Campgrounds by Julian, CA

A big WELCOME to Levonne from A Camp Host Housewife's Meanderings: An RV Adventure.  I appreciate you following along with us on our dream to RVing full-time.  You are staying in a beautiful place, Monterey County, I've been there many times and have always loved it.

So...  when Katie and I drove up to and through Julian, I decided to check out a couple of campgrounds nearby.  Here's Katie, in her car seat (well, it's really for grand kids, but Katie loves to sit in it and then she can see out the window).  She loves a road trip!

On the way to the campground there was a "view" turnout, and we pulled off and parked to see the view.  It was beautiful, with rows and rows of mountains going back as far as the eye can see.  I took lots of photos, but they don't show the beauty of the landscape like being there.

We were headed toward Lake Cuyamaca Recreation & Park District, which boasts fishing, camping, hiking, etc. in the literature I printed from the Julian Chamber of Commerce website.

Cute sign as we entered the parking area.  No ducks on the road, though.

 Here were the ducks - swimming around in the lake.

 Some of the trees in the park were changing colors, beautiful.

I could not find any camping areas, so I stopped and asked a ranger doing some clean-up in the parking area by the store.  He pointed out a few areas, and said there were two camping areas marked down the road further.

First I checked the area "at the end of the parking lot" - I didn't see anywhere I'd want to camp. I guess it was better than a WalMart parking lot, but I assume people pay to camp here.  Next we drove out - back onto the road and visited the first campground he mentioned.

I didn't take photos of the signs for these campgrounds, or make a note of the names, because I was so under impressed I'm sure I'll never camp here.  This one is right on the road, and that's someone's house across the street.  Hilly, rocky, not many trees, windy.  Where would you put a tent?  Or an RV?

This one at least had some trees, but the campsite was right out in the open and the wind was blowing, I can't imagine being comfortable camping here, at least on the day I was there.

The one that looked best to me was Ramona Canyon RV Resort. We pulled into their parking lot on the way home and I visited the office and asked if I could look around.  The very nice lady there told me it's a membership campground, Western Horizon Resorts.  It had lots of trees, a lake, swimming pool, a long list of amenities and looked really nice, but I couldn't go past the entry gate.  I checked their website at home, and that location does let non-members camp there and shows the fees for non-members, so I don't know why she wouldn't let us in. : (

That was our last stop, and we were tired and ready to drive home.  

I love it when the sun comes out and shines through the clouds - this was taken through the open window as I was driving:

This is a photo across the mountains from a trail head, Clevenger Canyon North and South Trails.

I hate to say this, but I think I'm a camping snob.  That's all we did for vacations when I was growing up (until Disneyland opened).  We went to either Big Basin or Yosemite.  Huge redwoods, lots of shade, very forested, creeks, simple gorgeous areas.  That's what I think of when I say "camping."  Of course we always tent camped. (My parents met at Big Basin while vacationing with their families when they were in high school, so it was a favorite place for them.)

I think there was an area in Big Basin where they were just starting to make places for RV's about the time we stopped camping.  My dad doesn't consider RV owners to be camping.  He's always said that.  What's funny is that we stopped camping because as we kids grew older, we started complaining a lot about how cold we were.  Big Basin is in Santa Cruz County, and under those big trees it could get cold if we didn't pick a hot week to camp.  The people in RVs, of course, were nice and toasty in their rigs, and I'll bet their kids weren't complaining about being cold. (I think he was just too cheap to even think about buying an RV!)

The last year we camped was especially cold, and we complained a LOT, and my Dad said, That's it!  This is the last time we camp!  The next year Disneyland opened and then we went there every year. 

That's one of the reasons I want a small Class C with no toad - the places I want to park (I hope) will have a lot of trees, and with a smaller, narrower vehicle I should have no problem staying in that type of terrain.  Of course if I'm at the beach or in the desert I don't expect forests, but... that's what I envision when I think of camping.

Obviously I have a lot to learn, and will probably be eating my words in a year or so when I'm trying to save money by overnighting in flat, dry, windy parking lots! 

It was a great day, easy driving, not much traffic, and we zipped on home.  By this time, Katie was laying down and trying to sleep.  Enough scenery already, Mom!

From me and Katie, have a great Wednesday evening, everyone! : )

Our road trip to Julian, CA

WELCOME to two new followers, Roxi and Annie, and John and Judy.  Thank you for following along on our journey to a new lifestyle - which seems like forever away, but I'm sure will be here before I know it.  Hope to meet you all on the road in the future!

