Zzyzx Rd

When was the last time you saw a 5-letter word using only the last 3 letters of the alphabet? No? Me neither.

It’s in the middle of the Mojave Desert in California, but the car ahead of us exited so apparently people go there.

Imagine my surprise when I asked Mr. Google about this word and it turns out it has its own Wikipedia page. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zzyzx,_California if you’re interested) And it seems I’m not the only one to take this same picture. Apparently it’s some kind of landmark on the way to Vegas. I didn’t know. I just thought it was the strangest road name I’d ever seen.

Californians may laugh at my ignorance, but now I know. And so do you.

Hits and Misses in the California High Desert

(Fear not, loyal reader… after a brief hiatus when celebrating Christmas and the New Year with our families took priority over blogging, we’re back. We WILL continue sharing our trip and we’ll hopefully finish before memories start to fade. Thanks for sticking with us and for your patience!)

Our last night spent in California was a stop at the KOA in Barstow, in the high desert enroute to Nevada. The scenery was beautiful and despite the desert climate, the campground has successfully kept shade trees alive in each of the campsites. Much to Emelie’s delight, the pool was still open, though even she was quick to admit that the water was a bit cold for swimming. To her credit, she stayed in a lot longer than the rest of us wanted to.

That’s right ladies! He cooks, too!

The trees add both shade and a bit of privacy. Functional and pretty!

Beautiful desert sunset

The campground was a short distance from the Calico Ghost Town. After having driven past several similar “ghost towns” and judging them to be tourist traps and not worth the price of admission, we decided to give this one a chance. We were leaving California, after all, and it seemed reasonable to spend a little time exploring the remains of one of the mining towns that brought civilization to this fair state.

So we braced ourselves for a tourist trap and were prepared to pay the price of admission that was listed in the brochure. We headed there right at opening time in the morning, since we planned to drive from there to Las Vegas later in the day. What we’d failed to anticipate was that we were visiting a ghost town in mid-October… and Halloween is apparently their favorite holiday. Go figure.

We were there on a Friday morning just before their big Halloween Festival weekend. Since the festival officially began on Friday, the admission prices were increased. With a deep sigh, we paid the price of admission and headed in. Most of the place and most of the employees were fully occupied with festival preparations. Ordinary buildings and exhibits were transformed into haunted houses. Emelie still gets scared and refuses to watch most animated movies. There was no way we were taking her into a haunted house. And besides, what we wanted to see were the preserved mines and buildings, and they weren’t going to be visible anyway. The only places that really were open were the stores, of course, selling all manner of overpriced useless items. There was a little train that you could ride, which of course cost extra, but we had to do something while we were there and the kids loved it.

Largest silver mining camp in California, 1881-1896

We climbed up the hill and got this overview of the town

One of the few “exhibits” that was open, the old fire hall with this old fire truckThey were also prepared for a bucket line in case of fire. I guess when you’re mining in the desert you can’t be too prepared.

Because no tourist trap is complete without things to put your face in to take pictures. I think my favorite thing about this picture is that her knees are sticking out where the hand holes are.

Apparently decorating for the festival is primarily comprised of covering everything in a weird net-thing and tying skeletons to every post. Are old looking nets scary? Or do they throw them on the guests later after dark? That would be scary.

 Here I come to save the day! Trains are always fun!

An unusual kind of train car. But there we are!

All of this to say that we were a bit disappointed with our visit to Calico Ghost Town. It may be a better family experience at other times of the year, and even the Halloween Festival may be more fun when it’s in full swing. (They kept saying that it would be crowded and lots of fun later if we would stay longer.) But there is fun to be had just about anywhere when you’re on an adventure with the people you love.

