Towards Home….A Little

We made it to Avila Beach last night just about sunset.  Avila is just a few miles north of Pismo Beach, California, and is more of a working fishing port than Pismo, who's claim to fame originally was an abundance of clams, but now revolves around tourists.  We think that Avila is more our style, but the rv park near the pier is owned and operated by the state and charges $65 a night for parking lot camping! Full hookups are available, as well as some dry camping areas (a reduced fee applies). We weren't able to check out all the camp sites as darkness fell, but we saw enough to know that it will be on our to-do list as soon as possible.

This morning dawned partly cloudy and cool. The prediction is for a dramatic change in the warm weather, with rain in the near future. We packed up and left Pismo Coast Village Resort and headed north on US 101.Near Salinas the highway runs through some of the most fertile farmland in the country.

Mile upon mile upon mile of lettuce, cabbage, strawberries and other row crops cover the Salinas valley. Crews were picking in one field while the next field was being readied for cultivation and planting.

One hundred fifty seven miles north we pulled into Marina Dunes RV Park in the little town of Marina, CA.  It's a small park, advertised to have many activities and amenities available to guests. The entrance is very narrow, with a sharp turn at the beginning and a reasonably quick turn at the end. Each site is a back in, and with trees on either side, is barely able to accommodate rigs of Nessie's size (43'). Once in, however, it's not a bad site. I do have to add that the wifi is unusable, the cable is fuzzy, and the advertised fire rings are portable metal devices with huge holes burnt through the screens. The beach is a "short walk" from the park (read: pack a lunch), and Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, is roughly 100 feet from the back of the site.  On the upside, each site is separated by shrubbery and a small concrete patio with a wood fence around the site. Nice for separating neighbors, but effectively prohibiting conversation with them as well. As we've traveled about the country, staying in a number of rv parks, we have an unofficial rating system. We would rate this park at a 5 on a scale of 10. The sites are nice enough, but the lack of amenities and the $70 per night rate does not justify a higher rating.

We crossed the street into downtown Marina and found a small Starbucks, so we got some coffee and drove to the Marina Dunes State Park to watch a weather front cross the bay, creating some winds that were great for kite flying.

Later, after we returned to our site, I decided to take a walk to the beach while Donna worked on dinner.  I knew that I was on the hook to barbecue some steaks, but she had some potatoes to do, so I took off. The weather front had passed and the sun was setting in a bank of clouds.

Once again, as I've said a hundred times as we travel about this beautiful country: A beautiful end to a wonderful day.