Big Basin State Park: Biking and Hiking

As usual, we brought our trusty bikes camping with us. I just can't say enough about how much fun we have biking on our trips. I have to add now that I had no idea how much we'd use the bikes on trips. The first time I saw my hubs putting the bike rack on the rv, and getting all of our bikes configured, I thought it would be a big pain in the neck. I didn't know if bringing the bikes would be worth it all. I've never been so glad to have been SO wrong! These babies have brought us hours and hours of fun and allowed us to explore much more than if we were to simply walk everywhere. We often bike to the trailheads, saving our little kids' energy for the hikes.

Our trusty "steeds" all parked and ready to explore Big Basin

Big Basin State Park...maybe?

We left Santa Cruz very early in the morning, in an attempt to get into Big Basin State Park without reservations. Well, we had reservations, they were just for the following week. In case you missed that fiasco, here's the story. I was really nervous about getting into the park, but we both felt it was worth a shot.

My skilled and brave driver had mapped out a course to Big Basin, and I hadn't even looked at it, since this is his realm of expertise. Let's just say the winding, narrow, at times one-lane road again showed what a wise decision we had made in such a compact and maneuverable rv. I wish I had more pictures to show, but I was clinging to my door handle cringing for most of the trip. Here are a couple of tame pics to give you an idea of the terrain:

Costanoa KOA

 We pulled into the Santa Cruz North/ Costanoa KOA campground in the late afternoon. The host was very friendly and welcoming. We drove over to our site and were happy to see that the campground was not very crowded at all. We had a few neighbors, but mostly empty spots near us. We could see the ocean (but it was across the highway). The park had lots of grass (with well marked pet areas and bags for clean-up) and was very clean and well-maintained. We were very pleasantly surprised!

RV Park Entrance 

Whales!

We cooked a nice breakfast at Morro Bay since we didn't need to get an early start. It was a beautiful morning, and little quail families scurried around the campground, much to our delight. Then, we were back on the road.

Since we weren't in any huge hurry, our fearless leader and driver extraordinaire asked if I wanted to do or see anything on the way. My one wish was to pull off to some sort of overlook for lunch, in hopes of glimpsing a whale or dolphins.

He found the most amazing lunch spot. It was gorgeous. Rolling green fields filled with clover and wildflowers for the kids to run in, with spectacular views of the ocean and a lighthouse.

Spring Break, Big Mistake

We'd been eagerly anticipating this trip for months. Six months to be exact. In California, reservations for State Parks must be made six months in advance because the popular parks (most of them) can sell out in 4 minutes or so. Believe me. I've been there. But I digress.
 
So exactly six months prior to our Spring Break trip, I sat poised, finger on mouse, watching the computer clock turn from 7:59 to 8:00 am, when I clicked quickly and reserved a spot at Big Basin State Park, the oldest state park in California. We were so excited to plan this trip there, and take the kids to see more redwoods and San Francisco as well. We decided to stay overnight at Morro Bay just to break up the drive a bit for the kids. My husband made that reservation a few weeks later, and also added two nights on the end of our trip for our big visit to San Francisco. We stayed at the San Francisco RV Resort in Pacifica for these nights at the end of our vacation.

Beautiful Morro Rock in Morro Bay, California.

Delicious Caramelized Chewy Granola Bars

Since many of the snack foods our family used to use for camping trips or just regular outings are no longer an option for us, I've had to find some recipes and start making our own healthier snacks. This recipe I found for homemade granola bars looked like a winner to me. We used to buy the trail mix or almond-y version of granola bars. My kids love the chewier texture and also seem to like the nuts & dried fruit. So I attempted a combination of the two. 

Leo Carrillo State Park

Emerging from a sea cave, this was the gorgeous view.

 This past (long) weekend, we traveled up the coast to Leo Carrillo State Park, near Malibu, California. After several weeks of lots of rain, and the kids having colds and croup, we welcomed a chance to go enjoy some sunshine and relaxation. We really lucked out, weather-wise. Tucked in-between two winter rain storms, we found a long weekend with a beautiful patch of sunny and 75 plus degree weather at the beach. It was gorgeous and one of the best trips we've been on so far.