We were unable to get a full-hookup campsite at the south entrance of Zion National Park for the first 5 nights of our trip. Fortunately, there was availability at the St George/Hurricane KOA. There is plenty to do in this area – access the Kolob Canyon entrance of Zion NP, and several State Parks such as Sand Hollow and Quail Creek State Park. Quail Creek is less than a mile from the KOA so our first day in southwestern Utah was spent on the lake. We e-biked the short distance to the park entrance and paid $5/person day-use fee. There is a campground here with access to the lake. Campground: $25 per night for the primitive site and $38 per night for a site with power and water. DIG Paddlesports rents one or two person kayaks and paddleboards ($25-$35/2hrs). People working there are friendly and helpful, emphasizing water safety. Afternoons are still 90+degF in late September so spending the morning on the lake was a cool break.
Our first 6 months of rv’ing on the West Coast have been short hops from one campground to another, on one tank of gas. Our Tacoma’s range is only ~200mi/tank and being new at towing a travel trailer. We’ve been conservative, only driving ~150-160 miles each day. But traveling home from Monterey to Oceanside (~431mi), we decided to just make one overnight stop in Buellton, the halfway point. This required a fuel stop along the way towing Howie, something we’ve been putting off until gaining more experienced. But we want to start driving longer distances before stopping overnight to get further away from home. So finding rv-friendly gas stations every 200mi along our route has to be planned. Rest stops every few hours will still happen along with the fuel stops. The California west coast does not have many Pilot/Flying J gas stations. There’s one off the 101 in Salinas CA but most are inland on the I-5 & further east. But there are a few other gas stations that cater to RVs & trucks off the 101 freeway. After researching a few places along the way using Google maps & street-view, we picked a few that were right off the 101. We stopped at the San Paso Truck Stop in Paso Robles, 118mi south, that was right off the freeway. It has CAT scales so before fueling, we weighed our tow vehicle (5680#) and 20ft travel trailer (3261#).
When planning this trip, we considered boondocking for the night but settled on stopping at Flying Flags RV Resort in Buellton, which is in town right off the 101. It’s another urban “glampground” with lots of amenities & full hookups. We booked two nights – I’ve read advice from experienced RV’ers that recommend when stopping, to stop for more than one night. Flying Flags has some very nice facilities: beautiful restrooms & showers, pool & hot tub, cafe & bar. But the Feather & Fire Cafe/Bar are closed Mon-Tues. Fortunately, since you are in town, there are plenty of places to eat nearby like the Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. a mile away. Since we were not in a big hurry and never stayed in this area. We’d spend Monday checking out the area. Nearby Solvang is a great day-trip.
On our furthest trip north towing Howie, our third stop was the KOA campground in Watsonville. It’s 28mi north of Monterey, midway between Monterey & Santa Cruz. Carol was lucky enough to get us tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium the first Saturday they opened to non-members. We love Monterey Bay Aquarium & have missed visiting so we scheduled this entire trip around these tickets. Entries were by reservation and we had tickets for 3:30pm Sat May 15th, the last group of the day since it closes at 5pm.
The Monterey/Santa Cruz KOA is only our 2nd KOA but this one was definitely a tier above Ventura Ranch KOA. The campground was well laid out and included a tent-camping area, RV sites, and cabins. The RV sites were full hookup, fairly spacious, and level gravel pads with picnic table & fire ring. Pine trees surrounded the site but did not overhang our trailer or solar panel. The KOA is very family oriented and there were kids on bikes everywhere. They have scheduled activities and many play areas, closed at the Ventura KOA due to Covid, were open. Our grandkids would enjoy this campground so we will have to return when they are a bit older & able to travel this far from home. The Friday-Saturday we were there happened to have a special rate – stay Friday at the regular rate & get Sat for $20. Needless to say we were happy for the price break BUT every RV site, tent, & cabin in the campground was occupied.
Our reservation listed driving directions that were different than Google Maps or Apple Maps. Be sure to follow the driving directions the KOA provides in their reservation confirmation or web site (reprinted bottom of this page), not Google or Apple Maps. On a day-trip back to the campground, we drove our truck (without trailer) on the route suggested by Google Maps, using Buena Vista Dr. It’s a very narrow winding road so even though it may be shorter, I would not have liked navigating it with our small trailer.
