Retired techie who lived in Minneapolis and Boston before settling in Solana Beach with family at my current address 17+ years ago.
I've taken 4 long road trips since fitting up my Nissan NV van in 2015.
I think van travel will keep getting more popular because of so many "technology tailwinds"...communications, electronics, batteries, solar. Love the bimonthly "Van Life Gathering" Meet-ups in San Diego. Check it out if passing through.
I enjoy schmoozing with van & RV travelers, but I'm not that guy who won't stop yapping and just leave you alone already :-).
I'm super handy fabricating stuff -- wood, plastics, aluminum, coroplast, fabric, etc. I like to chase space efficiency and lightweight solutions.
No
New to Boondockers Welcome, I usually stay with friends & family or at public campgrounds, Wal-Marts, or Pilot truck stops.
Solana Beach, CA
Nissan NV 12-passenger van with basic self-installed amenities.
Chris and his van are a delight! He is self sufficient and interesting to talk with. We had a very short visit, but I would welcome him back any time.
Our driveway was full but I wanted to provide a safe space. We are lucky that there’s a pleasant area to park on our street... and I’m so glad CW was able to be flexible. Super easy communication. Hope we get the chance to host properly next time! CW is welcome back any time!
We enjoyed a very pleasant evening of good conversation with Chris, highly recommend, respectful and courteous.
I really appreciate everything this host offered:
- a great spot
-wifi
- easy communication
- electricity.
I would certainly stay again. His van was very cool too.
What a great, quiet, safe, and friendly place to spend the night! Your location is amazing -- convenient to I-5 (yet not a bit of traffic noise heard) and only minutes away from the beaches and sights along Highway 101. Your leveling blocks worked perfectly for our campervan, and we were so grateful for the power plug-in. Great to get to know you, if even only briefly -- thanks again for all!
This is a small, quiet spot in the host’s driveway. Electricity is available. Communication with Host is easy and prompt. The beautiful Solana Beach is super close with swimming, surfing, beach shower, bathrooms, lifeguard, and a great beach. I use the host’s leveling blocks to level my rig. Thank you for your generosity!
This easy to find spot is in a nice neighborhood close to Solano Beach. The host has leveling blocks so I could get pretty level in the driveway. Host is very accommodating and easy to communicate with via text. He even asked me in for dinner and let me borrow an electric heater! Thank you so much!
Very nice neighborhood, excellent host and very helpful.
My host (cwmacphall) was so hospitable and a Blessing to me. He greeted and welcomed me with a smile when I pulled onto his driveway. My 2 night stay was pleasant. This was my second boondockers experience. He was so kind and caring, accommodated me in any way possible. Thank you and may Jesus bless you.. Dale+FloOak3
Chris was great! Let me stay a few nights until I could check into my campground. Beautiful quiet neighborhood friendly neighbors.too.
Spot is as described, host is welcoming and very helpful, quick communication.
Chris is a very welcoming host and the neighborhood is safe and Beautiful. I’m waiting for my reservation to start at south Carlsbad State Beach on Sunday. I had to come down early because of the fires shutting down the National Forest. Chris has offer me a few more nights until I can check in with the state park service. Thank you Chris for taking Hilo and myself in. :)
The host was awesome, certainly this host was the very model of what Boondockers is meant to be.
Well Done to host and those at Boondockers !!
Generous host, nice spot Post graded be on my arrival and offered help. Spot is as described in a quiet neighborhood Central to Solana Beach. Great communications and friendly host.
Spot is as described. Communication (Texts) was easy and prompt. Thank you!
We loved this space. Thank you Chris for allowing us to stay in your driveway. We really enjoyed chatting with you yesterday. Hope you enjoyed the sticker!
The housing community is beautiful. At least springtime the flowers were blooming everywhere. Very safe, quiet area. Our host was very welcoming, making sure we had everything we needed. We had a great conversation on our arrival. Solana Beach, what more can you say Southern California. We would love to come back again.
I didn't get to meet the host since I arrived late and had to leave early for a race. It's apparent that cwmacphail is a great host nonetheless. His instructions are clear and well-thought-out. Extension cord and hose are provided as stated. I'd love to go back and meet him in person next time! Thank you!
