tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31591788742402815682024-03-13T12:50:49.337-07:00Our Camping BlogEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-88693702973409620132015-07-03T09:59:00.003-07:002015-07-03T10:00:49.772-07:00Moro, Moro, MoroI was just noticing that Moro Canyon has been showing up on our calendar a bunch. We're heading to the beach at Moro Canyon in August, November and January. This campground just opened in 2012, and while there are some drawbacks (no water tank filling, no campfires, and a hike or drive to the beach), the views are spectacular, there is lots to do in the area, and it is less than an hour from our house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the campsites.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snuggle for the sunset because there are no campfires.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The campsites don't have shade, but what a view.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friendly campers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iHv4_FJ5ghc/UDYpJsQ3lEI/AAAAAAAACio/2KC7va-fG1g/s1600/morobeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iHv4_FJ5ghc/UDYpJsQ3lEI/AAAAAAAACio/2KC7va-fG1g/s400/morobeach.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great beach.</td></tr>
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-56055543357794068682015-05-10T13:54:00.003-07:002015-05-10T13:54:48.032-07:00Mother's Day 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As has become our custom, my Mom and I get away for some Mother-Son camping every year. Beats the heck out of another toaster. We were a little concerned about the weather as Friday night brought a few inches of snow. It was all melted by noon on Saturday so we had plenty of time to catch up around the campfire under the stars. Table Mountain by Wrightwood has become our favorite location for these trips. It is a nice little town, clean and quiet dry campsite. The only downside is no showers or flush toilets. The best sites are 112 and 113. It kind of looks like we let a squirrel take that last photo.<br />
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-74874279160238319782015-03-22T18:10:00.001-07:002015-03-22T18:10:12.418-07:00La Fiesta de las GolandrinasThis was a quick weekend trip with the Wong girls. We headed to the <a href="http://www.swallowsparade.com/parade.html">Swallow's Day parade and festival</a> in San Juan Capistrano, and then to the <a href="http://www.ocean-institute.org/">tide pools</a> for low tide. We had dinner at <a href="http://www.originalolamendis.com/">Olamendi's</a> followed by a campfire before we all crashed for the night. This morning we had another round of beach combing and then fish and chips at <a href="http://www.danapointharbor.com/jons-fishmarket/">Jon's fish market</a> in the harbor. These quick weekends are great for my blood pressure.<br />
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<span id="goog_761800218"></span><span id="goog_761800219"></span><br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-35482350237987122512015-02-14T08:41:00.001-08:002015-02-14T08:41:48.692-08:00Full Hookup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-38407479345000492952015-01-21T19:20:00.000-08:002015-01-21T19:20:09.019-08:00Bolsa ChicaWe've never been to <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=642">Bolsa Chica State Beach</a> before. It is a wide spot in the road, alongside the Pacific Coast Highway, with a dog-free ecological preserve across the way, and sandwiched in between Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Long Beach. After spending two nights there, we're converts, as long as it is a beach site and not the highway side.<br />
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There are campfire rings out on the beach, but that is a looong walk back to the campsite. Sherry used this one as a platform for dancing and watching the sunset. Both looked gorgeous!<br />
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It is possible to have a campfire at the campsite, but you have to bring your own fire ring and it has to be eight or more inches off the pavement. A couple cinder blocks and an old washer tub took care of that for us. The campsites have water and electric, and we got a couple dozen Los Angeles TV stations over the antenna, so Sherry's father, Art, joined us for dinner and watching the football game on Sunday. My folks and my brother came out for dinner and campfire on Saturday night.<br />
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Andy joined us for this trip and it was great having our boy join us for camping again. It has been a while, and it was great to have him back. He and Sherry love shopping in the little beach towns. We all liked touring the USS Iowa in the Port of Los Angeles.<br />
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Scooby hates camping so she stayed home. Maisie, however, loves camping and jumped into the RV as soon as I opened the door in the driveway. She is still a pup so there was some separation anxiety whenever we weren't all together, but she's figuring it out.<br />
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Bolsa Chica is a great base camp, and a safe place to crash for the night. We'll certainly be back. </div>
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0Bolsa Chica State Beach, Huntington Beach, CA 92648, USA33.6954737 -118.048737599999988.1734392 -159.35733159999998 59.2175082 -76.740143599999982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-79661127106606877052015-01-21T18:58:00.002-08:002015-01-21T18:58:55.828-08:00Why We Wear Shower Shoes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gross!! Anyone who does this needs to go back to the Motel 6.</td></tr>