Since we arrived Thursday & our aquarium tickets were for Saturday, we had Friday open. We enjoy hiking in the Redwoods in Humboldt County so we looked for a place nearby. Unfortunately, nearby Big Basin and Henry Cowell Redwood State Parks were closed due to wildfires. They are scheduled to reopen the end of May but not while we are here. Fortunately, only 30mins away in Aptos, the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park was opened. There are some old growth redwoods so that was where we spent Friday. We were given a paper map by the park ranger but had trouble with judging direction & scale. Trail markers are few and far between and there is little to no cell service. We did an extra mile or two before getting back on the right trail. So be aware if it’s an unfamiliar park to not assume you can navigate using your cell phone. Pay particular attention to any trail marker because there are plenty of forks on the trail but not all are marked. Since we had an extra long hike, we rewarded ourselves with burgers and beer at Burger Aptos.
Saturday we drove to Monterey early and had lunch before our entry time into the aquarium. Cannery Row restaurants were packed with tourists and had long lines so we opted for Hula’s Island Grill on Lighthouse Ave, a few blocks away. At 3pm, we headed to the aquarium and got into the socially-distanced queue. They let us in a few minutes early and it was even better than I remember. Although the 3:30 group of a few hundred entered the aquarium, people dispersed pretty quickly. There were people near popular tanks like the octopus (see photo) who was very active while we were there. Monterey Bay Aquarium is my favorite and I think they have the best presentations of aquatic life & educational material of any aquarium I’ve visited. Well worth the drive, the wait, and although we saw everything we wanted. It would have been even better if we had an extra hour. Tomorrow we pack up and head to Flying Flags in Buellton, CA, about 212mi south. It will be the first time we’ve fueled the truck while towing. I’ve mapped out a few rv-friendly gas stations along our route. But Paso Robles has a truck stop with Cat Scale so that’s where we’ll stop.
We camped here in February and enjoyed the location so much we wanted to come back during warmer weather. Unfortunately, we returned during a cold spell which was very much like February. The day we arrived was beautiful sunny and warm but the “May Grey” hovered over the campground the next few days. Pismo State Beach Campground is small with pull-through sites providing water & electricity. They have private restrooms & showers which require tokens. Pismo Preserve is a popular hiking area just east of the 101. We noticed it last trip but did not stop so this time we stopped & hiked the Lone Oak trail. Wildflowers were in bloom so the hillsides were covered in yellow flowers. The “May Grey” burned off and it was a warm afternoon. There is a beautiful oak-forested area on the Vamonos Canyon trail with birds such as hawks, turkey vultures and woodpeckers flying about. There are several trails of different elevation changes and lengths. You have to share the trails with runners and mountain bikers (some on e-bikes) who may attach a bell so you can hear them coming. When we were there, there were people hiking & biking but overall uncrowded.
The next day we drove up Highway 1 to San Simeon & the elephant seal rookery. It was along the coast so the marine layer kept it cool. It’s a great drive and even the RV could easily make it north this far on Highway 1. The road gets less rv-friendly, narrow & winding, further north though. There were thousand of elephant seal along the coastline at every pullout. We stopped at Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery which is a great spot to view & photograph them. Hearst Castle is nearby but closed due to Covid.
To get away from the cool grey coastline, on Day 3 we drove inland to Lopez Lake in hopes of boating on the lake. Inland skies were clear and blue and Lopez Lake is only 13mi inland. But by early afternoon, the winds on the lake were so strong wind surfers were enjoying catching air. We decided against renting a boat & fighting the strong breezes chopping the lake. The lake level is (at least) 15-20ft below its high water mark but there were people fishing from boats & docks. I’ll add a fishing pole in my truck inventory for such fishing opportunities. We drove around the Lopez Lake campgrounds – seems like every hillside has sites, most primitive. Hiking trails were plentiful but the dry rolling hills on a windy afternoon were not calling. Since Lopez Lake was a short mid-day detour, we visited Dinosaur Caves in north Pismo Beach. Breaking out the bikes, we had a short ride around this scenic area. Next day – heading north to Monterey.
For our third trip of 2021, we wanted to visit family in Desert Hot Springs & Indio Mar 14-18th. Shadow Hills RV Resort in Indio, CA was a great location to stay since it’s less than a mile from family. This RV park has all the amenities allowed by Covid-19 restrictions. Fortunately we arrived Sunday because Monday the winds were fierce – blowing steady 35mph with gusts to 60+. By Tuesday morning the winds has dropped & weather warm & beautiful.