Campground Review: Barstow/Calico KOA

Price: $32/night
Location: Beautiful location, but not close to anything except Calico Ghost Town. A reasonable distance to break up the drive from San Diego to Las Vegas.
Facilities: Great pool (though cold in October) and playground facilities, bathrooms adequate, but over air conditioned and freezing cold inside.
Site-description: Desert sand and gravel, shaded with trees
Neighborhood: Predominantly the retired RVer crowd, but a few other families when we were there
Website: http://koa.com/campgrounds/barstow/ 
Comments: There aren’t many options for camping in this area. Calico Ghost Town also has a campground, but it costs more than the KOA and doesn’t look nearly as nice… no trees, for example. If you find yourself at the KOA watch out of the cacti. There was a decorative cactus garden near the bathroom, and despite our warnings, Emelie’s curiosity got the better of her. That evening was spent with tweezers, a headlamp and a very unhappy girl. She kept complaining about how much it hurt, even after we cleaned her up, so Staffan decided to go touch the same cactus to see if she was exaggerating. He decided she wasn’t.

The San Diego Zoo and a Birthday

October 17 (no comment about this post coming 2 months afterward…) was the anniversary of my birth (thanks Mom!) and I got to spend a beautiful Southern California day at the San Diego Zoo with my favorite people.

Am I such a huge zoo lover that we planned our trip around going to the world famous San Diego Zoo on my birthday? Not quite. The timing happened to work out this way. I certainly have nothing against zoos, but I don’t love them. What I do love is that my kids love them. I love how excited they get to see, and sometimes touch, different animals. I love how it awakens their curiosity just to be there, and I love the questions and conversations that come about naturally as a result. Obviously, I’m talking mostly about Emelie, but even Peter’s “Dooo?” (which is his word for just about everything at this point) comes with an excited expression and a pointed finger.

But if you are over 30 and circumstances lead you to celebrate your birthday in a zoo, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one than the San Diego Zoo. In addition to being a zoo, it is also a botanical garden, so there is a great variety of beautiful plants helping to create habitats for animals and a beautiful landscape for everyone to enjoy. But I won’t spend a lot of time sharing things that you could just as easily read on the zoo’s own website. A lot of the places we visited on our trip claimed to be “world famous” but since the San Diego Zoo actually is, then you either already know about it or could easily look it up if you’re curious.

Since the zoo is expansive, it’s really helpful that transportation like trams and cable cars are included in the admission ticket, as is a guided open-air bus tour. We started with the bus tour, which gave us a good overview of the zoo and helped us decide how to spend our day. We managed to get seats right in the front row and had a great view! Hanging out on the bus. Even in mid-October, it was a hot, sticky day in San Diego

After the bus, maps in hand, we went off exploring the zoo and seeing the animals.

Elephants are always such a favorite with kids! 

San Diego is one of only four zoos in the United States that have pandas. Apparently the Chinese government keeps a pretty strict control on this. The panda exhibit is very popular and was accordingly very crowded. 

We went to a show called “Camp Critters” where animals and their human handler friends acted out a little animal summer camp story. It was cute and Emelie loved it. It was a hot day to sit on bleachers in the sun, and as we came in most people were crowding together into what little shade was to be found in one corner of the amphitheater. But Staffan correctly assessed that as the sun angle changed, that shade would soon disappear. So we sat front and center – and almost by ourselves. Everybody was in the sun by the time the show started, but we had a better view, and I dare say we were even a little cooler because we weren’t all packed in so close together.

One of the stars of Camp Critters

And another. They weren’t all birds, though. There were wolves, snakes, and several others, including everyone’s favorite “counselor-in-training” – the seal

The cable car was a good way to get from the far corner of the zoo back to an area closer to the entrance. Emelie loved the cable car, while I spent most of the ride trying to keep the ever-curious Peter from climbing out of it. Collapsible single strollers can even be taken on as long as they’re folded up, so it was a great way to  get around.

Emelie enjoying the cable car ride, looking down on the animals below

Can you see what a death-grip I have on Peter? He doesn’t walk yet but he’s a climber! And thank you hot, humid day for this great hair I’m sporting here.