Katie and I had a great road trip to Julian on Saturday.  It's amazing the things we saw on the way!  We traveled up Highway 78, and there were tons on things to see right on the highway.   We stopped at a few:

Would you believe a camel dairy?

 

A zebra? He was corralled with some donkeys, one of whom let out the loudest, longest braaaaaaaaaaaay when I went up to them.  I was afraid the zebra police were going to come and get me. 

And a kid - baby goat - from a Petting Zoo that was part of a bunch of things to do at the Julian Mining Co.

There were lots of goats, and when Katie and I went up to their fence, they all came running.  Very friendly group.

 There was Panning for gold:

 And settings from the gold rush days.

Next door on the highway was this old school - it was in excellent condition, and looked like a neat place to go to school.  Very old fashioned. 

 

This is the back porch of the school - looks like only eleven students in this class, if you count the names over the hooks.

There was so much to stop and see just on the way to Julian.  I kept passing things and then turning around to see something we missed.  Traffic was pretty light, but I wanted to go slower than most drivers, so I kept pulling over to let cars pass.  Felt like I was driving an RV.

When we finally got to Julian after about an hour's drive, it was sooo crowded.  I didn't know what was going on, but we didn't stop.  The main streets were completely filled with parked cars and the side streets were all filled, too.  People everywhere.  Millions of motorcycles.

I checked the Julian Chamber of Commerce website for November today, and this is what was going on yesterday in this small town:

Every Sunday (weather permitting): Julian Doves & Desperados  – historic comedy skits at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. & 3 p.m

Every Sunday (rain or shine): Julian Certified Farmers' Market 

November 1-30: Fall Arts & Craft Show – Town Hall – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

November 6: Christmas Gift Fair – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Town Hall

November 6-7: Tour de Julian – Road & MTB Rides – Based out of Menghini Winery – R&B Bicycle Club

NO WONDER IT WAS CROWDED!  How can they have all that on the same day?  It was a beautiful day, though, and perfect for all the people attending everything in town.

I had planned to stop and have lunch in Julian, but there were literally lines down the sidewalks for each restaurant, and I had grapes, apple slices and trail mix, coffee and water (plus baby carrots for Katie) in the car, so that was our lunch as we drove along enjoying the view.

 

Surrey with the Fringe on Top

Miniature Horse and Carriage

I kept driving and we stopped at a couple of campgrounds to see what they were like.  I'll tell you about them in my next post. 

From me and Katie, have a nice Sunday, everyone! : )

Saturday misc.

WELCOME to our new Follower, Ed!  Thanks for joining Katie and Me as we plan and prepare for full-timing.  If you have a blog, let me know so I can follow along with you, too!

WELCOME also to Gail and Rick of Gypsy Turtles - great name!  I'll read along with you as you get started full-timing.  (Glad you got the red wine stain out of the carpet - lots of good suggestions in your comments, too.)

Remember I told you when I give Katie a treat she puts it in her mouth, gets a ball and walks around with them for a while?  She always has to show me and will stand there like this until I tell her what a lucky girl she is.

 She's so proud of herself and her treat!

It's the funniest thing - I've never seen a dog do this before. 

Yesterday I went out  to shop - groceries, etc.  Went to Costco first and got the sweetest strawberries and grapes.  They also had blueberries - not so sweet but not bad.  Then went to the grocery store for the things I didn't want to buy in bulk.  My Dad's birthday is the 10th, so I got him a present to mail today, and made him a birthday card.

I decided to look later for camping things.  I've gotten so frugal I'm not sure I want to spend the money on equipment I won't use in a year or so.  I used to be a shopaholic - whatever I wanted I got.  Now that I've reversed things it's hard to spend money on something I don't NEED.  I have a tendency to get into activities, buy everything I need and then some, and then not really use them.  I did that with skiing, backpacking, fishing, crafts.  All expensive hobbies and although I really enjoyed doing them, I didn't do enough to justify the money I spent on the equipment.  Last time I moved I had a huge garage sale, and sold most of the backpacking and skiing things, but not the fishing and crafting stuff - I still have those and hope to use them when full-timing.

Last night I did some research on-line for some of the things I'd need to camp.  Comparing prices, re-thinking if I really need them.  Stove, headlamp, tent (I LOVE the SUV tent, but a standalone is 1/3 the price).  Other things in the "camping" section of Costco, Walmart, Target, REI. 

