So yesterday we left SLO and headed south on Hwy 101 for So-Cal and greener pastures (as we are now in the valley vs the seashore). I sang "Ventura Highway" the whole way. And we had a six hour trek to our final destination, Lake Elsinore (poor Jeff, subjected to my singing for 6 hours). We chose this simply because A) It was a Passport America Campground which translates to $15 a night (!!!) and
B) About all we can do is 6 hours on the road before everyone (meaning me) gets super testy! Actually, nice little RV park on the shores of Lake Elsinore. We got a nice spot "up top" near the lake and away from the riff-raff (the Elks are having a get together here). Our neighbors came around in flocks for a meet and greet, very nice people, all of them. Mostly older, retired folks who spend months here either for the weather, family, location. One guy has been here 9 years! Wow...
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| Our park, left center on Lake Elsinore |
Had a quiet evening after searching out and finally finding, Brandy and Sour so we could have an evening Sidecar. What can I say. I have a cold and it just sounded so good. And it was. And I slept like a baby last night for like, 9 hours. May have been the Sidecar, may have been the Nyquil. Or combination of the 2!
This morning we went over the mountain, again...to get back to the shore, and specifically, the famous beach towns of S0Cal....Laguna, Newport, Huntington and Long. Laguna Beach was unbelievable. Just as I expected ( Hey, I watched the MTV show religiously), lots of hot cars, teens shopping with Daddies credit cards, and gated communities. In fact, unless you PAID to park on a state beach, you couldn't get near the shore. Everything is all locked up!
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| The one park you could actually walk to...free! |
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| Some Italian model car...$$$$ |
After Laguna comes Newport Beach. More of the same, very pretty houses that you can see in the distance but not up close. Pretty beaches you have to either pay to see or be a member of some special club to enjoy. So on to Huntington Beach, where I kept singing, to Jeff annoyance, the Beach Boys "Surf City". Which IS Huntington Beach.
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| $15 to park and see the beach! |
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| Surf City Indeed! |
Yes, I finally coughed up the money to park and walk on Huntington Beach. And it was spectacular. Wide, white, clean, gorgeous....as far as I could see. Probably a dozen surfers out in the water and one guy "posing" on the beach. Not sure who he was posing for but I think he was trying to get discovered or something! Very pretty and very real...Surf City!
Just before Long Beach we came upon a little community called Seal Beach. We had to stop on the off chance it was called that for a reason. Apparently, there USE to be a lot of seals on the beach. Now just surfers and tourists.
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| Seal Beach looking toward Long Beach |
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| Looking back toward Huntington Beach |
Had lunch in Seal Beach and snooped around the really great "downtown". Then started for home but made a bad decision. Instead of heading back down Hwy 1 and going over the mountain top (in the dark, and rush hour), I decided to route us a bit farther north then east on Hwy 91 which hooked up with Hwy 15 heading south back to Lake Elsinore. Yeah, rush hour, LA, Friday night = DISASTER!!! I have never in my life seen so many lanes and so many cars and I hope I never do again. It was fine in the end...after all, we are in no hurry and we don't have to do this every night. But God help the poor commuters of LA. This wasn't even the worst of what LA has to offer and we were bumper to bumper for over 40 miles of freeway. Made it back to the BP about 7 p.m. and pretty promptly made another Sidecar...cuz after that, I deserved one.
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