Category: Fun

The idea for our trip to the West Coast began when Collin, our son who lives in South Carolina, told us that he and his wife, Austin, would attend a conference in Santa Barbara in August. Helen jumped at an opportunity to plan a family gathering and include our son, Justin, and his family, who live in the Los Angeles area. Collin agreed to extend his vacation and bring our granddaughters with him. Thus, a road trip was born for two bi-coastal grandparents, BeBe, and Big Daddy.

Helen and I made reservations for Justin’s family next to us at the Sun Outdoors campground above El Capitan State Beach. We secured a cabin for Collin’s family in El Capitan Canyon Resort, adjacent to the campground. Although our trip had been fabulous up to the gathering, we anxiously counted the days until we were all together again as we moved up the California coast.

I have hundreds of pictures and moments to share about our time in El Capitan, but we’re heading home in a series of short stops, and time for blogging is limited, so I’m going to break up our family gathering posts into two segments. First, I want to outline some of our time in the campground, and then, in the next post, I’ll tell you about some of our excursions.

Food

All the adults in my family are outstanding cooks, making mealtime very memorable. We prepared meals in and out of the trailer and treated ourselves to S’mores over the campfire. Big Daddy even participated and fired up the griddle for Blueberry Pancakes and bacon. We ate well in camp.

Kids Playing Together

The most heartwarming portion of our time together is seeing our grandchildren enjoy each other’s company. At most, they are together once a year, and with their schedules becoming more active, it gets difficult to achieve as they age. Helen works very hard to set aside time for these meetups, and we both delight at watching them come together. This year was an exceptional experience for us.

Don’t Forget Mortimer

Mortimer attracts a lot of attention inside every campground we visit. A little girl in the campsite across from us came out looking for him daily. It was cute. Austin got trapped when it was playtime one afternoon. She was a good sport and let him pester her well into the evening.

Campfires – A Wonderful Way to End the Day

Fortunately, the weather in El Capitan was fantastic during our stay. The evening temperatures were comfortable, and we could enjoy time around the campfire. We quickly went through a bag of marshmallows and had to go out for more. Someone in the crew found a bag of square marshmallows created just for S’mores. Those didn’t last long, either. Big Daddy told one of his “Spider Monkey” stories, wherein all of the children become reimagined as cute little spider monkeys who find themselves in a pickle, and one of the Spider Monkeys becomes the hero who saves the others from inevitable demise. This time, Carter was the hero. I make these up on the fly. I couldn’t repeat the plot if I had to. I bowed to the applause.

Time Passes Too Quickly

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye. I didn’t think Helen would pull herself together in time to pass out hugs as everyone packed up to leave. She managed to choke it back, but it wasn’t easy. Cason helped me put another pin in the map I use to record our travels–El Capitan got a gold pin only because I didn’t have a star.

Join us next time, and I’ll take you to some area attractions, including the 100th Santa Barbara Spanish Fiesta. For now, we’re Easin’ Along–feeling loved and very well-hugged.

Without any guilt or regret, I am happy to tell anyone that we have done very little at Point Mugu (pron: Moo-Goo) except relax and enjoy the beauty around us. We have been in this campground for a little over two weeks and have spent our days reading, walking the beach, and enjoying some fine meals.

Point Mugu Campground is located on a Naval Air Station about 15 miles from Oxnard, CA, at the base of the Santa Monica mountains. We camped here in 2017 during our first attempt at RV travel in a rented motorhome. Things have changed little in the years after that. Our fifth-wheel trailer is on the front row overlooking the beach and less than 100 yards from the water’s edge. We saved the best beach camping for last.

I have made a few exceptions to my sedentary lifestyle, including spending time with three new camera lenses and a new camera while walking the shoreline. During the recent full moon, the tides have caused the waves to crash heavily on the rocks along the beach, and I tried my hand at catching a few at fast shutter speeds (1/1000 sec and higher). The picture below represents one attempt.

I don’t have the patience to be a good bird photographer—I leave that to my bloggy friends, Ingrid and Terri—but gulls and pelicans make good models, so I occasionally shoot in their direction. The gull pictured below flew across my view one lovely afternoon.

One day last week, we broke up our routine and drove about 30 miles south along the coast to Malibu, CA. We walked the Malibu Pier and stopped for lunch at Neptune’s Net. I had Fish & Chips (just okay), and Helen had Fish Tacos that she said were delicious. We drove back to Mugu on a divine weather day.

