Our Airstream Westfalia Camper Van set out for its maiden voyage last weekend! We explored the Emerald Coast of Florida and camped in Grayton Beach State Park.
This Emerald Coast is known as a ‘hidden gem’ in Florida, mostly because it’s an area of Florida that is less often visited by long distance tourists. Most vacationers you’ll find here are either Florida residents, or southerners living in states immediately above this coastline (Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia). We did notice quite a bit of cars visiting from Canada as well.
It’s quite clear why it’s called the EMERALD coast, as the water is remarkably green and clear. Pair this with the white sand beaches and adorable towns and it’s easy to imagine why destinations like Destin, Fort Walton, and Santa Rosa beach are becoming increasingly popular.
But enough about where we were visiting- and don’t worry, we live only a few hours away from the Emerald Coast so we’ll surely return soon. This adventure was all about our first taste of life in our new Airstream Westfalia Camper Van!
WATCH THE VIDEO ▶︎ Our First Airstream Westfalia Camper Van Adventure!
This is a VERY unique vehicle and we are so lucky to have found one in good condition. It’s basically a Sprinter van with a Mercedes- Benz engine converted by Westfalia but designed by Airstream. At least I THINK that’s how it goes- feel free to correct me 😄There are only a limited number that exist in the United States- around 250. They are far more popular in Europe, where they are known as the ‘James Cook’ van.
If you haven’t seen our Airstream Westfalia Van Tour video, now is a great time to check it out!
This camping trip was not too intense, which was perfect for us to figure a few things out. As experienced campers, Brian and I could easily make just about anything work for ourselves. However, the main difference on this trip besides having the van, was having the baby.
The major benefit of traveling with her in the van, was my ability to quickly jump into the back to soothe her during fussy moments on the road.
Unfortunately, this was her first impression of #vanlife
We had a few struggles figuring out how to place the pack ‘n’ play on top of the fold down seat and position the baby monitor correctly above it. We also had a GREAT time being banished from the van from 7pm on into the evening since we didn’t want to go back in and wake her up. But we still had fantastic evening and made notes of a few ways we’ll do things differently next time we camp with her.
You can enjoy watching all of our struggles in the video, as well as some happy moments enjoying the Emerald Coast of Florida.
Stay tuned to our Airstream Westfalia van stories for more details on organizing and traveling in a van with a baby.
If you could use some tips and advice to help you along in your own travel vlogging journey definitely download my latest document.. and let me know what you think!
I’ll see you all next time, bye!
xx, Alicia
