names. His Ford pick-up is "The Eagle". And the Airstream? It's called "The Canoe". Why? Well when he visited the Squamish Nation reservation in Canada, the tribe gifted the actor with a handcrafted oar, the tribe's symbol. Says movie star McConaughey: "The oar guides the canoe, guides you through life-so I named the Airstream the Canoe."
He acquired the trailer about 12 years ago and, over time has personalized it. He's plonked a satellite dish on the roof so he can watch football games or surfing movies.
A barbecue is attached to the back of the trailer, and Matthew has customized the interior. He's put in a toilet and a shower. The snug bedroom, called "The Honeycomb" because of its shape has a picture window that gives you a view of your backyard, whether it be the ocean or the desert. And he's installed a specially fitted table/desk.
As a bachelor he lived in the trailer for a time starting in 2008, opting to buy a house to accommodate his trailers, trucks, and oh yeah, his family after he married Camila.
In the past, he's taken the family on road trips, camping out in RV parks in some style. And he is planning a road trip to Louisiana to visit friends with Camila and son Levi in tow. Camila loves the Airstream thing almost as much as Matthew does. She's quite the home cook and takes full advantage of the specially fitted (if compact) kitchen. And Levi? He thinks it's the most fun ever.
The Angry Ram And Levi Flying Through the Air
McConaughey and Jimmy Fallon shared camping stories on The Tonight Show. Brooklyn born Jimmy had rented an Airstream one summer and had trouble even opening the door! He got riotous applause when he claimed he actually cooked over a fire... once.
McConaughey bettered him saying he had visited 49 of the U.S. States in his trusty Airstream. Matthew went on to tell the hilarious, but scary story, of being threatened by an aggressive mountain ram on the edge of the Grand Canyon. After pushing his dog to safety, he, literally, threw his son Levi 15 feet in the air to his wife Camila.
When he finished the story, Jimmy put in, "You saved the dog first?" Laughter all around. But McConaughey explained that it was the male dog's presence that was annoying the ram. So it made sense.
Life on the road can be an adventure for sure.
Matthew currently has several Airstream trailers and has plans to buy more, with visions of a motel-like complex. Makes sense. If Jimmy Fallon or his bestie bromance partner Woody Harrelson comes to visit, they can have a cozy space to call their own. We can see Woody digging it, but New Yorker Jimmy? He's more of a 5-star hotel kind of guy.
It's Not All Fun And Games
It's obvious Matthew and Camila believe in giving back in all sorts of ways. Back in May, they hooked up the Airstream to their king cab (front and back seat) Ford truck and ferried over 100,000 donated face masks to hospitals in rural Texas.
It's hard not to like McConaughey. He's a good actor, a loving husband and father, and just an all-around nice guy. Maybe if he goes through with setting up his Airstream compound, you can rent one for a rustic weekend. Or not, as the case may be.