Head To The Hills – Chino Hills State Park

Tucked away, in between the hustle and bustle of Anaheim and Ontario we found one of LA’s hidden gems. Chino Hills State park is an immense park boasting more than 14,000 acres of nature stretching nearly 31 miles. Chino Hills State Park is one of the most well-maintained, low-key, yet easy to get to state parks that I have been to in Southern California. We found this massive park on a fluke. We were driving by and saw a sign so we decided to check it out. Located minutes from the 71 freeway, we were shocked at what we found there. Not only was the 2 mile drive along the dirt road easy, but it was an instant transformation. It was like walking through a door from the noise and pollution of LA to rolling hills of Montana. We were so impressed that we instantly decided to stay the night.

The campground (Rolling M Ranch and Campground) at the park is small, about 20 sites around one loop. For the most part the sites were all pretty good. They were spacious, had great views of the blossoming hillsides, equipped with fire pits, tables & grills. We drove the loop once to choose our spot for the night and decided on site #9, which was on the upper part of the loop, looking out over the “valley” and bordered along the back by high grass and a colorful palate of wildflowers.

Once parked, we began our site set up, much easier with just the two of us (we are now down to just over 5 minutes.) With our tent, chairs, cooking area, cooler and everything else in place we took a stroll to check out the bathrooms and see how they measured up. The bathroom building was immaculate! There were several flush toilets and two free hot showers.

As there was only one other site being occupied this night, we decided to have a nice relaxing dinner and just sit back and relax by the fire. We still had about 2 hours before the sun went down so we explored a bit, picked flowers and just sat, listened and exchanged our thoughts on how nice it was there.

Just before sunset, it started to get a bit chilly so we layered up and threw another few logs on the fire. The campsites are very open, no shade or shelter from the elements there. The wind coming through the hills was “COLD.” Once we got jackets on and positioned in the right spot by the fire, we sat back and could hear the wildflowers and the tall grass behind us swaying in the wind. Not something that we heard too often in LA. A bit later we heard the infamous call of the coyote. Not one or two…my guess would be closer to a dozen. They seemed to get pretty close. It was kind of cool as it just made me feel more and more like we were way out in some rural forest.

The chatter between the coyotes lasted about an hour before they moved on to another area. The stars were out in force, the air crisp and cold and the fire was now a low flicker, so we prepared the site for the night and crawled into our tent. Thankfully the ground, although it was mostly dirt, was not too hard. We just got back from several days in the rocky desert and I don’t think my ribs and hips could take another beating.

All in all I would say that this campground would fall into my top five in the area. Please note that there is not much to do there for children unless they like to hike and explore trails. There are more than 60 miles of hiking trails within the park and plenty of hillsides to play on, but no playgrounds, swimming or organized activities.

Yahoo! Map of Campground area

About the campground:
# of sites – 20
Tenting vs. RV – TENT ONLY - NO RVS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bathrooms – 4
Showers – Free (hot)
Water – Spigots scattered around campground
Electric – No
Convenience Store – No
BOA Recommended sites – 8, 9, 10

Cachuma Lake Recreation Area

Located about 30 minutes northeast of Santa Barbara, Lake Cachuma’s County Campground offers something for everyone.

Located on the South rim of the lake, this monstrous campground is home to more than 400 campsites. In addition to the tenting, partial hook-up and full hook-up sites, you can also rent 4-5 person “yurts” ($60 - $70/night) and cabins ($145-$165/night) on-site.

For such a big campground, we found that it was pretty well maintained. The sites were all decent sized, restrooms were evenly spread around the grounds and there is even a well-kept, coin-operated, shower building.

On-site there is also; a store, a gas station, boat dock and launch, a café, tackle shop and boat rentals, a swimming pool (open during the summer months for a small fee) and several playgrounds.

Being such a large campground, bringing bikes would be a great idea. We rode around for a few hours and had a blast. The campground does an OK job separating the RVs from the traditional tenters. There are areas with full hook-ups, areas with partial hook-ups and some with no hook ups. You will find far less RVs, generators, outdoor TVs and such if you stick to the no hook-up areas. I would love to see the park not allow any RVs in the no hook-up areas so that us tenters can have an area of our own.

It was annoying, to the point of being comical, to bike around and see people with generators running just so that they could watch TV or play video games in their immense, mobile condos. We saw; a truck loaded with artificial grass to put down in front of his RV, pink Flamingos and garden gnomes carefully positioned around one lucky RVer’s site we even saw another group of massive RVs positioned in a U shape offering their owners their own little brightly lit “compound.”