A visit to the petting zoo is often a highlight but not so for us on this occasion. The petting zoo animals have places they can go to get away from people when they need a rest, or to get food or water or cool off in the shade. Just about all of the animals had chosen to go into these areas. Not that we blame them for being hot and tired – we were too! – but there just wasn’t anything to do there and we were all a little disappointed.

Speaking of hot and tired, this dirty little playground thing is intended for goats, not children. We had to drag her, literally kicking and screaming, out of there.

We arrived at the zoo just after they opened, and we stayed until it was nearly closing time. So it was a long day (have I mentioned that it was hot?!) but a good day.

I had two requests for celebrating my birthday. I wanted to eat a dinner that I did not boil myself on a propane stove, preferably followed by some kind of dessert. And I wanted a campfire after the kids were asleep.

So we found an Applebees. Maybe not the fanciest meal ever but it met the requirements, and when you need high chairs and kids menus that’s pretty much the level you’re on. I enjoyed being asked for ID when I ordered my favorite drink from the bar (amaretto sour. yum.). I wanted to ask how often they had customers under 21 come in for dinner at 5:30 with their two kids, but I decided to just take it as a compliment.

It took a little detour to find someplace to buy firewood, but I got my campfire. Staffan pulled out his ukulele and we sat by the fire and sang songs. The perfect end to a wonderful day. Happy Birthday to me.

Camping in San Diego

Welcome back! My apologies for the recent blogging hiatus. I realize it wasn’t clear whether the blog would continue to recount the rest of our adventures even after we have returned home. I will continue writing it for myself even if no one continues to read. But I hope you will, because there’s still about a third of our trip left to share. Now that our kiddos are semi-recovered from jet lag, it may be possible for me to string together a few coherent thoughts. Let’s see, shall we?

After our little jaunt across the border into Mexico, we found a place to camp in the San Diego area. We ended up at Sweetwater Regional Park, run by San Diego County, and we highly recommend it.

We arrived early enough that even after camp was set, there was time leftover for a bit of silliness before initiating the dinner-bedtime-evening routines. Silly pictures are always fun, right?

Why do wooden posts seem to bring out the Karate Kid in all male children of the 80’s? Or is it just the one I married? Notice Emelie in the background. The soundtrack is “Please, Mamma, please, please! Please lift me up here so I can do the same as Pappa. Please!!”  Followed by splinter removal after her attempts to climb up herself.

Finally she got to stand on the post. Okay, so this isn’t a silly picture but it’s sweet and I like it.

One of my favorite pictures from the whole trip (which you might notice if you’re on our Christmas card list this year). This campsite had plenty of lush, green grass covering a nice little hill behind our site. Perfect adventure and exploration for the under 1 camper without lots of stress and life-saving interventions from mom.

Remember our pumpkins? This far they traveled but no farther. They cheerfully adorned our “doorstep” during our stay in San Diego, but the insides looked a little less happy. They received a proper burial at dumpster as we left.

Here’s a campground review of Sweetwater Regional Park:

Price: $29/night
Location: Just a few miles off of I-805 along Rt 54, yet difficult to find the first time. There are several parks in the area with similar names (like Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, just down the road) so knowing which one to go to was confusing.
Facilities: A relatively standard electric/water site. Bathrooms and showers clean and well-maintained. They advertise a splash park within walking distance, but it was closed when we were there.
Site-description: Dirt/gravel camp area bordering a grassy area. Trees provide a bit of privacy. There are street lights near the entrance and the bathroom building, but most sites are actually dark at night (which we prefer!). Several sites also offer horse corrals
Neighborhood: Populated but quiet. The only neighbor we interacted with was another family with a baby who had a camper they had built themselves. Unique, original… definitely a conversation starter.
Comments: We were excited to finally be camped somewhere where we could eat outside at the table after a long string of nights when it was too cold, too windy, or there were too many mosquitoes, bees, flies, etc. Then we woke up with a camper full of ants. They weren’t into any of our food (though most of it was in the car) but all over our water bottles, jugs, etc. Conclusion: when camping, there are always bugs.
Website: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/parks/Camping/sweetwater.html 

We stayed two nights at Sweetwater Park and in between enjoyed the San Diego Zoo. More on that to come!

