Spring vacation California camper-van trip with my D... any suggestions?

Parent Cafe
1

Well I am splurging and taking my first-year daughter to California for 6 days next month. We have had TOO much snow and TOO much freezing weather here. This is a super-low-budget trip: redeye flights and we’re renting a small camper-van… just want to road trip around and stay at night in whatever free/cheap campgrounds we can. I’m thinking of heading up the Rte One PCH for the beauty, stopping in Santa Barbara to see my alma mater, etc.

Does anyone have any ideas for must-see places to go, places to stop at night, etc?

Thank you!!

2

San Simeon and Hearst Castle is fun and has a place which has a campgrounds our kids stayed in when they were in the area. Coastal Redwoods are nice to tour, if you are nature lovers. Have never driven with a camper, so not attuned to campgrounds and limitations. Big Sir and Carmel are lovely.

3

Thank you! I was just reading about San Simeon. Looks like the elephant seals may be departed by then, but Hearst Castle looks beautiful. I’ll check out the other places too, thanks!

4

If you are flying in to LAX, look up Leo Carillo state beach campground. Mountainy and beachy all at once. Near Malibu, on your way up to UCSB. Also, Solvang…cute Danish town. Stay at Lake Cachuma campground. Have fun!

5

Sounds wonderful.
A great book - California Camping by Tom Stienstra. If you can find it at a library Great if not I think it is worth the purchase price. It lists all the campgrounds and gives them a scenic rating.
Many public campgrounds take reservations. I don’t think you will find many free campsites. The last week of March is spring break for many Ca schools including many of the UC’s.
For Santa Barbara area you could camp at Carpinteria State Beach or one of the campgrounds above SB on the coast. Or take San Marcos Pass and camp along the river in the Los Padres NF.
I know my H and D have been looking into camping below Big Sur. Lime Kiln campground sounded nice. The elephant seals above San Simeon are worth a stop.

6

Actually spellcheck changed it, Big Sur.

7

Regarding Lake Cachuma- the lake is really low and it is a water source so no swimming.

8

We camped right on the beach outside San Simeon. (But I think it was near Moonstone Bay.) If you went to school in SB, you know how beautiful. If you’ll go further up, check out Nepenthe, a wonderful old restaurant.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/590/files/HearstSanSimeonWebBrochure2009.pdf

Also great vineyards in Mid-Coast.

Love your spirit of adventure. http://www.freecampgrounds.com/detail.aspx?id=3951
(The page the link opens isn’t necessarily the one we stayed at, but the site seems aimed at cheap or free.)

9

If you like hiking, there are some great trails at Pinnacles National Park, including trails through caves and the possibility of seeing CA condors in the wild. Read about it first, though, because there are two entrances that don’t connect. Some of that may have changed, since it was still just a national monument the last time we went.

If you like museums, the Malibu Getty Villa is very nice, but you need reservations.

10

Oh my goodness this is so great you guys! Thank you for all of this info! I am looking things up right now.

11

Yes…Cachuma would be more if a stopover on the way to Solvang. Swimming in March might be on some peoples agenda, but I’m a wimp. Only like to swim in Hawaii in July

12

Check out Veterans Memorial Park in Monterey.

13

Monterey Aquarium is nice, if you haven’t seen it and have the time. We’ve visited several times.

14

When mom60 says Cachuma is “really low,” she means “scarily low”.

15

If you’re going as far up as Monterey/Carmel, one of our favorite places to camp is the County of Monterey campground at the Laguna Seca Raceway. It is a few miles outside of town, but in a rather picturesque area on a hillside. The rates are reasonable and they have clean bathrooms, showers and electricity. The one drawback is that it is near a shooting range (about a half mile away), but honestly, we have never heard anything from the range. You can check the Laguna Seca Raceway website to see if there are any big races that week…if there aren’t any races, it is a quiet, lovely place to stay. And the bonus is that even though you feel like you are out in the country, a Starbucks is just down the road a couple of miles:)

16

Big Sur Bakery for breakfast or lunch and Pfeiffer Beach. They are about 2 miles from each other. Not sure about getting a camper along the road to Pfeiffer Beach though.

17

Just curious – how much is the camper rental? It seems like renting a small, very fuel efficient car and staying in super-budget accommodations may be a less expensive – and potentially more relaxing – option, by the time you add in cost of camper rental, gas, campsite fees, etc. That’s assuming you are going to camper route for economy’s sake; if you enjoy camper camping that’s a different story!

18

Are you flying into LAX? Where do you pick-up the van? What time will you hit the road?
What interests your daughter? Big Sur, Joshua Tree, So Cal beach cities?

Mid march can be chilly at night especially camping.
You will not find “free camp grounds” expect to pay $50 at prime State park camps. Go online and make reservations. LAX to BIG Sur is VERYVERY popular trip.

Camp Ground suggestions:

Dockwiller State Beach. UGLY but well located close to airport and Santa Monica. Parking lot camping directly on the sand and adject to bike path to Manhattan, Hemosa beach and Venice /Santa Monica.

Topanga State Park, Topanga SP reservations suggested. NEVER fills up. (hint: a good base to access Santa Monica)
Outragous hiking. Zero services must bring everything.

Alternative to Busy Leo Carillo–PT Magu SP North of Leo Carillo, camping directly on beach (between high way and and Ocean) or in Sycamore canyon, Again you’ll need reservations.

Jamala County Beach (first come first serve) on the beach about one hour above SB.
Closer to SB is El Capitan SP.

If you want to go into BIG SUR lime kiln is an easy choice. At one time I liked this campground–not so much anymore Very crowded and some crazy ridiulous rules plus many of the sites are under the highway one birgde meaning traffic noise all night. Rather than Lime Kiln look into the National park camps to the south along Hwy 1, normally less crowed, CHEEPER and more friendly.

Rather than the central california Coast, since you’re from the Maine coast, may I suggest the Joshua Tree? Will be chilly at night and hot and dry at day, totally different than Maine or Snowy South Hadley or pretty much anywhere on the planet.

Also, I reccomend spending a least one day in Santa Monica/Venice. Look on GROUPON Travel Zoo for coupon for day visits at the Santa Monica beach hotels. The coupons seem pricey but deals are great. And you get so spend the day 4star luxuriating becah/pool side with spa amenties. Heaven after the pioneer valley. Santa Monica is fun for college age girls and moms. Shop. Rent bikes. Rent a wetsuit and foam board–even take a lesson. SB is usally much warmer than parts north.

Six days may seem like alot but one you pickup the van, lightly provision, and Battle LA traffic, you may wish that you set up one or two/ bases of operation.

19

Also, just checked and there is still a Highway 1 closure between Malibu and Pt. Mugu. It should be fixed by then, but do check, because I think it has been closed most of the time since mid-December.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/display.php?page=sr1

SR 1
[IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM 1.5 MI NORTH OF THE LOS ANGELES/VENTURA CO LINE
/AT YERBA BUENA RD/ TO 4.4 MI NORTH OF THE LOS ANGELES/VENTURA CO LINE
/AT SYCAMORE COVE RD/ - DUE TO A MUD SLIDE - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO
USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE

20

Good point about the closure. State and national parks are found at reserve America, the online booking agent. How big is your camper? Some campgrounds have length restrictions for particular sites. If your renting a “juicy” or similar you’ll be fine.