We found a cool spot under a few trees and up against a bank, running down to the water. The site that we were in (#295) was large and flat. We could have easily set up 6 – 8 tents and still had room to play around. The fire pits were a bit awkward as they were basically thick, cement blocks with one side missing. Once we got the fire started and figured out the best way to keep logs from falling out of the missing side (using the cooking grate,) we were able to get quite a nice fire going.

On our rides around the campground talking with other campers, we were able to identify a few other cool sites that we would suggest trying to get after /during your check-in. These sites include; 285, 288, 290, 299, 313, 315, 397. The sites 441 to 483 (towards the end of the point) tend to get very windy. The loop of sites in the 500 range was closed down and is only open during the summer months so we did not have a chance to check them out.

The group sites were actually very impressive with large (5 feet across) fire pits, clusters of picnic tables, huge, crank-down cooking pits, and many had horseshoe areas. If you are interested in one of those sites, make sure that you have a TON of people going with you as they range from $160/night to $600/night.

This campground is a first come first serve operation. I would suggest getting there a day early if you think it is going to be busy.

Yahoo! Map of Campground area Click HereLake Cachuma offers plenty of fishing, but no swimming or skiing in the lake, boating but not swimming or skiing? You must have proof of current rabies vaccination for your dogs and the helmet laws are enforced for children under 18… even for scooters.

About the campground:
# of sites – 400+
Tenting vs. RV – 60% no hook-ups
Bathrooms – 6 plus scattered port-a-potties
Showers – 1 large shower house and two restroom buildings also have showers
Water – shared water spigots
Electric – at about 405 of the designated sites
Convenience Store – Yes
BOA Recommended sites (for tenters) - 285, 288, 290, 299, 313, 315, 397

Jalama’s Beach Camping

Located about an hour north of Santa Barbara (just south of Lompoc,) Jalama Beach is one of the coolest campgrounds that I’ve been to in years. The combination of the great beach, on-site store/café, individual and group sites and its remote location make this a one of a kind camping experience.

Upon heading up the 1 freeway from the 101 (north of Goleta), we quickly realized that we were in the middle of nowhere. It was nice to be completely surrounded by nothing but trees and pastures. Once we got to the turn of for the campground, we spent another 30 minutes driving along the windy country road all the way out to the coast.

Upon arrival we checked in with the ranger and found that there were only 2 sites available for the weekend (99 and 100.) These sites are located up on the hill above the check in booth and would not have been our first choice of spots, but we did have a spectacular view of the beach and ocean as well as a full view of the entire campground.

Jalama is one of the remaining few campgrounds that is still first-come-first-serve so it is recommended that for any stay, during busy times, try to arrive on a Tuesday or Wednesday for your chance to get one of the 12 “on the beach” sites (53-64.) Sites 1-9 and 17-26 are also pretty cool if you are into socializing with your neighbors. They are all lined up next to one another in a grassy area in the middle of the campground. All of the sites that I have mentioned do have enough space for a family to be comfortable, but make sure to bring an EZ-UP or umbrellas for shade as there are not too many trees on site.

The beach is great! There was a huge assortment of people enjoying the water. Everything from surfing, kite-surfing, swimming, body boarding and searching the tide pools for cool rocks and sea creatures. We had a blast at the beach. Running around with our trusty camping dog “Amy” and collecting rocks, seashells, driftwood and fossils of all kinds kept us busy most of the afternoon. One thing that I love about the beach is that the south half is soft sand and the northern section is rock formations and tide pools. No matter what you like to do at the beach….you can do it there. We spent an afternoon just sitting there on the beach letting our dog run wild, watching the schools of dolphins dancing in the surf and taking pictures of the crazy kite-surfers speeding through the water. The crowd at Jalama is a nice change. There were a perfect mix of people – from elderly RVers and parents (with their kids) to college and high school students.

After taking all of the hot sun that we could, we took refuge in the shade at the café. Jalama’s store/café has some of the best burgers that you could ever want. Depending on the time of day, you could end up waiting (as we did) for nearly an hour for the burgers to be done. They get BUSY!!! I would suggest ordering your food and then going back to your site for a cool drink and rid the sand and saltwater from your hair and body. By the time you get back, your food should be ready. The store also offers; groceries, personal care sundries, firewood, fishing bait and tackle, ice, beer and wine and much more.