A México

(For those who don’t speak any Spanish, this post is called “To Mexico” in Spanish. Not “A Mexico”)

To Mexico or not to Mexico, that was the question. As we headed to San Diego, we knew we were only a short distance from the border. Should we cross the border or not? Cons: risk of insurance issues, possibility of border crossing issues, not knowing what to actually do when we got there, miscellaneous inherent risks of going to Mexico. Pros: Adding not just another state but a whole new country to our trip tally, and satisfying a bit of our curiosity.

We decided to go. To eliminate some risks and many potential hassles, we parked on the US side of the border. That way we wouldn’t need international insurance on the car/camper, and we didn’t have to try to explain to border officials why the car and the camper were registered in two different names, neither of which matches our passports. So we found parking and walked across the border. It was farther than we expected, not just to the border itself but to the “city center” of Tijuana once we had crossed the border, and a bit hot for mid-October. Somehow the weary sticky sweaty feeling added to the experience and made our visit to Mexico seem that much more authentic.

Crossing into Mexico was probably the quickest, simplest and least secure border crossing we’ve ever witnessed. The gate is about the same as the one leaving the zoo where they don’t want anyone to be able to come back in through the exit. Just add a couple of armed border patrol guards who are mostly standing and talking to each other. Welcome to Mexico. No passport check (or ID of any kind for that matter), no x-ray machines or baggage scans. Nothing.

Mexico here we come. It looked just like the zoo exit minus the people who stamp your hand if you want to come back in.

Once in Mexico, we walked. And walked, and walked. We followed arrows pointing to the city center that seemed to lead in circles. I guess the middle of the day on a Tuesday in mid-October was not the height of tourist season, because we saw almost no other tourists anywhere. Which essentially pasted giant dollar-sign bulls-eyes on us and every restaurant owner, shop keeper, or panhandler in town was trying to get our business. Not so fun. And we’re guessing that a lot of the shops are only open seasonally because the market area was really disappointing. There’s also a really good chance that we didn’t find the main market. In all our travels we have seldom seen a more confusing place that also lacked access to any visitor information or maps (strange in a border town).

Welcome to Tijuana. This arch was the only thing that made orientation possible.Marketplace entrance. Anybody been there? Was this the right spot?

So we walked around a little bit, disappointed all the restaurant owners by sitting on a bench and eating packed lunches, then walked all the way back toward the border. We stopped to get some ice cream, then began the process of re-entering the United States, which was slightly more involved than entering Mexico was. The intimidating line stretched for blocks, but in all we were in line less than 90 minutes. (An excellent time and place, by the way, for your 3 year old to desperately need a bathroom!) Our passports were checked and our bags scanned just as we’ve come to expect from border crossings. They might have been a bit suspicious that we didn’t buy anything. Everyone in front of us in line seemed to be carrying bags of medication, which I guess explains why more than half the shops in Tijuana were pharmacies. But we can’t be the only people who crossed the border just to cross the border, right? We were readmitted to the US without any problems, walked back to our car, and headed back into San Diego to find a campground.

Family self-portrait in Mexico, post-ice cream

Plenty of time to line up this photo while waiting in line

It was a tiring day with little to show for it. But at least we can all say we’ve been to Mexico now!

Crystal Cove

Crystal Cove State Park is along the Coast Highway in the Laguna Beach area of California. We went there mostly to check out the tide pools and let the kids play in the sand on the beach while we waited for low tide. What we discovered was a beautiful beach, perfect conditions for a swim in the Pacific, and an overall wonderful place to spend the whole day.

