I have left safe harbor!

[Khyron]

Well the journey actually began last Wednesday. &nbsp; Now I've been living out of my conversion van for almost 2 months but that was in my home town with lots of support from job, family, and friends. &nbsp;Well I sold most of my stuff or gave it away, quit my job 2 weeks ago and left for Atlanta where I spent the last 5 days with my Mom. &nbsp;Slept in the van still but it was in a gated community so once again, I was in safe harbor. &nbsp;<br /><br />This morning I left and headed south. &nbsp;I'm a big fan of the The Walking Dead TV series so I stopped in a few rural towns where they film it. &nbsp;Senoia, GA for one. &nbsp;Awesome! &nbsp;I then headed to Columbus, GA just outside Fort Benning to visit the National Infantry Museum and National Civil War Naval Museum but they are both closed on Monday, doh! &nbsp;Still want to go so I'm just hanging out in Columbus tonight and will sleep at a Walmart that allows overnighting. &nbsp;Will check out those museums tomorrow.<br /><br />After that its off to the Gulf coast. &nbsp;Got to get away from this cold weather! &nbsp;Will probably stay a few days at a free campground I found at freecampsites.net and then I'm gonna follow the coast through Texas. &nbsp;On the way I'm going to visit a number of naval and military museums. &nbsp;I love that stuff. &nbsp;Want to tour the battleships USS Alabama and USS Texas plus a number of destroyers and WWII subs along the way. &nbsp;<br /><br />Ultimate destination is the RTR in January. &nbsp;Not sure when I'll be in the Arizona area but by mid December probably. &nbsp;Will have to find some fellow vandwellers to spend xmas with. &nbsp;Maybe I'll link up with Bob's group if he'll have me.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Anyway the last few months of practice in my home area and this website has been invaluable. &nbsp;You guys are awesome.

 

[SirJoey]

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Great report, Khyron! I was living the adventure vicariously through U as I read it!</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Congrats on heading out! May your roads be paved &amp; smooth!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" /><br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[peacetara]

WOOHOO!!!! YAY for venturing outside of 'safe harbors' <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br /><br />See you at the RTR!!!&nbsp; I won't be there until after christmas, but You can find bob, he has directions and everything on his blog, so you are welcome out there.<br /><br />With Love,<br />Tara

 

[joey]

<span style="color: #339966;">&nbsp; Hey Khyron, I am headed out next week myself. I am in North Al.,but heading down to Mobile on the</span> <span style="color: #339966;">Gulf Coast then out I-10. I'll see you on the road somewhere. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" /></span>

 

[Khyron]

My campsite on Blackwater Bay was very nice. &nbsp;I was parked just 50 feet from the water. &nbsp;Just like the review on freecampsites.net said it had 2 clean porta johns. &nbsp;I decided to stay just one night and continue on to the Gulf Coast on Santa Rosa Island. &nbsp;Biked up and down the bike paths along the dunes and stopped at a few of the several parking areas to make food in the van. &nbsp;At a Starbucks now.<br /><br />Need to stealth camp somewhere in Pensacola Beach tonight. There's a strip of hotels near the bridge to Gulf Breeze that looks promising. Possibly the Days Inn. Will slide into a parking spot late and button up. Some interesting bars across the street too. Best thing about my conversion van with bike rack on back, it looks like it belongs in a hotel parking lot.<br /><br />Tomorrow gonna bike over to civil war era Fort Pickens and then drive to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. &nbsp;

 

[WanderingRain]

If you ever plan to pass through San Antonio, gimme a PM. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> I'll be more than happy to meet you for lunch anywhere. (I can also recommend a few good places)<br />We can swap stories and I can hear you tell of your tales of high adventure.<br />I haven't really left harbor yet. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> Would be curious to see your setup.&nbsp;<br /><br />Cheers!<br />--Rod

 

[Khyron]

<span style="color: #339966;">&nbsp; Hey Khyron, I am headed out next week myself. I am in North Al.,but heading down to Mobile on the</span> <span style="color: #339966;">Gulf Coast then out I-10. I'll see you on the road somewhere. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" /></span>

