We just spent the weekend down at Doheny State Beach - Spot #77.  We lucked out because my friend Tammy got two spots and they wouldn’t fit into this one.  It’s one single driveway, but you are beach front, so you can pull your pop-up or camper all the way to the curb.

You are pretty cozy with your neighbors - but we had really nice people next to us and we liked their music! We were camping during the Blues Festival and you can hear the music a little bit at your campsite, unless another camper has their radio on.   Saturday night we rode our bikes down to the concert area to hear Brian Setzer play.  You can sit on the beach side of the fence and see the stage and big screen.  We got a good show watching the bums / drunks dance on the beach :-O

Mark laughed at my lavender plant :)  I thought it was pretty cute on my table.  I stuck it in a clay pot so it wouldn’t blow away.

Mark just got a holder to hang the lantern on … pretty cool!  Also, our solar panel works REALLY well.  It’s nice to have your battery fully charged when you don’t have hook-ups and we have an inverter to recharge our iPod.

Beach front is so GREAT!  In under two weeks we can book camping for December!  Be ready at 8 am … well really before …. to get the best spots!  You have to be FAST!

Oh yeah … we totally cheated on this trip.  Friday night we ordered pizza and a pulled-pork sandwich from Bubba’s across the street.  Our friend Tammy and fam ordered from Beach Cities Pizza down in the harbor and they delivered to the front gate!   For breakfast we got breakfast burritos from A’s burgers, across the street - my favorite is the bacon breakfast burrito, served with some salsa… really good.

GO CAMPING !!!

Tags: Camping, doheny state park

Well, I had reserved space # 5 at Doheny State Beach for tonight and tomorrow night - camping, camp fire, some beer, fun, relax …..

I knew by the Reserve America website that #5 could handle a 19ft camper/rv only.  Each spot can have two cars per night, some three.  We have a pop-up trailer, so no problem, we would fit.  Typically we back in the pop-up and then park our car next to it or at the end of the site.

I go down (it’s right by the house, thank goodness) to check in and check out the spot.  Mark won’t get home until later and we’ll go down to camp at that time.  WELL…  #5 is SO SMALL, SINGLE DRIVEWAY, barely any room behind the spot for the table and campfire pit.  I didn’t think our car would fit at the end of the drive, and that would mean parking in the overflow WAY down at the other end of the campsites.

I had looked the other night and saw that #8 was available and it was bigger.  I came home and got on the computer to Reserve America and there were now about 8 spots available and some even FRONT ROW!  You couldn’t reserve them on-line - it said “Walk-Up only”.  So…. I drove back down to the kiosk and spoke to the park person.  I told them I wanted to cancel #5 and get one of the other spots. 

Get this …..  “We can only reserve one night at a time”.   ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  The Reserve America site says it’s available for the two nights.  “We know, but it’s kiosk policy to book one night at a time”.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  You want me to come down, set up my camp for one night and then worry someone will beat me to the kiosk tomorrow to get Saturday night.

FORGET IT…..  I called Reserve America to cancel my spot #5 and got dinked for tonight and a cancellation fee and some other fee.  WHATEVER. 

I just have to say HOW STUPID THAT SYSTEM IS .

Here is spot #5 at Doheny State Park - DON’T RESERVE IT —— EVER !!!!!!

Tags: Camping, doheny state park