CaptainBuilt’s Adventures!

[CaptainBuilt]

I’m a Mississippi River Pushboat Captain. I have a van. I use it for traveling around the USA and back and forth for work.

I’m not a full timer, but do spend a lot of time camping and boondocking. Last month I did a month long trip from NC to Yellowstone, NM and all the surrounding areas.

I’m currently at work, headed home tomorrow. My van is currently parked in New Orleans and I live in NC.

Also have a trip to Charleston next week.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Grand Tetons from my last trip.

 

[Qxxx]

Excellent, we need new Captains posting Captain's Logs, showing their wonderful travels. I'll bet you have a good picture or two of boating on the Mississippi, too.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Excellent, we need new Captains posting Captain's Logs, showing their wonderful travels. I'll bet you have a good picture or two of boating on the Mississippi, too.

I’ll post pics from work also if you guys want.

Currently headed up to Old River Locks on the Atchafalaya River. We will pop out in the Mississippi River near Angola ferry.

I hope I don’t make it that far lol. Hopefully I’m gone by then.

This river has some tricky bridges.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Since I can only post one pic at a time with Tapatalk, here is one of them.

 

[ckelly78z]

Cool van, and neat job.I have always loved ships/barges/tugs but usually see them in the great lakes/St Clair river.

 

[Qxxx]

Thanks, CB, very nice. This is primarily an RVer forum, but certainly no one will complain about a few pictures of life in the "real world". A lot of us have very uninteresting lives in the real world, lol. Offhand, what places do you travel between? I always like to look up cool places on google maps. I remember reading something about the Atchafalaya River recently, possibly about how the Mississppi overflowed into it and flooded out the entire region. ???

If you know of other good places to boondock in LA, MS, or AL, would be good to hear of those on the other thread, too.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

When the Mississippi River gets too high, to stop it from breaking levees, they have overflow gates called spillways. One of those overflows into the Atchafalaya and it floods everything over here. But all the houses in this area are either camps or houses that have been on a 100 year lease from the government. You know when you get a lease what you’re getting into, but they still complain about getting flooded. When you’re in a area made for flooding.....

The other spillway is right north of New Orleans and it over flows a different place.

When I travel to work I usually go south through Atlanta, down 65 from Tuscaloosa to Mobile, then get on I-10 to Louisiana. Or go through Knoxville and take 55 down through Mississippi. So I see all the good places to eat and I’m always looking for boondocking spots lol. I have a few favorite that I use most of the time. Like the Pilot truck stop just north of Mobile. It’s usually pretty quiet.

Since I live in the Smoky Mountains, there’s lots of good places I’ve found there too.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

But here is a pic hanging out in Gulf Shores from a few months back.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

And the inside my van. If anyone was wondering. All 100% DIY.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

 

[CaptainBuilt]

That’s the “Instagram” pics. Here’s what it looks like after staying in it for a month with a wife and 3 wiener dogs. Lol

 

[user 22017]

Thanks for sharing. Very nice rig. I live on the Illinois River now, but grew up mostly on the Mississippi River (Quad Cities).

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Where at? I make a run up to Channahon every now and then.

 

[user 22017]

Peoria, now. I was in Cairo for 11 years Grew up in Moline. (And grew up camping on the Rock River.) All in Illinois.

Saw a post on iOverlander about a boondocking spot at the confluence of the Ohio & Mississippi in Cairo. That surprised me.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Love the van man. Have fun... keep posting

 

[Qxxx]

Ya know CB, there's a rule, when posting pictures of dogs, you have to give their names and show their pretty little faces, so everyone can go ooh and ahh.

 

[Patrick]

Making it look easy, thanks for posting your adventures. Love the van shots.

 

[CaptainBuilt]

Thanks for all the love. I’ll post more pics / info once I get home.

I got off the boat in Melville, La.

Waiting on the van to get there...

I took I-59 up. Before you get into Tennessee, you cross over 20 miles of Georgia. I’m currently at the Pilot in Rising Fawn, Ga.

2 other vans / rigs here and also a airsteam across the lot.

This is a cool one.

And a Transit parked next to it.

Hanging out for the night.

Tomorrow I’m gonna take the long way and go through the middle of the mountains. Should be some cool pics from that.

 

[Qxxx]

Nice, love to see people having fun, even if it is work.