<br /><br />Man I must have passed you! &nbsp;Actually once I leave the Pensacola area I'm heading to Mobile to check out the USS Alabama and then I'm gonna follow the coast to Corpus Christi. &nbsp;I'm sure I'll run into at some point.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" />

 

[Khyron]

If you ever plan to pass through San Antonio, gimme a PM. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" /> I'll be more than happy to meet you for lunch anywhere. (I can also recommend a few good places)<br />We can swap stories and I can hear you tell of your tales of high adventure.<br />I haven't really left harbor yet. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" /> Would be curious to see your setup.&nbsp;<br /><br />Cheers!<br />--Rod

<br /><br />I may do that! &nbsp;I know I'm heading to Corpus Christi for sure to check out the USS Lexington on my slow voyage west but haven't decided what route to take from there to Arizona yet.

 

[Khyron]

Met another vagabonding nomad today! &nbsp;This morning I was driving to Fort Pickens State Park and pulled over at one of the beach parking lots and there was a guy there standing next to his truck with camper in the bed. &nbsp;We talked for awhile, his name was Jim, and said he used to travel in a van like mine years ago. &nbsp;Gave me a bunch of advice for boondocking in the Santa Rosa area. &nbsp;Cool dude. &nbsp;<br /><br />Apparently the beaches are open 24 hours so I can just overnight in any of the several beach parking lots. &nbsp;I'm actually at one now pulling free wifi from a resort across the street and listening to the waves from the Gulf of Mexico was up on shore.&nbsp;<br /><br />I really like it here. &nbsp;Was just gonna stay a day but then I remembered I'm not an a schedule anymore. &nbsp;I may just stay a few more days. &nbsp;I spent all today exploring Fort Pickens State Park and all the fortifications there but I think tomorrow I want to just ride my bike around and take a chair down to the beach and just read. &nbsp;<br /><br />Keeping clean has been relatively easy. &nbsp;Lots of public bathrooms along beach to birdbath in. &nbsp;I hear there may be showers at the big city beach. &nbsp;Will check that out. &nbsp;

 

[Seraphim]

There's. Resort at Ft Pickens!? Used to be bare except the fort. Wow.

Glad to here things are going well.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Man, sounds awesome!&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">&nbsp;

 

[Khyron]

There's. Resort at Ft Pickens!? Used to be bare except the fort. Wow. Glad to here things are going well.

<br /><br />No not at the Fort thats just on the west tip of Santa Rosa Island and closes at sunset. &nbsp;A good portion of the island is covered in expensive vacation homes, restaurants, hotels, and resorts. &nbsp;I'm parked across the street from one of em.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" />. &nbsp;<br /><br />The big challenge is keeping my electronics charged. &nbsp;When I'm driving I can plug in my small inverter otherwise I have to go to Starbucks to charge up. &nbsp;Will have to see if the local public library has power I can use. &nbsp;Man I need solar! &nbsp;Will be hooking it up at RTR I think.

 

[Bodhi]

Hey there Khyron!<br /><br />I just want to say.... WOW!&nbsp; You are doing just exactly what I wish I could do right now.&nbsp; How fortunate you are to have the opportunity do this and to have found this website and all these great people (I'm not saying I'm great... everyone here who is actually vandwelling... just awesome)&nbsp; I admire your free spirit and good nature.&nbsp; Right on!<br /><br />If all goes as planned, I will be at the RTR in Jan. with my little camper and a couple tents.&nbsp; Can't wait to meet you and see your ride/home!<br /><br />Peace,<br />Bodhi

 

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp; Going to have Christmas dinner with everybody who is already here tomorrow. Khyron pulled in this morning and rode into a camp where a bunch of us were talking. Was a pleasure to meet him. We are all looking forward to meeting the rest of you headed this way. The RTR is going to be a blast, I'm sure. Give a shout out to Bob for organizing it!

 

[Les H]

Hey Khyron, awesome to hear of the rravels, man. It was great to meet you, and hope we can camp again someday.