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We reluctantly left the beach for the mountains. We knew the warm days would continue but warm nights would be gone. We headed inland and a little north for Coarsegold California. This is home of Park Sierra, one of the newer Escapees Co-0ps. This park was built in a rocky hill country at the foothills between Fresno and Yosemite. In building the park the designers and builders who were all volunteers and future leasholders of the park kept every rock and every single tree that did not have to cleared. The spent months clearing underbrush and built everything themselves. They did a super job.
There is a buffer zone on the back of the property of 40 acres which is there to keep neighbors at a distance. It also has a protected creek running through it and was thought to be an ancient indian village site. There is a dirt road that runs through the entire property that was the old stage road from Fresno to Yosemite. Teddy Rosevelt road this road when he met with a delegation in Yosemite about making Yosemite a National Park. On Rosevelt’s return to Washington DC, he started the process. More on Yosemite in the next post.
The drive from Jalama Beach to Pismo Beach was only about 70 miles but was through some beautiful seaside views and then some beautiful farm land. We saw miles and miles of Cauliflower and the same of Strawberries. We stopped at a roadside stand and bought some berries. YUM!
Then we searched for a place to stay. We drove over to the State Beach Campground but it was full. We went to the entrance to the beach area and decided that sand was not for us. We went back about 3 blocks to a County park and got a site. It was cramped, noisy, and expensive. Later we found that there was a second State campground for half the price but too late. oh well.
Exploring at the beach we saw all these 4 wheel drives pulling everything from little old trailers to 40 foot, three axle toy haulers. Down the beach a mile is a off road vehicle area. This being the Easter/Spring Break weekend coming up the rigs were pulling in one after another.
Not all the rigs who came out on the sand were really meant to be there. This guy with a two wheel drive and a heavy trailer quickly found out his limitations. The rig on the other side tried to pull him but that didn’t work. I walked off when they tried to hitch a strap under the sewer hoses of the toy hauler.
Jalama Beach County Park is a neat little camping place on the California coast just South of Lompoc. There are 3 or 4 levels of sites with the top two tiers having electric hookup. We took a site down next to the beach. The weather was very nice.
We got two entertainments while there. The first was a guy with a 26 foot trailer behind a van. He parked in one site, then changed his mind. He spent almost 20 minutes and three “give up, take a lap” trips trying to put the trailer into this super wide site. He finally got it in at about a 45 degree angle and just unhooked. His wife had already walked off and his daughter just sat on the picnic table and watched. When he tried to put up his awning, I couldn’t stand by any longer and went over to show him how before he destroyed it.
The second entertainment was in the other side of the same site. After the first trailer got backed, sorta, this motor home came in and pulled right out into the soft sand. I had looked at this site and passed. It was funny watching the motor home just sink right down to the frame in the sand. After a while, I was out walking and saw the guy shoveling under the back. I commented about the chore ahead of him and he said “It isn’t the first time, we got stuck out in Nevada too.” I sorta ceased feeling sorry for him but maybe I should really really feel sorry for him!! Wish we could have stayed to see how it turned out. 
Today we drove from Temucula (Up in the hills) to Ventura (Down at the Beach). 
It is warm and nice here. We are only staying one night. The beach is big rocks and the sounds of the waves is wonderful. They almost drown out the railroad track and the 8 lane freeway that are just behind us.
Sitting in the lawn chair at our site in Jojaba Hills we noticed the forest fire across the valley. We wondered by they told us it was a prescribed burn for fuels control. We watched for three days as they would burn a section and put it out in the evening and then start it again the next day. When they were done there was this cleared strip from top to bottom. This would give them a fire break if the fire was moving along the hillside.
I knew from my buddy Jim that there was a very active Model Airplane group here at Jojaba Hills. Jim gave me a couple of names to look up but before I could go hunting, Jim told them to come find me and they did. Terry invited me down to fly at their new site. They now have a leased site (after 15 years of squatting on County land) and are a chartered AMA club.
Instead of posting all the photos I have I am going to send you to the album on my site. Click Here
We spent our Sunday gettting home things done up. This week I have a lot of computer work to do so may not post much.
Yesterday we moved from San Diego to JoJaba Hills SKP Park which is east of Temucula, Ca. Part of the reason is to find a quiet place for me to get some work done and part of it was to see the Temucula Blue Grass Festival this weekend. We went down town Old Town pretty unprepared. We forgot our water, our sun screen, our cameras – Good Grief.
We were a little disappointed with the “Festival”. The first band on the Main Street Stage was this Electronic Electric “bar band”. Not too impressed. We left and went to find sunscreen. There were supposed to be jam sessions around but we found none. We did find the sunscreen and a bottle of water ($2). Later we did hear another band that was pretty good. We went to the other band venue to see who else was playing and they didn’t let you take any drinks in. We chose to keep our lemonade and skip the band. 
I did, however find some GREAT Habenaro soaked cashews. Wow they are hot! Wonderful hot. A few minutes ago I touched my eye without washing my hands. I got double vision. Wow!
We are deciding about going tomorrow or not.
The San Diego Zoo is world famous and we have been there before but we do love going to the zoo. Today we arrived a little after 10 and didn’t get back home till after 5. During the time we walked our poor feet right off.
WE found the flowers and plants almost as interesting as the animals.
It was a fun day. We saw lions, elephants, flamingos, monkeys, and a lot of strange people. What a great Day it was.