On all the beaches that we’d been to, Emelie had resisted going in the water. She loves baths and begs to swim in every pool she sees, but waves made her uncomfortable so she often wouldn’t even get her feet wet. This time, she was willing to try some baby-steps, from being held by someone who was touching the water, slowly getting closer and closer until she finally was splashing in the waves. She loved it, up until she accidentally got her head wet (oops, didn’t see that wave coming!) and then she was done.

Clinging to Pappa as a wave rolls in

Splashing together with her little brother, as long as she can hold on to Mamma. Peter is just loving every minute!

Smile! 

The thing was, we weren’t really planning to swim. I’d brought bathing suits for the kids, Staffan was wearing his, but I didn’t even have mine with me. The kids ended up splashing around in their clothes, and when Peter got a little cold, the only thing I had to change him into was his swimsuit. Backwards, yes, but it worked.

Happy Peter on the beach

At first I sat, watching longingly as Staffan and Emelie explored the water. Then I took Peter to the water’s edge and splashed a bit with the kids. But as I sat back down in the sand with the kids while Staffan took a swim, I knew I couldn’t miss my chance to swim in the Pacific. So I took my turn and in I went in my clothes. Many weeks and many washings later, there is still sand in the pockets of those shorts. And every time I put my hands in my pockets and feel that awful sand-under-your-fingernails feeling, I smile and remember how great the water felt. And I’m glad I didn’t miss it just because I didn’t bring my swimsuit.

Finally, as the sun, sand and saltwater exhaustion started to kick in, we let Peter catch a few Zs in the stroller while the rest of us explored the tide pools. The tide had finally gone down enough to walk out on the rocks. In among and between the rocks are cracks, crevices and lower areas where sea creatures swim during high tides but are then caught when the tide goes out. The visitor’s center has free laminated guides that show pictures of the different creatures you might see so you can identify them. Exploring the tide pools was fascinating and tons of fun, but also slippery and a bit sharp in places, so walk carefully.

Sparkling water in the tide pool area

Hold on tight and walk carefully!

Try teaching a 3-year-old to say “sea anemone” 

Crabs and fish and plants, Oh My!

Another little tip about Crystal Cove. If you go to the right entrance the first time (which we didn’t), you don’t pay the entrance/parking fee on the way in but on the way out. If you then decide to eat a meal, snack, or (like us) dessert in the little restaurant on the beach, they will validate your parking. Since the entrance/parking fee is $15, as long as you eat for $15 or less you at least break even. The restaurant isn’t cheap, and the validation did nothing for us since we already paid the fee when we went in the wrong entrance, but perhaps someone else can benefit from our experience.

We had a beautiful day at Crystal Cove. I’m sure we would have had a great time at any of the many amazing beaches in that part of California, but the added experience of seeing sea creatures up close in their natural habitats of the tide pools made it an unforgettable day!

Hangin’ in the O.C.

Our friend Maggie lives in Orange County with her five kids. We connected over Facebook and she invited us to come and stay with them on our way through California. We happily took her up on the offer! A chance to catch up with an old friend and a free place to stay? Definitely!

Here we met our first driveway that was too steep to set up our camper (probably – we didn’t technically try) and so for the first time in 55 days, we slept in a house. It was really nice in some respects – especially not having to walk outside to a bathroom in the middle of the night. But even though we were in great beds, and the mattresses were, by any definition, better than what we had in the camper, they weren’t our beds. The kids didn’t sleep well, which means no one slept well.

