Easin' Along

In our last post, I shared some of the good times our family had while camping at El Capitan Canyon near Santa Barbara, CA. We played, ate, laughed, and enjoyed a campfire in the cool weather. All of the above added up to a great time in the campground. We ventured out occasionally, and I want to share some outings with you in this post.

Feeding the Llamas and Finding a Little Kid

A llama farm occupied one edge of the canyon, and campers were invited to hike over during feeding time and check out the llamas and goats that lived on the farm. Our grandchildren jumped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, the feeding was over when we reached the pens. A farmer tending the animals was about to let us into the pens with the goats and llamas until he realized that one of the llamas in the pen was very protective of the goats and might not be very welcoming.

We enjoyed watching the animals, and just as we were about to leave, a kid goat jumped up on a picnic table next to us. He was a cute little fellow and had no fear of us. Our youngest grandchild, Cason, would have taken him home with her if possible.

In Search of the Monarch Butterfly

The campground brochure contained information about a Monarch Butterfly Habitat near the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In need of some exercise, we decided to check it out. The hike was short but a bit steep as we neared the bluff. Collin gave his Mom a hand to the top of the overlook.

We reached the habitat area only to find that the Monarchs had long since departed. Nevertheless, the view was amazing (see the photo at the top of the post).

Ostrichland

In our continuing search for critters, Justin took us to Ostrichland, where we would serve lunch to a large group of Ostriches and Emus. Feeding this group was an all-day, paid event for the large birds, and we wouldn’t miss out this time. We received a bowl of food for a few dollars each and turned loose around the pens to feed some hungry creatures. They didn’t turn it down.

Solvang

Solvang, CA, is a Danish Village just a few miles away from Ostrichland. Helen and I visited there a few years ago, but we felt that Collin’s family should see this unique community. We did some window shopping, but the big attraction was the pastry shops on almost every corner. We had lunch on the patio of one of them.

Santa Barbara 100^th Spanish Festival

A highlight of our outdoor activities was a trip to Santa Barbara for the 100th Spanish Festival, a week-long event. When we arrived, a lot was going on. Music filled the streets, and food trucks filled a lawn near the courthouse, serving many Spanish delights. I love tamales, and I had my fill (if that’s possible).

Vendors lined the sidewalks, offering crafts and other items to browse through. I found nothing that stirred my interest…until I spotted a Henna Tattoo stand. Thinking it might be fun for everyone to get tattooed, I held my hand out and requested a ship’s anchor for the back of my hand. Collin got one, also. Before long, all of the granddaughters and my daughter-in-law had some ink. In my opinion, Austin won the prize for the best design—a lovely flower for the inside of her wrist.

The only lowlight of the Festival is that my credit card got hacked, probably at a food stand, and I was charged over $7,000. Fortunately, the credit card company did not let it go through, but I had to cancel my card.

We had a fantastic time in El Capitan and hated to leave. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Enjoy your Labor Day. We’re Easin’ Along.

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.