Travel Day

Today was a travel day. We slept in, ate breakfast, and packed up. We only had 100 miles to El Capitan State Beach, and we couldn't check in until 2:00. We took our time packing up and finally checked out at 11:30.

Refueling was the next item on the agenda. $300 later, we had both vehicles filled and our wallets emptied. Ouch! We fought the occasional wind gust driving south, but it was mostly smooth sailing.

We arrived at El Capitan about 2:30 and drove right to our campsite. The campground is built in a grove of mixed deciduous coastal forest, with a few conifers thrown in for variety. Our site has a clear "view" to the afternoon sun for our solar power needs and enough trees to break up the wind blowing off the ocean. The campground is full, which is no surprise for a Saturday. Most of the campers are serious tenters with enough gear to fill a truck. We are one of the few people in the two loops we walked that have a motorhome. "Real" camping still means being self-sufficient with a tent and all the gear. But there's also something to be said for sitting at a table, drinking a Dr. Pepper, and typing on a computer.