The campground has a cool grassy picnic area on the north side and an incredible group camping area “C” in the southwest corner. Plus a children’s play area

Basic Info:
There are 98 campsites, all overlooking the ocean or beachfront. Each site has a picnic table and BBQ pit, with hot showers, restrooms and water nearby. 29 sites offer electrical hookups, and dump stations are available. 5 bathrooms and 1 shower building. Campsites are assigned on a first come, first served basis -- one site to one vehicle. Only group areas may be reserved in advance. Keep in mind that summer is their busiest time, and that campsites fill fast. Check-out is 2:00 pm. Campers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Jalama Beach County ParkStar Route, Jalama Road Lompoc, CA 93436Recorded Information (805) 736-6316Group Camping Reservations (805) 934-6211Park Office (805) 736-3504
http://www.sbparks.org/2007/Jalama/jalamabeach.html

Desert Camping and Mud Caves

The desert … its unforgiving harshness, the cracking dirt ground begs for water, the wind and the baron trees leaves some people wondering if it is worth the trip. But... if you can sit quietly for a moment, the desert will come to you, it will lift your spirits… comforting and accepting. Wildlife speaks into the night as the stars multiply by the second…taking a deep breath I am once again filled with peace. The warm night wind travels through my hair as I watch the moon shyly make its appearance low on the horizon before settling high in the desert sky for the night. Coyotes cry, wind howls and the moon shines upon the rocks making them appear as tiny pools of water. These are the reasons I make the long trip into the desert…. It’s more than a destination; it’s an adventure, a spiritual connection with the earth.

Anza Borrego is located about 110 miles East of San Diego, Ca. Besides being a fascinating desert location, Anza Borrego also has some interesting history, exciting off road trails, ghost towns, mud caves, hot springs and ghostly appearances that are said to roam the Vallecito campground. We ended up camping at Agua Caliente because Vallecito was full due to the 150th anniversary of the Stage Coach crossing. Agua Caliente campground has a natural hot spring that campers can enjoy, there is a children’s spring and a separate indoor adult spring, and the campground also has hot mineral water showers as well. The kids were plenty occupied right at our campsite, they dug for treasures and climbed the rocky mountains for hours, not once did I hear “mom I’m bored” in fact they were close to tears when it was time to leave.

Take the time and follow the dirt roads and you will once again be greeted by more mysteries of the desert ….cool caves and long slot canyons. It takes a keen eye to spot the mud caves, they appear like small holes in the dirt, but once you reach the entrance you will be pleasantly pleased by the gifts that are there for you to explore. The caves are made from mud and they have a creepy feeling to them, they seem like they could collapse at any minute. Each mud cave is unique, but they all share some similarities, they are formed by erosion of the ceiling breaking through to the top. Some of the caves can be 80 feet or more underground, most caves follow a serpentine course back and forth. They are all cooler than the sometimes oppressive heat of the desert. These caves are pitch dark, (except for the surprising skylights) so be sure to bring more than one light source and as always bring plenty of water, a spare tire, a shovel (to dig yourself out of the dirt) and snacks….the dirt roads can be slow going. There are approximately 22 mud caves and 9 slot canyons for all ages to explore…if you dare!




The main road that travels through Anza Borrego is creatively called S2; leaving the Agua Caliente campground and traveling further south on S2 will lead you to a dirt road on the left called Vallecito Creek follow the dirt road for about 2 miles and look to the left and you will see a sign called Arroyo Tapiado follow this dirt road for a few miles and you will find the caves.

Traveling to Anza Borrego may be slow, but if you can find the time it is a great trip for all ages
if you cannot get into one of the San Diego run campgrounds, you can also find state run campgrounds by going to www.reserveamerica.com and search for Anza Borrego State Park

Reservations for Agua Caliente campground can be made by
through San Diego County






About the campground:

# of sites – Full hook up 53
Partial Hookup 53
Non-hookup 35


Tenting vs. RV – Tents and RV’s are pretty much separated and it is 50/50

Bathrooms – Clean

Showers – Yes! Hot mineral water showers

Water – yes

Electric – yes

Convenience Store – down the street

BOA Recommended sites – 130,129,128,127 in that order for tenting only

Beach Camping in Ventura County

Just last week, we went for a short, one night, camping trip to Pt. Mugu’s Thornhill Broom campground. It was the two of us and our 16 year old and two of her friends.



We’d never really camped there before because usually when we drive by, the place is completely full of RVs and as tent campers, we generally don’t like to go to sleep to the sound of generators.

Anyway, it was actually quite nice. Although it is smack dab right up against PCH, with only a flimsy metal fence separating us from the speeding traffic, the sites are great. You can set tents up in the sand, there are huge fire pits (so you can get that ‘big’ fire going and the water there is very clean.