So I mentioned Maggie has 5 kids, right? They’re older than ours, ages 10-17 or so. But until recently, they also had foster kids that were younger – like the ages of my kids. So the kids were great with little ones and everyone was used to crazy toddler chaos. On Sunday, before church, she took our kids for a walk and Staffan and I both had some alone time. Staffan borrowed their piano and spent his time making music. I decided to go for a “quick” run, which ended up being anything but quick when I made a wrong turn and got lost. Eventually I realized something was wrong and found myself using on the map in my phone (again, what did we do without smart phones?) and started back in the right direction… doubling my usual run distance. When I hobbled in the door after the time we had planned to leave for church, the morning became slightly less relaxed than intended. But still! Alone time! And then later on Sunday, Maggie said, “You guys should go to a movie tonight!” Seriously? A date? Alone time and couple time in the same day? Thanks Maggie!

Pictures Maggie took at the playground while they were on their walk.

This boy loves to swing!

Not actually one of Maggie’s kids… but her friend’s son who she homeschools along with her own “fab five”

And our church tourism continued. It was perfect timing to be in Orange County on a Sunday, and we worshiped at Saddleback (pastored by Rick Warren, of Purpose Driven Life fame). It’s hard to say if it’s bigger or smaller than Willow Creek, for example, but the sprawling, multi-building campus made it feel much bigger. For me, it seemed too big and disorienting. I have no desire to “rate” or “review” churches, but I have to admit I was disappointed. It’s not that there was anything wrong with Saddleback, but after having heard so much about it, I guess I was expecting it to be different than it is.

We had a great weekend catching up with friends and enjoying the beautiful southern California weather. On Monday, we explored Crystal Cove… which deserves its own post!

Hollywood Drive-by

We left Santa Barbara, headed for Orange County, California, and took a detour off the interstate to drive through Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Even on a Saturday, there was a lot of traffic and since we were towing the trailer it was nearly impossible to park. So Beverly Hills for us was a drive-by, and all our pictures were taken from the car except one. I wanted to take a picture of the stars on Hollywood Boulevard, so Staffan pulled over wherever he could find space (definitely NOT a legal place to park!) and I had one minute to hop out and find a star. I had to walk a bit before I saw a name I recognized, but when I came to Ella Fitzgerald, I snapped the picture and ran back to the car.

Here are some more pictures. It’s Hollywood from the passenger seat of a minivan.

I should’ve zoomed this one better. The sign above “HOLLYWOOD” says “stay cool” with an arrow pointing right. We turned right. Who wouldn’t?

These neighborhoods look just like they do on TV

Rodeo Drive, baby! We heard on the radio that they’re trying to get permission to build a 99¢ store there.

Another weird yellow sign that should have been zoomed better. Under “city of Los Angeles” this one says “Magic Ahead”

The Chinese Theater – from the passenger side of a moving minivan

Hollywood Boulevard

The Beverly Hills sign

Los Angeles city skyline

Warner Brothers studio gate

Hollywood Boulevard, Bob Hope Square

We spent entirely too long driving around trying to find a good view of the Hollywood sign. We looked it up on the internet (what did we do without smart phones?) and drove around and around and around trying to find the places they suggested. In the end, we saw it clearly at least. The pictures aren’t great, but they aren’t bad for minivan photography.

This is an expensive picture, if you count the time and gas it took to get it

Obviously, Hollywood is a place you could go and spend your whole vacation. Lots of people do. But we’re not exactly celebrity watchers, and can’t really imagine ourselves spending money on a “tour of the stars’ homes” or anything like that. It was definitely fun to see some of these famous places with our own eyes, and it was worth taking the detour off the interstate. But my curiosity is satisfied and I can’t say I have any great longing to go back.

Santa Barbara

In Santa Barbara we were hosted by the Parsons, some of the sweetest, most encouraging, most hospitable people we’ve ever met. Also some of the busiest – though they always seem present in the moment and you never get the sense that they’re overwhelmed or stressed when you’re with them. Someday I would like to learn that skill. Among other things, they oversee the Former Soviet Union region for Young Life and spend a whole lot of time in airplanes.

They only had a few days to be at home in between trips, and they were willing to share that time with us. What a joy to be with people who love so well and who we view as role models in so many ways. And to do it in a setting like Santa Barbara, which is such a beautiful blend of beaches and mountains… what a blessing our time in Santa Barbara was!

