Avila, California. March 23rd, 2014.Looking up the beach

Avila, California. Sunday March 23^rd, 2014.

They say moss doesn’t grow on a rolling stone so after three nights it was time to move on from Borrego Springs. This time we were heading to the Pacific Ocean, our second ocean of the trip this year! Wow now we will have been to both coasts in one trip!

Our routine each travel morning is to first relax and enjoy our morning coffee and have some breakfast. Most travel days we don’t go too far so we rarely have to rise and hit the road in a hurry. This was true here too. 

After packing up the patio and hooking up the CRV to the hitch, off we went meandering the highways & freeways in a north and westerly direction to our next stop, which happens to be one of our favorites.

Not being in a rush to get anywhere and keeping our driving to short trips sure makes the journey more enjoyable. In the past it was always double-digit hours on the road and I don’t miss that one bit. I try not to travel at night either but that’s not always possible. Did I mention we must be getting old?

We ended up going through parts of the greater Los Angeles area again, not one of my favorite things to do especially when we are 53 feet long. It couldn’t really be avoided. 

The freeways are usually good but some of those drivers leave a lot to be desired. I wish they would learn how to properly merge onto a freeway and quit cutting us off! They must think we can stop this 12-ton rig on a dime?

Finally we cleared the worst of Los Angeles and headed up through Ventura towards the area of San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach and our destination Avila. One of our favorite camping spots and it is right on the side of the ocean! If the weather is good there is no better spot. If the weather is not so good there is no better place to relax!

Now I must add that there are a lot of places cheaper than California. If you are on a tight budget then this isn’t the cheapest state to visit. Camping can be expensive and so is fuel for the rig. I guess there’s a price one has to pay if one wants to be in So Cal.

We were lucky and found a camp spot right on the edge of the road, directly overlooking the beach. The only bad part about this spot and I forgot until 6am the next morning, is that the shift change traffic from the local Power Plant can be a bit noisy. Barb seems to sleep right through it, but as soon as it occurs I am up for the day!

No matter where I am at… my morning routine is to get up and make the coffee. If we are not plugged into shore power I have to start the Jenny (Generator) to run the electric coffee maker. If we don’t have shore power and we have neighbors near us (and it’s early) then I have to make coffee the old fashioned Melitta way. No power required, just the good old-fashioned gas stove. I bet you always wanted to know all about this! 

So after I got the coffee started my routine is that I clean up and it all times out perfectly. I have my coffee and head out to my patio. This is my favorite time of day, whether it’s an early morning, any morning at home or on the road. I especially enjoy the quiet early mornings with my Java when we are parked somewhere so scenic. This particular location is so very hard to beat!

As the waves come in and crash and the tides go in or out I am left with to watch and wonder for all that nature has to offer. The birds are all flying while some drop straight down beak first into the surf for their favorite snacks. 

The seals are going back and forth while floating on their backs enjoying their breakfasts too. The sailboats are tied to their buoys sitting in the bay gently floating about. Grey clouds of this particular morning begin to break up and the sun comes through and warms my legs. 

With the sounds of the seagulls in the background I am left with my thoughts and the first one coming to my mind each and every time is how blessed we are to have this opportunity. The Pacific Ocean always brings me the same simple peace.

Our days here will be spent mostly relaxing, reading, eating, walks & perhaps a bike ride or two with nice quiet evenings. We just love the coast!

We arrived in Avila just in time for sunset.
The view from our patio.

Looking up the beach. 

Our Beach Home for a couple of days.

Some of our neighbours.

Our Buddies relaxing while one takes a swim!

You can walk right up to these guys, but be careful they are huge!

If you hear the siren thats not good news.

The Pier is always a fun place to visit.

That white motorhome near the center on the edge is our home!

Meal time views!

Nothing like a nice drive on the beach. Watch out for the waves!

Its sandy out here too!