I gave up on Indian Hill Ranch and turned to the website "RV Parks Reviews" (see the link in the links list at right) to find another, any other, RV campground in the Tehachapi area. Turns out that the pickings are slim indeed. All the reviews make the local sites sound like fairly uninspiring grungy places reminiscent, I suspect, of Jackson Wellsprings from our last trip. A lot of talk of "long term residents". Little Starlet is still recovering from having a conversation with a (perfectly harmless) man in dredlocks who asked if she knew where "Mountain" was hanging out. I don't think we can cope with that kind of cultural clash again.
I also considered Red Rock Canyon State Park, which is a bit further away on Highway 14. No reservations possible, and the description emphasized the primitive nature of the campground - no toilets or water - and the narrow dirt roads to get to the camp sites. So, remembering our experience of getting into the campground along five miles of gravel road at Butte Lake in August, I thought, "Maybe not". I picked the best sounding of a pretty mediocre bunch and reserved a night at Sierra Trails RV Park in Mojave. They didn't even want a deposit. Make of that what you will.
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The adventures of a family of novice RV campers in Northern California.
Our Route
FEBRUARY 2010
Our goal was Death Valley. First we took US-101 south from the Bay Area to Pismo State Beach for two nights. Then we headed back up 101 a short way to pick up Highway 46 at Paso Robles. Medium hop down Interstate 5 down to Bakersfield in the Central Valley, and across on 58 towards Tehachapi. One night at the Sierra Trails RV Park in Mojave on Highway 14.
Loop up 14, 395 and 190 into Death Valley to Furnace Creek Visitor Area. We stayed there for four nights, then headed south again on 190, 127 and US-15 to Calico Ghost Town (and a campsite with full hookups!) for one night.
The plan was then to make a big push north on 58 and 99 up to Merced and the McConnell State Recreation Area; and finally a leisurely drive back to the Bay Area. In the event, the weather was bad so we abandoned our night at McConnell and kept going from Merced back into the Bay Area along I-580, I-880 and home.
We drove about 1,135 miles in all.
AUGUST 2009
We followed US-101 north out of the Bay Area, up to Calistoga (to the Bothe-Napa State Park), then further north up 101 to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
North some more on 101, crossing into Oregon to Ashland, via Medford, to take in "Alls Well That Ends Well" at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival and eat restaurant food.
A quick loop up to Crater Lake on highway 62; then a long drive south to Lassen Volcanic National Park on highways 97, 89 and 44; and finally down interstates 5, 505, 80, and 880 home.
Our goal was Death Valley. First we took US-101 south from the Bay Area to Pismo State Beach for two nights. Then we headed back up 101 a short way to pick up Highway 46 at Paso Robles. Medium hop down Interstate 5 down to Bakersfield in the Central Valley, and across on 58 towards Tehachapi. One night at the Sierra Trails RV Park in Mojave on Highway 14.
Loop up 14, 395 and 190 into Death Valley to Furnace Creek Visitor Area. We stayed there for four nights, then headed south again on 190, 127 and US-15 to Calico Ghost Town (and a campsite with full hookups!) for one night.
The plan was then to make a big push north on 58 and 99 up to Merced and the McConnell State Recreation Area; and finally a leisurely drive back to the Bay Area. In the event, the weather was bad so we abandoned our night at McConnell and kept going from Merced back into the Bay Area along I-580, I-880 and home.
We drove about 1,135 miles in all.
AUGUST 2009
We followed US-101 north out of the Bay Area, up to Calistoga (to the Bothe-Napa State Park), then further north up 101 to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
North some more on 101, crossing into Oregon to Ashland, via Medford, to take in "Alls Well That Ends Well" at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival and eat restaurant food.
A quick loop up to Crater Lake on highway 62; then a long drive south to Lassen Volcanic National Park on highways 97, 89 and 44; and finally down interstates 5, 505, 80, and 880 home.
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Useful RV info websites
Other Travel Websites
Our Mobile Library
- Coastal California (Lonely Planet Guides, 2007)
- Day Hikes in Oahu, Robert Stone (Day Hike Books, 2001)
- Frommer's Honolulu, Waikiki & Oahu (11th Ed, 2010)
- Frommer's Oregon (Wiley, 2008)
- The Rough Guide to California (Rough Guides, 2000)
- The Unofficial Guide to California with Kids by Colleen Dunn Bates and Susan LaTempa (Wiley, 2007)
- West Coast RV Camping by Tom Steinstra (Moon Outdoors, 2009)
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1 comment:
Oooo - Have a wonderful time - we loved Death Valley - the various canyon walks are all pretty good - and the big Ubehebe (I think) crater (and associated baby craters) is worth a visit too.
If you can swing by Red Rock Canyon it's worth it - the most bizarre formations...
Have fun!
P&K
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