As far as the sites go, sites 1-7 are good if you want to play on the beach and in the water…nothing but soft sand. (We had site #4) On the other end, sites 55-64 have some small trees and bushes that can be used for privacy…and a little shade. All of the sites in the middle have sand that leads down to rock…then the water. You have to walk over 15 yards of rock to get to the water.
Overall, I like camping there. Dogs are allowed on the beach and the lifeguards are not too strict on letting your dogs off leash (they can run and play in the water.) I guess that I’d say it would depend on what you wanted to do. There is no store and not much to do except lie in the sun and swim.

Please let us know what some of your favorite Southern California places are…camping, beaches, hiking, fishing, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Tent Camping With Black Bears

First off, I’d like to say that this trip to the Sequoia National Forest was to be my first encounter with Black Bears. Before leaving, Mariah (and many other people) told me all of their stories about bear encounters up there and I have to admit that as excited as I was, I was a bit nervous. After our first night camping, I woke to no signs (or stories from other campers) about bears having been in the campground that night. Believe me…I asked just about everyone. I was a bit disappointed and quite honestly…a bit scared to come back to you all with no bear stories. On our second night there, after sitting by the fire and carving a large stick that I’d found into the ‘world’s best bear spear’…to protect us from our impending encounter, we actually opened a big can of baked bean and left them on the table at the site next to ours (nobody was there…we are not that cruel) to see if we could attract a nice big bear that would enjoy this friendly offering. Again with NOTHING! Anyway, we spent two nights at that campground (full post to come) and then decided that maybe we should head deeper into the forest…”where the bears live” for a few nights. At our second campground, which was DEEP into the National Forest, the campground was a bit on the empty side and we ended up with a pretty cool site, in the woods right on the edge of the Kings River. We drove around the campground until we had found the site that bears would like the most. Again…NOTHING! I got a bit pissed and started “accidentally” dropping food around our site…and even calling into the woods, “bears….oh bears….come out and play”…Along with other ridiculous absurdities. At the site right next to us, there were 2 guys and a woman who were from another country and obviously did not know that being nice…and social with the campers around you was the proper thing to do.

We did not like them…for that reason…UNTIL…on the second night, I heard one of the guys from that site yell, “BEAR!” and then he started banging on a pan with a rock that he’d picked up. My eyes widened (out of excitement, not fear) and I jumped out of my chair. I turned and called for Insane Mama, who was in the tent …putzing around, to get her ass out of the tent. I grabbed my bear spear and basically threw it at Mariah while I snatched up our camera and ran to catch up with our neighbor, who was trailing the bear, warning the campers ahead of him. When I reached him (in like 2 seconds), I asked him where the bear was and he pointed ….I saw it! In the dark I saw the outline of a fairly big bear. I had to get closer. I was going to get a picture of this beast.

Armed only with my little digital camera, I darted toward the big black outline as he (or she) made it onto a campsite across the way. The bear stopped at the picnic table (where some idiots had left out trail mix and dried dates…I will thank them later.) The bear stood up and cleared things from the table and grabbed what it wanted. Meanwhile, people were yelling, throwing rocks and sticks at the ground near it, banging pans and blowing whistles…all of this while crept forward until I was about 15 feet from it. I started snapping pictures. They were coming out all black…not enough light. I fidgeted with all of the settings, snapping as I went…not really paying any attention to the 500 pound bear who could have reached my position in about 3 seconds if it wanted to. Seeing the bear only through the camera’s viewfinder, I took about 15 pictures before the bear started to move on towards the next loop of campsites. I did not care what the others were doing…I HAD to get a good shot. I trailed the bear into the woods. Once I came to the next campsite, where a large Chinese family was camping, I warned them and asked the dad if he’d seen the bear. I then heard an young voice from inside the tent a young boy’s voice frantically say, “Is it going to eat us? Are we going to DIE?” I, noticing that the bear was gone…and I was the only one who had followed it into the woods, decided to tell the family that they’d be fine and then I turned back through the woods. As I got back to the site where the bear took the food, I heard the woman yelling at her husband that he had better get them packed and the hell out of there within the next few minutes. This lady really meant what she was saying. I did not stop, and when I got back to our site, Mariah was sitting by the fire awaiting my triumphant bear story and pictures (although her face said something like this, “ok…what happened? Oooohh….you saw a bear?...wow…want a medal? You really are my hero….NOT!”) Anyway I told her about the “chase” after she informed me that as soon as I tossed my “Bear Spear” to her…she just returned to our site for a glass of wine. I guess seeing a bear was not such a big deal for her. She swiped the camera from my hands and started going through the last bunch of images taken and then looked up at me, shaking her head and said, “there is nothing here…it’s all black.”

I told her that with the magic of Photoshop…I could get them to come out.Here is what I have to show for all of my efforts.