Just six days left to prepare before five-month van dwelling expedition.
I have been slowly preparing for my journey over that last month but now it’s crunch time Checklists have been made so that nothing critical has been left behind. A shipment from Amazon has arrived with a Coleman SUV airbed and an O2 cool fan powered by 4 rechargeable AA’s, USB, or 115v.
I have to move to a friend’s house or take with me anything that can freeze in order to shut down my Pocono home. By going to Florida in the winter I save over $1000 in propane heating and electric costs even after deducting the cost of gasoline to travel 2600 miles round trip.
My plans are now to take the inland route via I-81 and I-77. My first stop will be the Wal-Mart in Waynesboro VA after a long 315 mile day. The next day I plan to travel via the Blue Ridge Parkway to Fancy Gap VA then to Wal-Mart in Elkin NC about 250 miles.
I am avoiding the $15 Skyline drive entrance fee and the Parkway campgrounds because the are $20 and just closed for the season. My goal is to only spend less than $10/day for the next five months. I am taking two milk crates of canned goods and a six-gallon tote of dry food culled from the local food bank A SNAP card will take care of the rest of my food needs while on the expedition. I am a big fan of food shopping at the Dollar Tree because the portions are more sized to an individual needs and the Publix will take out my EBT account in no time.
The next day I am going to travel to Walterboro SC (262 miles) and get a $33 motel room with King bed and free wifi in order to download mass qualities of entertainment. I plan to check in early and stay till late in the morning enjoying the free breakfast filling up my 24 ounce thermos twice with coffee and at least a half dozen or so pastries.
The next day I plan to pass on a visit to Savannah and make it a part of my return trip in the spring. The next stop is Brunswick GA just a short 140 mile day. That afternoon I plan to hang around the shrimp docks and buy 2 pounds or so of fresh heads on shrimp via EBT then steaming and eating them in a pubic park with a double gout medication chaser. Then around 5pm it’s off to the free casino cruise with free buffet, $10 free chips and a free drink. I hope to get permission to stay overnight in the casino ships parking lot.
At daybreak the next day I am going to Jekyll Island paying $6 for a 24 hour parking pass that gives me public Atlantic beach access and a hot shower. Then at 5pm it’s back to the casino ship to double dip.
The next morning I will be up on the road for a 140-mile leg to the Ocala NF. I plan to spend seven days (5 days at two primitive campgrounds broken up by two days at two pay campgrounds (with 72 degree swimming springs and hot showers) to get accustomed to the heat of Florida
Final leg is 175 miles to Punta Gorda all but 4 miles via the old school US highways thru citrus country.
I have been slowly preparing for my journey over that last month but now it’s crunch time Checklists have been made so that nothing critical has been left behind. A shipment from Amazon has arrived with a Coleman SUV airbed and an O2 cool fan powered by 4 rechargeable AA’s, USB, or 115v.
I have to move to a friend’s house or take with me anything that can freeze in order to shut down my Pocono home. By going to Florida in the winter I save over $1000 in propane heating and electric costs even after deducting the cost of gasoline to travel 2600 miles round trip.
My plans are now to take the inland route via I-81 and I-77. My first stop will be the Wal-Mart in Waynesboro VA after a long 315 mile day. The next day I plan to travel via the Blue Ridge Parkway to Fancy Gap VA then to Wal-Mart in Elkin NC about 250 miles.
I am avoiding the $15 Skyline drive entrance fee and the Parkway campgrounds because the are $20 and just closed for the season. My goal is to only spend less than $10/day for the next five months. I am taking two milk crates of canned goods and a six-gallon tote of dry food culled from the local food bank A SNAP card will take care of the rest of my food needs while on the expedition. I am a big fan of food shopping at the Dollar Tree because the portions are more sized to an individual needs and the Publix will take out my EBT account in no time.
The next day I am going to travel to Walterboro SC (262 miles) and get a $33 motel room with King bed and free wifi in order to download mass qualities of entertainment. I plan to check in early and stay till late in the morning enjoying the free breakfast filling up my 24 ounce thermos twice with coffee and at least a half dozen or so pastries.
The next day I plan to pass on a visit to Savannah and make it a part of my return trip in the spring. The next stop is Brunswick GA just a short 140 mile day. That afternoon I plan to hang around the shrimp docks and buy 2 pounds or so of fresh heads on shrimp via EBT then steaming and eating them in a pubic park with a double gout medication chaser. Then around 5pm it’s off to the free casino cruise with free buffet, $10 free chips and a free drink. I hope to get permission to stay overnight in the casino ships parking lot.
At daybreak the next day I am going to Jekyll Island paying $6 for a 24 hour parking pass that gives me public Atlantic beach access and a hot shower. Then at 5pm it’s back to the casino ship to double dip.
The next morning I will be up on the road for a 140-mile leg to the Ocala NF. I plan to spend seven days (5 days at two primitive campgrounds broken up by two days at two pay campgrounds (with 72 degree swimming springs and hot showers) to get accustomed to the heat of Florida
Final leg is 175 miles to Punta Gorda all but 4 miles via the old school US highways thru citrus country.