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-13979758895905057582015-01-02T17:15:00.000-08:002015-01-02T17:16:42.554-08:00Facebook Killed the Camping BlogIt seems like Facebook has removed my motivation to keep this updated, and that isn't good for looking back and remembering the favorite things about the campsites. I'll do my best to catch up and do better in 2015.<br />
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We started out the new year with a New Year's Eve trip with Paul and Linda to <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search/label/Rancho%20Jurupa">Rancho Jurupa Regional Park</a>. It got down in the twenties overnight, so hose lines were freezing and propane was burning. We found a great bar with live music and Guinness on tap so I'm sure we'll be back to the <a href="http://lakealice1999.wix.com/lakealicetradingco99#!home/mainPage">Lake Alice Trading Company</a>. <br />
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In January, we'll be heading out to a new place for us, <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=642">Bolsa Chica State Beach</a>. This video below is a drone pilot's overview of the area. Our spot is along the beach, just two sites from the camp host site shown in the video.<br />
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In February, we're heading to our timeshare in Solana Beach, where we like to hang out on <a href="http://www.cedrosavenue.com/">Cedros</a> when we're not at the beach.<br />
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In March, we're heading to <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search/label/Doheny">Doheny State Beach</a> for fish and chips, maybe a whale watch cruise, and then watching the sunset from a rooftop bar.<br />
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April is nearly impossible to camp because of the training schedule for the new fire lookouts, and in May, we're back for another week at the Solana Beach timeshare.</div>
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June is the annual Gonzalez family camp out which will once again be up at my favorite mountain campground, <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search/label/Dogwood">Dogwood</a>. </div>
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In July, we have a bluff site at <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search/label/Carlsbad">South Carlsbad State Beach</a>, and that is as far out as I can make reservations, so stay tuned and I'll do a much better job of updating this camping blog as the year goes on.</div>
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-2769737148550837882014-03-30T08:40:00.003-07:002014-03-30T08:40:45.411-07:00Good Morning Lucy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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We took a couple months off for the holidays and a week in our timeshare, but camping is back on the calendar again. This month was a trip with just my Mom and her new dog Lucy. It was a beautiful weekend, and a great time with my Mom, but they've ruined a great campground by removing the fresh water faucets at the dumping station.<br />
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What kind of campground has no potable water available for RVs? They want me to put recycled water in my tanks, since "it's just for flushing" but what about washing dishes? What kind of Andromeda Strain do they want me to introduce to my domestic water tank? Dysentery is the gift that keeps on giving so fill your tank before you get to Moro Canyon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is hard not to love a campground with this view in the morning.</td></tr>
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-42795089901123778552013-11-21T13:05:00.001-08:002013-11-21T13:05:37.641-08:00Rancho JurupaWe had an easy over-nighter at Rancho Jurupa with Wendy and the girls. We had a camp fire and night hike, and then breakfast of scrambled eggs with asparagus and french toast, followed by some pecan harvesting in the orchard.<br />
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-50330338020276378382013-10-19T07:46:00.003-07:002013-10-19T07:46:37.059-07:00Every time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-34644905449669006632013-09-07T19:25:00.000-07:002013-09-07T19:25:02.130-07:00Labor Day TripWe mixed up our usual schedule for camping to take advantage of the long Labor Day weekend. We took Wendy and the girls with us for a trip across the local mountains. We started with an exploration of the Forest Falls neighborhood, then up to Heart Bar for a picnic on the South Fork of the Santa Ana River. We went over Onyx Pass and down to Big Bear Lake where we camped the first night at Serrano. The morning started with a hike to the Discovery Center and then on the road to Keller Peak Fire Lookout. After a view from the tower we were on our way to lunch in Blue Jay. The ladies went shopping in Arrowhead Village while I got us registered at Dogwood for the night. After another fun campfire it was bedtime for our second night in the forest. Monday morning was slow and easy and then Lake Gregory for lunch before heading down the mountain. What a great weekend.<br />
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-60515190054672774132013-08-30T16:13:00.003-07:002013-08-30T16:14:59.296-07:00Birthday Beach Trip<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--oayzG8LG6s/UiElkqrFVSI/AAAAAAAACq4/ZZygRryX2v0/s1600/CapoBeachbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--oayzG8LG6s/UiElkqrFVSI/AAAAAAAACq4/ZZygRryX2v0/s200/CapoBeachbridge.jpg" width="200" /></a>As has become custom, my Mom and I spent her birthday on a camping trip. This year it was at the beach. We spent the day at Doheny in the day use area. When I was a kid, this was called Hole in the Fence beach because you would park on PCH, brave the train tracks, and crawl through the chain link to avoid paying the State Beach admission. Now there is a pedestrian bridge that makes it a great place to spend the day with the RV on the sand and not get run over by a train.<br />