I'm thinking now that I should take Katie for an overnight at first - just in the car.  I can bring food and drinks, we can do a little hiking, see what's what.  I've always done this kind of thing with a boyfriend or husband.  Love the outdoors, but haven't gone alone.  I am never bored - I've always enjoyed my own company, but that's at home where I have all my stuff to keep me occupied, and the TV the rest of the time.

I don't know what's holding me back - I think about it, and plan where I'll go, make lists of what I'll need, do all the research, got the CampBook at AAA, printed out hikes nearby, etc., etc., etc.  Then I put it on my desk and let it percolate in my brain for a while. 

I think I'm going to wrap my Dad's present, drop it off at the post office, and take Katie to Julian - a nice drive - and we can check out some things on the way.  At least it's a start.

Opps - thought I posted this  before we left - We DID go to Julian. I got some interesting photos, which I'll post tomorrow. 

For now, I've ordered takeout Fish House Vera Cruz for dinner and I'm going to pick it up and have a fabulous dinner at home and upload my photos.  A nice dinner to top off the day.

From Me and a very tired Katie, have a super Saturday evening, everyone!  : )

My Escape RV

Turn your SUV or truck into a tent camper - Check this out:

Suanne's blog is about her travels in a Prius - she calls it her Prius RV. She left her husband at home and took off alone, visiting National Parks from April till October in her car.  That started me thinking...I have a small SUV.  Why couldn't I use it as my RV until I buy my Class C?  Suanne, I hope you don't mind me copying your terminology and calling  mine "My Escape RV"?

I was telling my neighbor about this, and he mentioned car/SUV tents.  It's so amazing the things you learn when you talk to people, things you would never have found out by yourself. 

So, I did a little research yesterday, and here's what I found. 

The sleeve on the tent goes right around the opening at the back of the SUV.  You can set up sleeping quarters in the car and use the tent for the "living" room with chairs, table, lamps - whatever.

At night I'd put my electronics in the locked car with me, and along with Katie, I'd feel very safe.

If you want to drive off somewhere, just take the sleeve off the car, and the tent converts to a regular tent until you re-attach it upon your return.

There are four models for station wagons and SUVs - this one has an attached sun room. You can also purchase the floor for the sun room for around $30 extra.



This tent fits on the back of a truck - is this cool, or what?!?

These photos are from Sportz by Napier.  I found a few others, but these looked the best and on Amazon.com, they had all 5 stars in the reviews. They recommend using a sealant of some kind for the seams in case of rain, I think they recommend what to use.  I would probably do that, especially this time of year. One reviewer said he got the sealant at Walmart "as recommended by Napier."

This weekend I'm going to break down and spend some money - I'm going to see what I can get as far as camping equipment goes.  I've been putting that off, thinking I should save my money for the RV Fund, but since that's a year to 18 months away, I think I'll do some looking now.  

I already have a sleeping bag, flashlights, bug spray if needed, cooking stuff (extras from when I lived in that horrible cabin in Georgetown - I HAD to replace the kitchen pots and pans and dishes, etc.  They are in a box in my carport storage area and I'll drag them out tomorrow to see what I have.)  I have two battery operated lamps.  I need to see if I have a car charger for all my stuff :  Kindle-Yes, MP3-Yes, Camera-No, Computer-?  What else?

It's not an RV, but...   I'd have the room provided by the tent, and the safety of sleeping in the car with my car keys close, and doors locked.  That's about the best thing I can think of to get me out there for now.

The weather in the San Diego area has been nice and warm lately, so I might actually be able to do some camping with Katie in a few weeks, after I get all my gear together. There are lots of campgrounds nearby. 

I was talking to one of the guys at work about a campground near his house - he lives on the beach. It's at Solana Beach and he said this time of year (off season) it's not as crowded.  Might even have lower prices. He said dogs are allowed on the beach there.   I drive by it on the way home from work and it looks small and crowded to me, but I'll have to check it out.

Pretty neat, huh?  Now I'm getting excited again. !!! 

From me and Katie - have a great Thursday, everyone! : )

Taking a small break

After blogging every day since the first, suddenly I keep saying to myself, "I got nothing!"  Can't think of anything for the blog, and I'm not doing anything interesting, and don't have any ideas.  Writer's block?  Dull life?  Not really, just needing a break, I think. 

So, everything is well, and I'll probably post something tomorrow or Friday.  I have a couple of things I wanted to post, but will wait till then.

So, don't worry.  In case anyone besides my daughter noticed I'm not blogging, I'm okay, Katie's okay.

From Me and Katie, Happy Wednesday, everyone!  : )