Finally - San Diego

[oregontocal]

After deciding to spend the next three weeks in San Diego before heading to Kansas instead of hanging out in Blythe for a while, yesterday morning I was just itching to finish the final lap of the journey down from Trinity Alps that started Tuesday morning. Most of the trip I've left around 10:30 or so in the morning. Not this time. Yesterday I took off from Barstow at 7:30 and pretty much just kept driving - I-15 all the way. I avoided most Los Angeles traffic, but I swear L.A. has sprawled out so far east it's sometimes impossible to tell the difference in traffic and freeway. At least it was Saturday - good timing. At high noon, 200 miles at 55 MPH later, I pulled into the campground here, found a good spot, and paid for 16 days. What's interesting is this is the first place I stayed after moving into the RV back in January 2007. With the exception of the new toll road below now being finished, it's pretty much the same. More traffic noise, though, which is too bad as this is a great oasis only 10 miles from all the sights of San Diego, Baja California, and so forth.

Here's my photo from January 2007 - different site, but this one is even better.


Since Jan. 2007, I've put a lot of miles on the RV--the Life on Wheels conference in Tucson, seven months in Kanab, Utah last year, back to a workamper job in Boulevard, CA for part of the winter, then to the Best Western hotels on the beach in January and February this year, up to Portland via the coast in March, then down to the Trinity Alps for the summer. Have made a full circle, which will be expanded out into the Midwest soon. Fun stuff!

But I'm not going to move this RV for a few weeks and have set it up as my home base for a bit. Need to get a new tablecloth, though.

[avalen]

what a lovely site, do they have little fences to seperate the sites?
love all the trees, now wheres the ocean? Lets go to the ocean

[oregontocal]

Fences? Yep. Check out the picture closely--to the left. The spaces are quite private with the fences as well as the trees. And for $20/night that includes water and electricity ( no sewer, but there is a dump site right here), what more could you ask? I really wish they hadn't built the toll road (Hwy 125) to the border, though, because it does make for lots more noise. Can't wait to see what it's like on a weekday morning. Oh, well. Progress, I guess.

The ocean is about 10 miles west - I'll take you there when the weather isn't quite so cloudy. I'm going to visit my good friend Betty in Ocean Beach Wednesday, and we'll go the Farmer's Market and hang around on the beach, maybe even go back to the dog park. Pictures? Of course!

[Cedar518]

Wow Chris,..... that neat site for only $20/night. What a deal. I like the privacy between the sites.

[oregontocal]

The beach? Here are a few pictures from earlier in the year to whet your appetites a little.

[Sparkle]

Chris, do you have a plan after the 16 days are up? Or are you just wandering? It's funny how when you get fairly close to your destination that urge to get the miles in hits. Even when I'm lollygagging the last day I just pound out the miles. Lovely site, yep, treat yourself to a new tablecloth.

[snowball]

you shouldn't have mentioned that you need a new table cloth noone would have realized it. I didn't other than out of season...... that is a really pretty campsite!!! if we ever make it that far will have to check it out want to go to San Diego one day. What way do you plan on going to Kansas was just looking at your map might need to go and catch a cornor of Texas and then you can put TX on the map
Enjoy your stop over
sheila

[oregontocal]

I took the picture of the campsite last January and the tablecloth was new then. I used it the rest of the year, during my 7 months in Kanab, Utah as well as a two-month workamping assignment up the the San Diego County mountains. It finally went to plastic tablecloth heaven after a very heavy rain and wind storm in December. So, I figured since that $3 Wal-Mart special had lasted so well, its replacement should be another one. So, on the way out to the desert yesterday, I bought one at Wal-Mart. Prices have gone up, though - it was $4.99. But, it will do a great job of covering up the concrete table. We got back around 11:00 last night, so a picture later on today when it's on the table. I'm still moving in.

I really haven't figured out my route to Kansas yet. Will definitely stop in Santa Fe, NM to see an old friend. I might volunteer at the Escapees CARE Center in Livingston, Texas early next year, probably February or March, so will color in Texas then. At least that's the plan. It would make more sense to just head down there in December, after Amazon, but then I'd have to tow my pickup to Kansas and with the gas prices, I don't want to. And, I'd also like to be in Blyth, CA for the Bluegrass Festival in January as well as all the goings-on in Quartzsite since I've never been there at that time of year. So, the jury is still out on Texas. I'll be looking for something to do the first months of next year. At least I'll be able to color in Kansas and Oklahoma since OK is very close to Coffeyville, KS.

Sparkle, I''ll probably stick around here after the 16 days since the limit is 21days. I've got a dentist appointment on Oct. 3, hopefully to get two crowns over the root canals from earlier this year. I've been eating very carefully. But, I'm not sure there'll be enough time before I need to leave. For the next few weeks, I'm going to take it easy--see friends and my mom, work on the RV to get her ready for another long trip, read some of the books I brought back from the mountains, finish up the auction quilt, and just relax and enjoy the beginning of fall here, and maybe plan the trip to Kansas. Will also need to do a little shopping to get some comfortable shoes and gel inserts and some warmer clothes. I'd like to get a memory foam mattress to replace the dinette cushions on my permanent bed, so will check online to see how small they come. Might have to get a little larger one and cut it down a bit. Anyway, lots to do, but no particularly hurry to do it all.

[asirimarco]

looks like a neat campground. where abouts in the san diego area is it. private or public?

[oregontocal]

Hi, Carol,

It's a San Diego County Park in Bonita, which is near Chula Vista, CA, fairly close to the Baja California border (Tijuana). All sites have water and electricity but only the volunteer sites have sewer. However, there is a dump site right in the park. Like al the other San Diego County Parks, the limit is 21 days at a time. After that, you need to be out for seven days before returning. So, a lot of fulltimers I've met do 21 days here then go out to Lake Jennings County Park in Lakeside, then back here---and so forth.