This Asheville couple finds adventure, and safe spaces for fellow LGBTQ+ van-lifers

The word "Due" read from top-down and "South" left-right, with the U shared between them. Reminiscent of a compass.

Due South

This Asheville couple finds adventure, and safe spaces for fellow LGBTQ+ van-lifers

By Leoneda Inge,

Published December 23, 2024 at 10:00 AM EST

Erin McGrady, Caroline Whatley (and dog Maggie) of media company Authentic Asheville.

In 2016, Erin McGrady and Caroline Whatley started renovating a camper van. They made a blog to document it, and created .

The couple works with brands like Brooks Running, Patagonia, Merrell and REI through their media company and blog .

They also make lists of safe places to travel for other LGBTQ+ couples on the road for cities like Greenville, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia and St. Augustine, Florida. You can find some of those lists here: .

According to data from Statista, 3 million Americans lived in vans as of mid-2022.

Editor's note: this conversation originally aired in January 2024.

Guest

Erin McGrady, one half of Authentic Asheville, and an accomplished photographer, filmmaker and writer.

Due South

Leoneda Inge

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of 瓜神app's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at 瓜神app as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda鈥檚 work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital 瓜神app Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.

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Jeff Tiberii

Jeff Tiberii is the co-host of 瓜神app's "Due South." Jeff joined 瓜神app in 2011. During his 20 years in public radio, he was Morning Edition Host at WFDD and 瓜神app鈥檚 Greensboro Bureau Chief and later, the Capitol Bureau Chief. Jeff has covered state and federal politics, produced the radio documentary 鈥淩ight Turn,鈥� launched a podcast, and was named North Carolina Radio Reporter of the Year four times.

See stories by Jeff Tiberii