This is January?

This is supposed to be the dead of winter, but we're camping next to the surf with temperatures in the seventies. Ah, California. We started our trip with a stop at the Tree of Life Nursery. This wonderful place specializes in California native plants and we filled the cargo hold on La Rana with several additions for our backyard.

We then headed down to San Juan Capistrano for an incredible lunch at Carniceria El Campeon. We walked off the calories with an exploration of the historic Los Rios Street. This neighborhood is over 200 years old with adobe homes, turn of the (last) century homes, and eclectic stores and tea houses. This area is shaded with huge trees planted by the new home owners two centuries ago. The gardens are gorgeous and there are lots of reasons to loiter here.

We then headed into Doheny State Beach for the night. This campground has tight little campsites, and it is almost impossible to get a beach site, but the best plan is to just use it for sleeping. The day use area is open from 6AM-10PM, so we moved La Rana to this incredible spot for the sunrise. After Andy gets some time on the basketball court, we'll move over to Dana Point Harbor for a sea food lunch before heading home.

January in Southern California