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We spent several hours on the beach hanging with our friend Mike and his girls. They went surfing while Mom and I caught up. For dinner, I walked across the bridge to Olamendi's Mexican Food to get take out. This is a great neighborhood joint with lots of Mexican folk art and photos of Richard and Pat Nixon eating there (the Western White House is just down the street).<br />
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After the sunset we moved the RV to our camping space at San Mateo and in the morning I moved it to the bluffs at San Clemente State Beach for breakfast. My Mom and I both needed the break and we both look forward to these trips.<br />
<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-24729434902907975032013-07-21T16:48:00.002-07:002013-07-21T16:50:26.226-07:00Summer Fire and Rain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At first, we had just a single night planned, but Sherry suggested we add Friday night to our weekend at Rancho Jurupa. I got the RV into camp Friday afternoon and Sherry went from work. My lookout was evacuated on Wednesday due to the huge Mountain Fire in the San Jacinto wilderness. I was a little distracted through the weekend monitoring the fire status.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7P3FhUgBq0U/UexuAdZucAI/AAAAAAAACpo/P6JjsKJKvRc/s1600/flowers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7P3FhUgBq0U/UexuAdZucAI/AAAAAAAACpo/P6JjsKJKvRc/s200/flowers.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7P3FhUgBq0U/UexuAdZucAI/AAAAAAAACpo/P6JjsKJKvRc/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>We were surprised on Saturday by some incredible thunderstorms, but in between the squalls we were able to get a walk into the woods around the Santa Ana river and the Rubidoux Nature center. We headed into downtown for the Farmer's Market and a cold beer before heading back to camp.<br />
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Andy, Rozlynn and her little sister Bam joined us for the evening, and then Wendy and her girls joined us to camp Saturday night. All eight of us went to watch our 66ers baseball team blow a six-run lead and lose (again). Andy's girls had to go home, but we had six of us crammed into La Rana for the night with lots of giggles. <br />
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As I unpacked on Sunday, I realized we're running a little behind on stickers for the back of La Rana. I still need Afton Canyon and Casper's, and soon I'll be needing Pineknot (Big Bear).<br />
<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-64685730673727430772013-07-04T10:27:00.001-07:002013-07-04T10:29:09.337-07:00Riding the Rails<br />
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This has nothing to do with camping, but it was a great trip and I want to save the details. Last Sunday, we took the Metrolink to Oceanside and then the Coaster to Solana Beach. It is a $10 round-trip for <a href="http://www.metrolinktrains.com/">Metrolink </a>and $8 on the <a href="http://www.gonctd.com/coaster">Coaster</a>. Next time, we might stop at Carlsbad Village or Encinitas instead of Solana Beach.<br />
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8:10am Metrolink to O'Side<br />10:20am 45mins in O'Side<br />11:07am Coaster to Solana Beach<br />11:30am 90 minutes in Solana Beach<br />
1:02pm Coaster back to O'Side<br />1:28pm 3hrs in O'Side <br />4:30pm Metrolink for home<br />6:14pm Back HomeEdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-57626677212149775222013-06-22T16:16:00.000-07:002013-06-22T16:17:26.514-07:00Father's Day TripOnce again, we spent Father's Day weekend with the 4th annual, <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search?q=father%27s">Gonzales family camping trip</a>. This year we left the pines and stayed at the beach. We had two sites at <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search/label/Moro%20Canyon">Moro Canyon</a> at Crystal Cove State Beach. While we had a blast, it was agreed that next year, we will head back to the mountains, with our preference being the hookup sites at <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search/label/Dogwood">Dogwood</a>. This is a fun photo. Make sure you click for the full size version.<br />
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0Moro Canyon at Crystal Cove State Beach33.558449926601654 -117.8080135095702333.505535926601652 -117.88869450957023 33.611363926601655 -117.72733250957023tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-69651495858008123292013-05-19T21:37:00.001-07:002013-05-19T21:37:30.086-07:00Mother's Day Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mom and I had a great weekend up at Table Mountain. This was one of our annual Mother's Day trips, but it is always nice to just get away and have a challenging game of Scrabble with Mom.<br />
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It got too windy for a campfire, so we spent the evening inside La Rana. Scooby was with us for this trip. and while her arthritis caused her some pain, she enjoyed hanging out with my Mom.<br />