Our daughter in law to be turned 21 and we wanted to remain safe on a rainy night before Thanksgiving, driving down from Orange County. This was such a gift! Our host was so kind as to have beautiful leveling wood ready for us when we pulled in. Cool guy. Great van. Great neighborhood. Gratitude!
Wow! What a wonderful stay at Chris's place. Such a nice neighborhood, close by to everything including the ocean, restaurants, shopping, etc. But the best part of the stay was Chris himself — truly a joy to get to know. We had a great time exchanging camping experiences and chatting about our rigs, etc. Thanks Chris for hosting me and adding to my great travel experiences!
Very quiet place to stay. Helpful host; precise instructions given. Short drive to San Diego. Perfect place either for the beach or to visit the city!
Christopher is a really nice guy.....and is very welcoming.....I enjoyed my stay ......Thanks again Christopher......Yours Oak
This was our first BW experience and this host set the bar pretty high! All details were thought out and planned for, from leveling blocks and water supply to fresh lemons. We are thankful for the quiet rest this location provided each night while we explored nearby San Diego. We drove in each day around 9:00 and left the city after 6:00 so traffic wasn’t bad at all. Thanks again for the great stay!
I had a great and easy stay at the host’s convenient location as I am driving up the coast. The place is right near I-5 and a few blocks from the beach. The host responded quickly to my request and helped me get set up when I arrived. Host was very nice and I appreciate his flexibility to have me stay as he had other guests visiting. Neighborhood was quiet and felt very safe.
We had a nice quiet stay hare. The host is very accommodating. Thumbs up!
Chris is a hospitable host, he takes the time to answer and he gave us a lot of details before our arrival. He lives in a beautiful neighborhood and his courtyard is breathtaking. It is also very well located. Thank you for everything !
Chris is a really nice and generous guy. He offered water, electricity and even citrus from his tree! We really enjoyed our stay at his house. It's a very beautiful and quiet neighborhood, perfect to take big walks.
We hope to meet again!
Chris was a really great host. Always very quick replies to any emails and excellent instructions for finding his place and having an easy stay. We had a really good evening sharing nibbles, wine and stories. Would love to stay again if we're back in the area.
Chris was a most gracious host, giving detailed instructions on parking, electric, wifi, trash, etc. This so helps alleviate stress upon arrival and during the stay.
Enjoyed seeing the last of a beautiful sunset from his back patio area, then chatting over wine and snacks. Perhaps we “chatted” too much but so much in common. Chris is also a very good listener.
Slept like a log—very quiet.
Hope to see Chris along our trails of adventures!
Christopher has proved an excellent boondocking Host. We’ve had little time to chat but he gave us advice to visit San Diego. Hope to return the favour one day. Thanks again.
Our stay with Chris was our first boondocking experience. We imediately regret we didnt do it more often. Chris was most friendly and welcome. We enjoyed the good company!
We had a nice, quiet stay in this host’s driveway. We met him when we arrived and he gave us clear, helpful directions. We were away all day and only there at night, and things worked out great for us.
We really like the spot and our host was very kind and generous.
Thank you Chris for being such a fantastic host with a warm welcome! We also appreciate all the RVing tips you shared with us newbies! :-)
We pulled the vanabus into the drivewa early in the afternoon and got ourselves settled in easily. It was nice chatting with him when we arrived and he left us to our own devices.
Great guy with a sweet nature. Super easy and fun stay!
Thanks again Chris for a simple and convenient place to stay in Solana Beach!
Able to successfully coordinate for a same day visit with Chris. This area of Solana Beach is close to shopping, coffee and the 5 freeway, all in a quiet, private neighborhood. Thanks very much for being a great host Chris!
Chris was the perfect host for our 2 night stay in Solana Beach.
Our Roadtrek van fit easily in his driveway of the quiet, upscale neighborhood and the slight slope wasn't an issue.
Chris also is quite personable and my wife enjoyed our meeting and our "getting to know each other" conversation.
Looking forward to the next time our paths will cross again. I/we recommend Chris highly!
"5 Stars"