INTJohn’s Winter ‘23-‘24 Van Livin

[INTJohn]

18 Nov ‘23 Somewhere near Vero Beach, Fla.

Well, I survived the mid week 36 hour windy deluge that hit coastal Florida and especially the Melbourne Beach area. I awoke at 2am Thursday and found that I was parked in a lake! Literally surrounded by about 5” of water. Damn, it’s time to find higher ground, I thawt, if it keeps raining like this I might have water seeping in from the bottom doors! Yep moved to a place of higher elevation and went back to sleep.

Yesterday drove south where am at now. Vero Beach and to include Fort Pierce area as they’re about 15 miles apart. One of my fav areas in all of Florida. Not overrun with people; 2 ocean state parks, numerous county parks most with nice beach showers; several places to easily get water; 2 decent laundromats; each city has a Walmart to get food & gas; great kayaking.

Yeah; I’ll be here for awhile - maybe a week?
jonny boi bak to livin the dream

 

[INTJohn]

21 Nov ‘23
Somewhere near Fort Pierce, Fla.

Got the batteries thru the lack of sunshine last week in good order primarily because I started to feast completely on what food I had stored in the fridge; emptying it hence after Tuesday of last week didn’t need to run the thing. Still have a lot of amps remaining too.

When I left Michigan 4 weex ago I estimated I had about 40 days worth of food stowed and today the remaining inventory stands at 16 days. Sooo I’ll be grocery shopping around Dec 1 just b4 I travel into The Keys.

Also;

latest additions to the van.
gotta let ur freek flags fly……
jonny boi livin the dream

 

[scottrod31]

Go BLUE

 

[INTJohn]

25 Nov ‘23
Somewhere near Stuart, Fla

After 8 days hangin in the Vero Beach / Fort Pierce area was time to move on a lil farther south to the Stuart area. Will be around here for around 5ish days doing what I always do:

Hang at a scenic beach looking for interesting things that the waves have washt up and trying to avoid people. (the latter is hard to do on a holiday weekend)

My Jensen Beach welcoming committee. “be kind to your fine feathered friends”. Ok I couldn’t resist:


ciao 4 niao
jonny boi

 

[KaLvan]

Saw you spend some time around Mobile Bay, Alabama. We are headed that way in a week or two. Any specific locations you would recommend? We travel in a van. Thanks.

 

[INTJohn]

Saw you spend some time around Mobile Bay, Alabama. We are headed that way in a week or two. Any specific locations you would recommend? We travel in a van. Thanks.

To be straight up; I’ve never spent much time in Alabama. It’s just a drive thru to me coming or going to or from Mississippi & Florida. I have a couple small out of the way places I’ll daytime chill at while moseying thru that I’ll never tell anyone the specific locations too, tho.

Idk, maybe Dauphin island you might be interested in; I’ve hung there a lil; can take the ferry to or frum Fort Morgan Peninsula west of Gulf Shores. GS has never done anything for me but alot of people love it which is prolly why I don’t.

There’s the park & pier at Fairhope, on the East side of Mobile Bay which is kind of nice. I like it there during the week. Too busy on weekends. There’s a restaurant/beach bar out on the pier that had my flavor. I remember chatting with the bartender there cause she was sooo not Alabama and I advised her to get to Ocean Beach, Ca cause she had San Diego just written all over her.

Best I can do.
jonny boi

 

[KaLvan]

Thank for the info. we will land at Dauphin Island by Christmas. It is beautiful and relatively quiet there.

 

[INTJohn]

Saturday 2 December, ‘23
Somewhere near Riviera Beach, Fla

Last weekend was spent at Jensen Beach and then Monday & Tuesday was at Hobe Sound National Seashore.
Wednesday did laundry & then spent the day at Dickinson Wilderness State Park where I topped off with water - 33 gallons worth.
Thursday & Friday spent the days at MacArthur State Park here in Riviera Beach where I’ll be today as well.
This evening I’ll take in the games of my 2 alma maters; 2maro? Grocery day at Walmart, early, and then the 3 hour drive to Key Largo.

intjonny livin the dream.

