Campgrounds – Weekend Campervanning

Dispersed Camping on Bureau of Land Management Area South of Joshua Tree National Park

January 29, 2019

We arrived at Joshua Tree National Park on Christmas Eve day (2018) after having spent a peaceful, away-from-the-crowds night at Red Rock Canyon State Park the previous night. We continued on past the Joshua Tree Visitor Center knowing it was closed because of the government shutdown. At that time it was only day 3, little … More Dispersed Camping on Bureau of Land Management Area South of Joshua Tree National Park

Winter Camping in Red Rock Canyon State Park

January 14, 2019

Spending the holidays surrounded by nature is something we’ve grown to love and look forward to. Finding places that are good for December travels in our campervan can be a challenge, but our California deserts is always a good bet. For our 2018 Christmas holiday trip we made plans to camp at Red Rock Canyon … More Winter Camping in Red Rock Canyon State Park

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

January 10, 2019

Big Sur is a magnificent stretch of coastline in central California just south of Carmel, and although I love all of California’s coastline, the scenery along this particular route is so amazing that it makes me constantly sigh from pure contentment at seeing all the surrounding beauty. Five state parks anchors this area, including Pfeiffer … More Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

A Big Sur Thanksgiving

December 17, 2018

You are absolutely right, I’m a bit off schedule. We are in the middle of December right now and I’m blogging about a Thanksgiving visit to the Big Sur coast. I’m hoping you understand … sometimes life just happens. Hope everyone is fully enjoying the holidays and getting a chance to appreciate our great outdoors. … More A Big Sur Thanksgiving

Crater Lake National Park

August 2, 2018

I hope everyone’s enjoying their summer and getting the most out of our great outdoors! Our much-anticipated summer trip came and went in a blink of an eye, and we have now started the countdown for my daughter’s first day of school. I neeeeed moooooore tiiiiiime! It was a rare summer to have our daughter … More Crater Lake National Park

Camping at New Brighton State Beach

April 4, 2018

Did you know that California has over 1,100 miles of coastline with over 450 beaches? Within those beaches there are around 63 designated California State Beaches that are managed by the State Parks system (this doesn’t include all the beaches in State Parks along the coast). New Brighton is one such California State Beach located … More Camping at New Brighton State Beach

Winter Camping in Valley of Fire State Park

January 1, 2018

Happy 2018! I hope you enjoyed the holidays and created some wonderful memories! Last week on the way to one of my bucket list destinations (Zion National Park), we stopped and camped at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. I was so impressed with this place! Although this is a very popular place for … More Winter Camping in Valley of Fire State Park

Sequoia National Park

August 22, 2017

One minute we’re cruising along Generals Highway in Kings Canyon National Park and then presto, we’ve crossed over to Sequoia National Park. Two parks for the price of one! Always love a good bargain. These two parks are managed as one, but they feel like completely different parks with different Visitor Centers, and overall feel … More Sequoia National Park

How It All Began…

March 22, 2017

A few weeks ago, I got that notice from WordPress. The one that everyone who blogs using WordPress has gotten or will get once they reach their one year mark (“Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!”). A bloggiversary as some call it, a great reminder to reflect on your year of blogging and be appreciative of your … More How It All Began…

Grand Canyon National Park

December 9, 2016

After a night at Mojave National Preserve we were on our way to the Grand Canyon! The nice weather on our drive made us hopeful that the forecast was wrong and it would be beautiful and sunny when we arrived. Just when we started believing in Thanksgiving miracles, we saw them! The massive rain clouds that … More Grand Canyon National Park

Mojave National Preserve

December 4, 2016

A number of years ago, we accidentally discovered that the week before Thanksgiving is one of our favorite times to travel. We had made a trip to Arizona to visit family and as an afterthought we decided to visit the Grand Canyon. That trip has remained one of our most memorable and special national park trips simply … More Mojave National Preserve

Lassen Volcanic National Park, Day 2

August 18, 2016

Lassen Volcanic National Park is truly a unique and awe-inspiring place worthy of National park status, yet the number of visitors to this park remains relatively low. Perhaps it’s due to the remote location of this park with no other famous attractions nearby, as well as the limited time the park is accessible. Although Lassen … More Lassen Volcanic National Park, Day 2

Lassen Volcanic National Park, Day 1

July 27, 2016

Location: Lassen Volcanic National Park Directions: 50 miles east of Redding on Hwy 44 (to the Northwest entrance of the park) Campground: Manzanita Lake campground (amenities included camp store, pay showers and laundry, kayak rentals), $24/night, reservable through recreation.gov 6 months in advance Fees: Park entry fee $20, Campground fee $24/night Date traveled: July 2016 … More Lassen Volcanic National Park, Day 1

Camping in California’s Oldest State Park

June 24, 2016

Location: Big Basin State Park, California Directions: Big Basin is located about 1.5 hrs (65 miles) south of San Francisco and about 40 minutes (25 miles) north of Santa Cruz via Highway 9 and 236. Campground: Huckleberry Campground Fee: $35/night Ever since I heard about the Berry Creek Falls loop hike at Big Basin State Park with … More Camping in California’s Oldest State Park

Sonoma Coast camping

May 16, 2016

Location: Doran Regional Park, 201 Doran Beach Rd, Bodega Bay, California Campground: Doran Regional Park campground, 120 sites, $35/night Reservations: sonomacountycamping.org, reservations can be made 1 year in advance Date of trip: May 2016 We left our home on Saturday excited about the gorgeous weather, convinced that the weather report was wrong for the Bodega … More Sonoma Coast camping