Full hookups, cable tv, laundry, pool, dog parks (tiny fenced areas), daily trash pickup at each site, showers and restrooms scattered throughout the park. The RV sites are level, wide concrete slabs with hedges separating you from your nearest neighbor. Being close to Coachella (annual music festival, canceled this year), there are many tent sites which were unoccupied.
Indio is ~40mins from Joshua Tree’s Cottonwood Springs Road south entrance. So after visiting family, I did an afternoon excursion to Joshua Tree. The topography of the southern entrance is quite different from the northern 29 Palms entrance. Most of the rock formation points-of-interest are in the northern side of the park. The Ocatillo Patch and Cholla Cactus Gardens features are in the central valley so I focused my photography efforts there. The 40mi drive to the Cottonwood Springs entrance has a much longer incline that the 29 Palms. If I were towing our trailer, I would definitely use the 29 Palms entrance.
Desert X 2021 Art Festival was also underway with 9 environmental art installations. The number of installations is greatly reduced this year due to Covid-19 but still worthwhile. The weather in March is near perfect (~70degF) except for the occasional wind storm like a day ago. The short hikes to the various installations, which are scattered throughout the area, were pretty easy. Although ParaPivot is quite a steep climb up a winding concrete driveway. We went on Wednesday so no tickets were required. Thurs-Sun tickets are required to keep the crowds down. We saw 4 of the 9 installations. We were trying to find the fifth, The Art of Taming Horses, which ended up being a scavenger hunt without success. Turns out the installation will not be viewable until after April 9th. The Women’s Qualities installation is in the Sunnylands Center & Gardens which closes at 4pm so we missed it by 20mins. Check the Desert X website for ticket & exhibit information: https://desertx.org. You can download the DesertX app for detailed descriptions about the art & artists plus locations.
Feb 23-24 2021: Our grandson Ronan wanted to go camping to celebrate his 5th birthday. His Mom & Dad booked a site at Indian Cove Campground for a tent & trailer, without hookups. There are fewer sites available at Indian Cove because their Covid-19 strategy is to closed every other site. There is an empty campsite separating the occupied sites. This made for a less crowded and much quieter camp-out. This was our first campground without electricity or water but we knew our Geo Pro is well equipped for dry camping. Before leaving home, we added ~12gals to our fresh water tank since we were only there for one night & wanted to keep out tow weight manageable. This was plenty of water for our washing & flushing needs. We also brought a couple gallons of bottled water for drinking & cooking. Since our Geo Pro has 190w of solar and two deep cycle 225ah 6v batteries, we had no issues using the interior or awning lights. We used our propane griddle to cook burgers for dinner, bacon & pancakes for breakfast. We’ve been debating about whether to keep the relatively heavy 17″ Suburban griddle or replace it with a propane bbq. Weight-wise there isn’t much gain and the grill does work really well if kinda a pain to clean. I guess a bbq grill could be a messy cleanup as well.
We had clear sunny windy weather most of our week in Ventura. Today was supposed to be a calmer day but everything is relative. We stopped at the Butterfly Grove where Monarch Butterflies are abundant Oct-Feb. This February, there were only several but the grove is free, easy to access so worth a visit. There is beach access, dunes, coastal trees, birds & trails we enjoyed. The section of campground adjacent the Butterfly Grove was closed due to recent flooding, perhaps from recent King Tides. Later, we took the coastal drive up to Avila Beach, hoping to check out the lighthouse. Turns out the only way to see the lighthouse is by tour group so we stopped for lunch by the beach. Avila Beach has a similar ambiance to Catalina Island. We ended the day by driving on the beach at sunset. We later learned there are petitions and the Sierra Club lobbying to stop the vehicles on the beach. There is only ~4 miles of driveable beach but I understand, as an oceanographer, the potential environmental impact. We are heading south tomorrow and this is our last evening at Pismo Beach. We considered driving all the way home tomorrow but booked a single night in Carpenteria, about 110mi south.
Morro Bay is a great scenic destination to get out and stay socially-distanced. We had a beautiful clear windy day, thankful we were not towing. Morro Rock is the cornerstone of Morro Bay. There’s a wide beach & plenty of free parking, large enough for motorhomes. Just south of Morro Rock in Morro Bay, is a small wharf with several excellent seafood eateries & fish market. There is also a salt water taffy stand that has a wonderful selection of some of the best taffy we’ve ever had.
After lunch, we headed 5mi south to El Moro Elfin Forest in Los Osos. A mile of wooden boardwalks that take you through 90 acres of coastal dune scrub & pygmy oak forest.
