5. Oceano Dunes SVRA
So that day between our two nights on the beach? When we drove back up the Hana Highway to get groceries, gas and propane? While DW got groceries, I got online to set about securing camping reservations. After about an hour learning the nuances and idiosyncrasies of the ResrveCalifornia web site (and waiting for their busy, busy, busy server), I set to my plan. Secure the most important first!
And because we didn’t yet have any clue as to how long our drives would take and such, we felt the first of the most important was Hearst San Simeon State Park – as we wanted to see the castle. So we found - and booked - two nights there ($35/night plus $8 reservation fee) - in three nights from Jalama Beach. Check!
Next was Big Sur. And we found two nights there - at Pfeifer Big Sur State Park ($50/night for a river side premium site, the only site with two back to back nights available, plus the $8 reservation fee) - in two days later. Check!
And what about the one night in between? We knew Highway 1 was closed between the two places - due to the mudslides and all - and figured we’d need some drive-time around it, either via highways, or the mountain routes over the top. So for THAT in between night, we bought the $55/night – no reservation fee - at the Paso Robles RV Ranch RV Park – you know, for laundry and dumping and filling - oh my! Check!
Now we just had to fill in the blanks for three nights before the rest of all that started. The first was that night in Lompoc - before the space launch. The next two nights were discovered (again, on the ReserveCalifornia site) at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (the area previously known as Pismo Dunes SVRA) just south of Pismo Beach, and would require driving in on the sand beach for who knows HOW FAR before we could find a suitable place to park Lil’ Queeny – near a toilet – so we could do daily Porta-Potti dumps, right? And we also knew what a place like this means: noisy, crazy, and fun! And cheap. Did we mention cheap? :) ($10/night plus the $8 reservation fee).
We pulled out of Lompoc and had a wonderful drive along Highway 1 through agricultural areas. That fresh green of spring popping up making us marvel left and right. Near Oceano, we pulled over and bought two ears of Sweet Corn, Avacados, Cara Cara Oranges, and (as we later were to learn) the Sweetest Strawberries (Santa Maria’s) in the WORLD! And huge! All from a cool, little roadside stand with a very nice young man who had probably helped pick these tasty morsels. We like to support local when we can. Mostly because they are superior!
Soon we arrived at the park check-in kiosk and got our camping pamphlet and sticker. “Off with you now, and look lively” said the hurried man at the main gate. We pulled onto the sand and parked in the middle of the road, behind a family airing down the tires on their truck and toy-hauler. We said, “Hi! We’ll be your newbies tonight! What do you recommend we air down to?”
Now we’ve been four-wheeling for decades, and we know about airing down for off pavement traction. In fact, I only run 12 PSI on Lil’ Willy because his tires are tubed, and strong side-walled and his ride is otherwise harsh, but we had Lil’ Queeny - 50 years old and showing her weight, what with all her modifications and all - so we needed local advice. The family man said, “you could go to about 20 PSI, but probably not 15 – don’t want to lose a bead”. Knowing my weight and all, I chose 25 in front and 45 in back, then off we went in the sand – and we looked lively, mind you!
Oceano SVRA MapCamping doesn’t even start until after Post 2 (the blue diamonds - which are placed every half mile). The first spot we found was behind and above Toilet G, and after spending lunch time there, we came to realize it was smack dab in the middle of the 3-5 year olds ATV road and so we moved. The poor little kids had a hard enough time holding on to their handlebars, let alone avoiding campsites without the (apparently) highly-suggested yellow caution/crime zone tape set up in perimeters around the campsites of campers smarter than DW and I.
By the time we settled in for two days, we were closer to the seashore, and the parade route - which is the fond term we use for the access route (called a road, with Park Rangers issuing warnings and everything) near the water, where the pre and recently post-pubescent folks drive their lifted trucks, Jeeps, ATVs, Side-by-Sides, Dune Buggies, Sandrails, Big Trucks pulling up to three axle Toy-Haulers and Motorhomes!
The place was alive with a thousand eyes and everything in between! What a hoot to watch from the dinette window in our time share on the ocean. They had water fill and holding tank pump trucks, flag vendors, campfire wood delivery trucks, trash haulers, beer delivery, mechanics, un-stuckers, and the Taco-Truck, Re-Air on departure, all concessions - and for a fee of course.
And a great place to kill two days – DW reorganized the cabinets, after our hasty packing that day after the four-wheeling fiasco in the Titus Canyon, and I broke out the flow-able silicone sealer and doctored the front facing windows with the loving attention of those guys who wax their classic cars in the park on Sundays.
Side Bar - Unfortunately, as we sit in the rest stop of the Golden Gate Bridge writing this, because we finally re-acquired 4G, and after a very wet drive today (in real time), the window sealing didn't fully work, but after what WE just came through, it's working better than it DID! Still need to work that one though. End Side Bar.Now back to Oceano SVRA. Without easy dump and fill available, and with just a tiny modicum of attention to detail, we learned we can stretch tiny-home livability in very environmentally friendly and creative ways. Later, taking advantage of the dump station at a nearby RV Park, provided for campers just like us.
Enjoy the show. We did.
A good time was had by all.
That's the Parade Route in front of our dinette window.
And a view from the water at lower tide.
That's Lil' Queeny there.
A cool '71 Chevy. I know because we had a '71 Blazer.
We have some ocean front property in California, from our dinette you can see the sea.
The big rigs knew the drill - stay on the wet stuff.
The one morning, Mister Two-Wheel Drive decided to try it without airing down.
He was cussing, and his DW threw her tissue and said, "I told you!"
I'm not shifting you - right in front of us!
But these nice guys next door came out and helped, then let them park inside their crime scene zone! What a country! I LOVE this place!
When we left, we aired up four, and handed over $4 ($1 charge per tire) to the concessionaire. "Thank you" I told him.
Then pulled off of the sand and went to our designated dump site.
What a great place to kill two days. And a new experience for us, even though we've been to Moab at Easter - twice!