Mountains on one side, beach on the other, palm trees in between

After we arrived, set up the camper in their driveway, and did a little catching up, we piled all 7 of us (the 4 of us plus Gary, Jeanne, and their daughter Tatyanna) into their suburban for a driving tour of the Santa Barbara area. The next day, the four of us set off on foot (well, Peter was more ‘on stroller’ than foot) to explore the town a bit for ourselves. We walked down the main street, window shopping, browsing in stores, and having lunch before we eventually came to the beach. After a bit of play time at the beach, the Parsons came to pick us up and the whole gang headed off to the pumpkin patch! (Even though it’s November as I write and post this, it was October when we were there. Perfect timing for a pumpkin patch.) Picking and carving our pumpkins together was so fun and special that it deserves its own post.

Where shopping meets beach

These musicians just jammin’ on the beach got themselves a back up dancer

Peter knows it’s important to drink lots of water when you’re out in the sun!Great shot of Gary and Tatyanna

That evening, Jeanne and I gave the kids baths and Tatyanna braided Emelie’s hair. (Why she can sit perfectly still while other people do her hair but kicks and screams if I come anywhere near her with a brush is beyond me, but I digress…) We sat out on the porch by the light of our newly carved jack-o-lanterns until it was past time to put the kids to bed. They were being loved on so well that it was hard to tear them away so they could sleep. In the morning it was time for us to go, and for Gary to take to the skies once again.

A beautiful backyard/driveway, perfect for Home Sweet Pop-up!

Thank you Gary, Jeanne, and Tatyanna for sharing what little time you had at home together with us, and for all the ways you blessed us. We hope one of those airplanes brings you to Sweden sometime soon!

Oceano Washout

One more night on our way to Santa Barbara. We stayed at the Oceano Campground in Pismo Beach, which is a San Luis Obispo State Park. We weren’t far from Santa Barbara, but we were waiting for our friends to get home. We picked Oceano because it was easy walking distance to a beach, a duck pond and a large playground. The plan was to stay the night then spend as much time there as we needed the next day until our friends were ready for us. And then it started raining.

It was the first time rain had impacted our plans at all, which in nearly 2 months of travel is amazing. So for those who have asked what we do when it rains, well, it was time to figure that out.

Most parents will recognize our rainy-day solution. Veggie Tales on the portable DVD player and phone calls to grandparents. It was just like home, except in a smaller space and with a slightly wetter walk to the bathroom.

During times when the rain was slower, we took things out to the car, and when the rain had mostly stopped, we loaded the kids in the car and quickly took down the camper. It was the first time in about 6 weeks that we’d had to pack it up when it was wet. So while it’s never fun to break camp in the rain, we really felt like we couldn’t complain.

We continued south, then, toward Santa Barbara and stopped along the way to kill the remaining time at a Goodwill store until our friends got home. We do enjoy secondhand shopping.

We weren’t at the Oceano Campground very long, and between darkness and rain, we didn’t get any pictures. But here’s a review:

Price: $31, payable at the office of a different RV park down the road. That was confusing.
Location: Seems to be a great location. We never saw the beach, but the duck pond and playground were right across the street. I think it would have been fun.
Facilities: Lacking. There’s a small playground on site that Emelie had fun with while we made dinner the night we arrived. The showers close at 6pm (what!?) and the toilet area is very basic (concrete floors, no heat or hot water, no mirrors). It’s functional but I wouldn’t enjoy it long-term.
Site-description: Paved area to park campers and vehicles. Grass in between (but do not park on it!)
Neighborhood: Crowded and diverse.
Comments: The electric system is only 30 or 50 amp. Which means that if you just have a regular 20 amp plug like we do, you need an adapter. The campground host was kind enough to loan us one, but it would have been good to know that ahead of time.