 

[INTJohn]

5 Dec ‘23
Somewhere in the Florida Keys



“Good Morning America,
How are ya.
Said don’t you know me?
I’m your Native Son…….”



jonny boi, livin the dream

 

[skyl4rk]

Do you have any difficulty fonding campsites?

 

[INTJohn]

Do you have any difficulty fonding campsites?

I don’t camp; I park……..
I don’t have any difficulty finding parking spots.

intjonny

 

[skyl4rk]

Do you have any advice on where to overnight park in Florida? I have heard it is a difficult area for van dwellers.

 

[bullfrog !]

I would think you would be allowed to stay in a bar parking lot if you drink til closing! Lol!!! A good bar tender might even keep your keys for you!

 

[INTJohn]

Do you have any advice on where to overnight park in Florida? I have heard it is a difficult area for van dwellers.

Common sense really. Rest areas, travel centers. Florida is full of Walmarts & Cracker Barrel’s, Etc. check Allstays. Any public parking place that doesn’t state no overnight parking but personally I never street park in or near residential hoods; I stick to industrial/commercial. Get creative; research it; I’m not going to spoon feed you.

If you get to the Keys try Hog Heaven at 87 mile marker; on the weekends it’s open till 4am. Kinda noisy & rowdy tho (lookin at you, bullfrog)

intjonny

 

[bullfrog !]

^^^ I can sleep through most anything with the exception if a hammer being pulled back on a revolver or a briefcase latch opening cause they sound just alike, problems you pick up due to a misspent youth! Lol!!!

 

[skyl4rk]

How important is stealth, could you do the same in a class b? We have stayed in northern FL because we heard the peninsula is not friendly to van dwellers.

 

[INTJohn]

12 Dec, ‘23
Oasis Center, US41; Big Cypress National Park

Left The Keys this morning several days early and am headed toward Bonita Springs area on the Gulf.
Originally planned to not leave Keys til Friday or Sat AM but tween the windy & 5 rainy days being forecast for the Keys and a daylight super low tide occurring on the Gulf decided to head west to not miss that mid to late morning low tide.

I’ll return to the Keys after New Year’s.

intjonny

 

[bullfrog !]

EcoFlo is having a sale! Lol!!! They have the Delta 2 with the extra battery for $1099.

 

[INTJohn]

21 Dec ‘23
Somewhere near Bonita Springs, Fla

Hey Sunshine State!? Hadn’t seen the sun for over a week.

Have spent the last 10 days bouncing around Naples & Bonita Springs; spending most days at Lovers Key or Delnor-Wiggins State Parks. These 2 parks have been completely rearranged 15 months ago by Hurricane Ida; especially D-W. Wow! What a difference.

Have made some awesome seashell finds as well as found junk, too. I don’t mind collecting man made washt up junk as long as it’s interesting junk.

Survived the almost tropical storm that hit South Florida last weekend. I think the ocean side may have had the worst of it vs where I’m at but even then was very windy & a lot of rain here.

There has been an increase in beach traffic since holiday vacation time has arrived but the cloudy & cold windy temps have been keeping it lower than years past. I think the hurricane park damage has been a factor as well. Good by me; yesterday I literally had a 1 mile beach stretch all to myself till late morning.

Have also bumped into a couple interesting people and need to take some piks of my recent seashell finds.

johnny boi luzsha baybee alway have alway will

 

[INTJohn]

28 Dec ‘23
Somewhere near Bonita Springs, Fla

Yep, still in this area. Tween Naples & Fort Meyers Beach. Getting bored with it tho. One holiday weekend down; one more to go. College peeps have flocked in; Snowbirds are arriving……..
At least had a nice mostly sunny day yesterday but back to an all day rain today.

Yesterday was able to wade the 200 yards to the island that is low tide revealed and found some interesting items. The 1 week tourists on shore were glancing at me like I was nutz but the current isn’t that strong & water was only briefly thigh deep. For an hour I had my very own semi tropical island.

Low tide today is 8am and am thinkin about donning the poncho and search a mudflat estuary for well you know - horse conch shell or maybe a large lightning whelk shell . Best part of that will be exploring the entire estuary all by myself in complete solitude.

jonny boi living the (rainy) dream