Our big event was visiting the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA. We made the short drive in less than thirty minutes. Simi Valley is a charming town, with the Reagan Library nestled into a lovely neighborhood with little traffic or commercial properties.

The library is an enormous tribute to President Reagan and his term of office. Each room featured video presentations of momentous events of the Reagan Presidency and his battle against his adversaries during the Cold War. Separate rooms featured his life as an actor and his terms as governor of California. The most notable presentations to me were the videos of Reagan as a speaker. In contrast to the Nixon Library, which I found extremely interesting, the Reagan Library was genuinely uplifting. President Reagan had a gift that few have.

We resumed the usual routine at Point Mugu–reading, relaxing, and walking Mortimer. Next week, we will meet our kids and grandkids in El Capitan, near Santa Barbara, for a family get-together. Justin and family will drive up from Redondo Beach to camp next to us. After spending several weeks in Jackson, WY, Collin and family will drive over and set up shop in a cabin adjacent to the campground. We’re so excited to have everyone together–it doesn’t happen often enough.

We will miss Point Mugu. I’ll leave you with a sunset that explains why. See you in El Capitan, we’re Easin’ Along.

Unlike Tennessee, no buffer exists between cities and towns on the Southern California Coast. One town runs into another in an endless string of charming landscapes and lovely homes overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Where Seal Beach, California, ends going north, Long Beach, California, begins. Helen and I decided to cross the line and visit Long Beach on a delightful Sunday Morning. Our reward was a fabulous Farmer’s Market with fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat offerings for two people who love to eat.

Heavy shopping

The marketplace was abuzz with food shoppers, tourists, and locals out for a stroll in the crisp morning air. After walking through the long line of stands, we walked away with a bag of delicious-looking fresh tomatoes, several ears of corn, fresh asparagus, and two thick, organically grown pork chops. Helen spotted a heavy line of shoppers waiting to pick up tamales as we left. We got in the line, and after 30 minutes, we walked out with six. Be assured they were worth the wait. We also saw a miniature Mortimer walking through the crowd. It was a fun-filled experience.

At our son’s recommendation, the following day, we drove to Huntington Beach, California, another in the string of towns, to walk the Huntington Beach Pier (picture at top). We have tried to visit as many piers along the coast as possible, and I plan to write a “Pier Review” later, but this pier is an example of several of the better ones. The pier crosses over a strand filled with walkers, bikers, and others out for exercise before crossing an extensive beach. It was a busy day in Huntington Beach.

In the years we have traveled to California, I have always intended to visit In-N-Out Burger but have yet to make it. On this trip, Helen and I decided the best way to make it happen was to ask our grandchildren to take us. They agreed. Carter loves In-N-Out Burger and usually has two orders of French Fries to accompany his burger—he orders them “Animal Style,” which includes grilled onions and a special sauce or “spread.” He only ordered one serving on this trip. Helen followed his lead and let Carter finish her fries. Abby ordered an “Animal Style” Grilled Cheese and Animal Fries. Big Daddy (that be me) ordered a “Double-Double” combo. Finally, we accomplished our In-N-Out mission and had a grand time. Thanks, kids!

Before we left the Seal Beach area, we wanted to visit the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California, about 20 miles from the campground. We arrived around 11:00 a.m. and found only a few parking spaces available. We received a warm welcome from the volunteer staff and were directed to a small theater, where we watched a short film about Nixon and his presidency.

I was a college student when Richard Nixon was elected President and a young Army Officer serving in Germany during his second term. I admired his visit to China and watched his downfall with sadness. The library visit put much of his presidency’s history into context, and I’m happy we went. My personal opinion of the man is that he was brilliant, hard-working, and politically astute. Richard Nixon was also complex, untrusting, and very insecure–traits that led to his undoing.

To the credit of the library founders, every aspect of the President’s term was covered fairly. The accomplishments covered the walls and were displayed prominently on movie screens throughout the library. The last room on the tour was devoted entirely to the Watergate coverup. I was somewhat of a Watergate Junkie during the 1970s and followed the details from the break-in to the impeachment hearings. Every detail of the sordid affair was covered accurately in the library’s recounting. I’m glad we went, and I recommend a visit to all.

We had a fabulous time in Seal Beach, but after 16 days, it was time to Ease Along. Our next stop is Point Mugu, California, and I hope you’ll join us there. I’ll be the big guy in the big beach chair…