<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-30253723244801159502013-05-04T21:18:00.000-07:002013-05-19T21:27:28.083-07:00Ready for Fire Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With snow packs only 17% of normal, fire season is going to be a rough one. The Forest Service asked us to open the lookout early, so Scooby and I headed up after work to spend the night on Black Mountain and open the tower with some help on Saturday morning. The tower weathered the winter just fine and it only took a couple hours to get ready for business. Our trip home was disrupted by a fire along the highway. Yup. This is going to be a busy fire season.Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-73437263962952285302013-04-20T17:27:00.000-07:002013-04-20T17:28:02.031-07:00Looking AheadI forgot to make plans for Labor Day weekend on the first when the sites become available, so I was a little worried, but I got a great itinerary for the long weekend. On Saturday, we'll drive to Big Bear Lake and stay at the edge of the forest at Pineknot campground for the first night. Serrano was sold out, but this is a good compromise as we still get to spend the day in town. On Sunday, we head over to Arrowhead and Dogwood campground for a full hookup site and showers. Monday is the holiday, so when we're ready, we head down the mountain and back home. This plan means two nights of camping without going on the same road twice. We do a big loop across the San Bernardino mountains, staying near two quaint towns. I like it.<br />
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-90519432758978059092013-03-24T16:25:00.000-07:002013-03-24T16:28:38.125-07:00Casper's Wilderness Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My buddy Tim came out to California with his son Christian this weekend, and it was a great opportunity to catch up and share some of our local wilderness. They spent Saturday in San Diego and I took La Rana down to <a href="http://ocparks.com/parks/ronald">Casper's Wilderness Park</a> (a great local park but no dogs and no flush toilets, so it won't be big in our rotation).<br />
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Andy followed with Rozlynn and her little brother and sister. Since Tim and Christian were still in San Diego, we headed to Dana Point where we explored the <a href="http://www.ocean-institute.org/">tidepools</a> and tried not to get swept away by big surf. Soon it was time to get back to Casper's and start getting dinner ready. Before the sun went down, the San Diego patrol had joined us for the campfire and dinner. It is always a great time having a steak dinner under the stars. <br />
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Andy's crew had to be back home before his car turned into a pumpkin, which meant it was just me and the mountain lions overnight. At sunup, I broke camp and scooted over to the harbor to meet Tim and Christian for a <a href="http://www.danawharf.com/whalewatch.html">whale watch</a>. Unfortunately, it turned into more of a dolphin watch as we only saw a couple grey whales. It was, however, a great morning out on the water and we had a great time.<br />
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-9332643945953446802013-03-17T19:39:00.002-07:002013-03-17T19:42:57.427-07:00Grown Up Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the first time in at least 18 years, we went camping without anyone else. Not even the dogs.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xydvn3eefqU/UUZ9v7eWfXI/AAAAAAAAClA/KwAK_wruGDg/s1600/metides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xydvn3eefqU/UUZ9v7eWfXI/AAAAAAAAClA/KwAK_wruGDg/s200/metides.jpg" width="146" /></a>We headed down to San Juan Capistrano and the <a href="http://www.sanjuancapistrano.net/los_rios/los_rios.html">Los Rios District</a>. It is such a cool place. We wish our home town had such a great place to hang around. <br />
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Then we headed over to <a href="http://www.bubbakahunas.com/">Bubba Kahuna's</a> for a pulled pork pizza and a couple of cold ones with our buddy Mike who had finished up his morning surfing. After checking in at the campground, we skipped the campsite and spent the afternoon in the day use area of the beach because you can park right at the sand.<br />
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Low tide was at six, and sunset was at seven so we scooted over to the tide pools before heading to the wharf for fish and chips. Instead of a campfire, we walked over to the rooftop lounge at the hotel next to the campground and had drinks under the stars.<br />
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We were in the campsite just to sleep, because in the morning, it was back on the sand before heading to <a href="http://www.bulltaco.com/site/san-clemente/">Bull Taco</a> for brunch. Back to beach combing and knitting before heading home for an early dinner and Guinness for St. Patty's day. What an awesome weekend! Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-87825546667256536802013-02-18T19:21:00.000-08:002013-02-18T19:21:33.971-08:00President's Camping TripsI get two long weekends in February thanks to Presidents Washington and Lincoln. Sherry only gets one, so I got to spend the first holiday weekend in February camping at <a href="http://www.dohenystatebeach.org/">Doheny State Beach</a> with my Mom. We had space 40 which has a great view of the sunset and the estuary where San Juan Creek meets the Pacific Ocean. This incredible view was snapped with my cell phone from our campffire ring. Great spot and a great trip with just me and my Mom.<br />
