Two if by Land, One if by Sea – Oceanside to San Onofre, CA

Although we wanted to spend two weeks at Fiddler’s Cove in Coronado Beach, we could only reserve a space for six nights. Our time there was lovely, even with a heavy marine layer on us every morning. So, at the end of our time there, we moved to Del Mar Campground on the Marine Base at Camp Pendleton, near Oceanside, CA. We reserved six nights there also.

Del Mar Campground is a beach with full hookups, and we parked Dora on the sand. We spent our first three nights in a campsite on the third row, and Helen complained the entire time that she had no view of the water. That would not do so; she marched into the office to ask for any vacancies on the front row. Without checking, the attendant told her that there were no open campsites. Helen had noticed that no one had camped in site 14 when we were there, so she waited until the attendant was on the phone and asked someone else, telling the new person that site 14 appeared vacant. New person checked–we moved to site 14 on the front row.

Our new campsite was about 100 yards from the water. We kept the windows open and let the waves lull us to sleep at night. Our beach vacation began at Del Mar. Neither of us is a beach sitter, but we love beach views, and the front row filled the bill.

We did little during our stay except relax. Finally, we knew we had to move around, so we went into Oceanside to walk the pier and catch the sights. As we looked for a parking place near the pier, we learned that the Race Across America was about to take off from below the pier, and the cyclists lined up for the race in pairs (two if by land—get it?).

We asked an event volunteer for information on the race’s details and learned that the first leg began in Oceanside and ended in Durango, CO. That portion of the competition is called Race Across the West. From there, the cyclists, participating in the entire race, travel across 13 states and finish on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The race takes from nine to twelve days. Except for an occasional stunning sunset, viewing the start of the race was the most exciting thing that happened to us all week (by far). We’re a wild bunch!

From Del Mar, we moved to San Onofre Beach, another campground on Camp Pendleton, where our beach vacation would continue for two more weeks. For reference, San Onofre is on the coast and about eight miles south of San Clemente, CA. Our campsite was about fifty yards from the surf’s edge and had a spectacular water view.

On our second day there, Helen, Mortimer, and I loaded up and drove about an hour north to meet our son, Justin, and drop Mortimer off with Abby, our granddaughter. Our grandson, Carter, played in the SoCal Cup Volleyball tournament at the Los Angeles Arena the day before, and we wanted to attend the second day’s matches. We entered the arena, and volleyballs were flying everywhere. I’m guessing there were nearly 1000 participants on over 80 volleyball courts. Carter’s team won the first match, winning both games.

Almost as quickly as the first match ended, the second began. Carter’s team also won that match in two straight and remained undefeated for the day. Because Helen and I had to retrieve Mortimer and return to San Onofre, we left after two matches but had a grand time.

I cannot count the times Mortimer, our wrinkle-faced love sponge, has drawn passersby into our campsite. I love how people react to Mortimer, who is always eager for a love pat—sometimes annoyingly. A day or two into our time at San Onofre, Helen and I sat in front of our trailer, reading and watching the surf roll in. Mortimer rested comfortably at our feet. A lady and her teenage daughter passed by and asked if they could pet our pup. Mortimer didn’t wait for the go-ahead; he moved in and fell in love with them both.

We introduced ourselves to the pair, Jenn and Chesney, and learned that Chesney was participating in the Junior Surfing Championship, held about a mile down the beach from us. Helen and I had a delightful conversation with them both. Knowing little about surfing competitions, I asked Chesney how the competition worked and how surfers scored enough points to move up and win. I learned a lot and promised to attend her event the next day. After peeling Mortimer away, Jenn and Chesney moved on to rest up.

Helen and I walked the mile along the beach to the competition and met Jen while Chesney prepared to surf. Chesney is ranked in the top fifteen in the world in her age group (age 15 and under) and is as adorable as she is athletic. When the time came for her event, she paddled her board out with three other competitors for a twenty-minute round in the quarterfinals. Although surfing is an individual sport (one if by sea–get it?), surfers compete in groups of three or four. Chesney gave it her all, but the waves didn’t break her way on this day. She finished third and missed the opportunity to move ahead. Helen and I shared her disappointment, but we know she will have better days in future competitions.

Helen and I returned the next day to watch some men compete. Surfing is a new sport for us, and I found it fascinating. At this level, everyone is good!

This morning, Jenn and Chesney stopped by before flying home. We took pictures, shared contact information, and promised to stay in touch. I hope we do.

We have another week in San Onofre. We might explore the area, but leaving our current setting is difficult. Readers will understand.

Our most exciting moment of the week came when a rocket launched from Vandenburg Air Force Base flew directly over our campsite. I grabbed my camera too late to capture the rocket, but I did get an image of the trail. Again, it only takes a little to get us excited.

We’re Easin’ Along.