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For the second holiday weekend, we spent two nights at <a href="http://www.campsitephotos.com/campground/San-Elijo-State-Beach">San Elijo State Beach</a>. It is a bit of a drive (about 100 miles each way), but there is so much to love about the place. We always enjoy at least one awesome meal at <a href="http://www.bulltaco.com/site/">Bull Taco</a>. This time it was tater tots and carne asada. Think of it like nachos with tater tots instead of chips. We always make a point of shopping in the <a href="http://www.cedrosavenue.com/">Solana Beach Cedros District</a> and the Farmer's Market on Sunday afternoon. Sherry has a couple favorite yarn shops in nearby Encinitas and the beach is a great spot for her knitting.</div>
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-14513651125568179282013-01-06T08:07:00.002-08:002013-01-06T08:08:43.745-08:00The KitchenI was sitting in the RV for a half hour idling the engine to compensate for not taking La Rana out for a while. Out of boredom, I started photographing the interior to document the cupboards, etc. Last night I stitched together a couple dozen photos to make this one composite of the kitchen side of the RV. Yeah, the bed wasn't made.<br />
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-13578305542594712422012-11-23T11:58:00.002-08:002012-11-23T12:02:07.520-08:00Winter Break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Not much camping for us this winter. November was Turkey Day, December is expected to be a busy month, and in January we're on a business/pleasure trip to Washington, DC. We'll be back into the routine in February with a long weekend at <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=662">San Elijo</a>. March is at <a href="http://www.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDetails.do?subTabIndex=0&agency=ca&parkCode=dohe">Doheny</a>, and April is <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search/label/Rancho%20Jurupa">Rancho Jurupa</a>. In May, we'll be back out in <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search/label/Death%20Valley">Death Valley</a>. Don't expect too many posts between now and February.<br />
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Our indoor RV storage place got bought by <a href="http://www.ezup.com/home.php">E-Z Up</a> and they need us to park outside for five months while they remodel the building to accommodate their factory. They're only charging us half-rate during this period, and if we stay with them for six months after they're done, we get a free $350 E-Z Up canopy. Gee, twist my arm.Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-71135115665421995592012-10-28T15:07:00.001-07:002012-10-28T16:50:24.356-07:00Camp Perseverance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We got kicked out of our usual camping spot in <a href="http://ourcamping.blogspot.com/search/label/Death%20Valley">Death Valley</a> when it became part of the <a href="http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=256">Ibex Wilderness</a>. We found a new spot, literally just one hundred feet from the wilderness boundary. We turn off Highway 127, and head out Furnace Creek Road for 1.8 miles. There is a nice piece of desert pavement we came to called <i>Camp Perseverance</i>. It doesn't have the Butch and Sundance charm of the old campsite, but it makes a great base camp for the usual field trips and excursions.<br />
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This time, the Harrisons made it out to Pahrump for breakfast before going to camp on Saturday morning. We had left the house a little before one in the "Hey-M" and that got us to the Furnace Creek turnoff at 4:30 AM. Next time, we'll sleep in until four before we push off. The dogs had an especially good time, as the hounds just about out-numbered the two-legged mammals on this trip.<br />
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<br />Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159178874240281568.post-74401980588214889112012-08-23T06:03:00.001-07:002012-08-23T06:04:40.189-07:00Happy Birthday Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We were lucky enough to get a beach campsite in August <i>and</i> September this year. Usually, these sites sell out within seconds of their availability, but because<a href="http://www.crystalcovestatepark.com/camping.htm"> Moro Canyon at Crystal Cove</a> is new this year, they've had vacancies.<br />
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It is a great campsite, on the grounds of an old mobile home park on a bluff over the ocean. Mom loves camping at the beach and her birthday is in August so of course she came along!<br />
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We left early to escape the heat of the Inland Empire, and got to the day use area while there was still parking available. We spent most of the day just a few yards from the surf, and in fact we moved once to avoid the waves.<br />
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It was too hot to cook, so we ordered pizza from <a href="http://ginaspizza.com/">Gina's Pizza</a> which was voted OC Weekly's best pizza in Orange County. No argument from us! Their roasted veggie pizza on a whole wheat crust was amazing. Andy and I being carnivores really loved their pepperoni and mushroom. Nothing comes from a can at Gina's and the quality was obvious. This ain't no Little Caesar's!<br />
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On Sunday, we decided our bodies couldn't take another day on the sand, so we headed up Laguna Canyon and went to the <a href="http://www.sawdustartfestival.org/">Sawdust Art Festival</a>. There was some great stuff there and we definitely took home some treasures. We had a late lunch at <a href="http://www.souplantation.com/">Soup Plantation</a> and headed home. Another great weekend retreat.Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442134332783412410noreply@blogger.com0