Expert: Steve Summers - 4/14/2007

Question
Steve,

My hubby and I have four kids (ages 2-9)and are considering borrowing a friends motorhome in the fall for a little getaway.  Want to do the beach and am considering beaches in the Ventura and Santa Barbara area.  What are your top choices?  We are pretty low key but would consider an activity (maybe two) away from the beach, like a mission tour or aviary etc...Also, which specific location in your reccommended campground would you point us toward?  The campground maps aren't very helpful, because they don't show where/how far beach info.  With 4 young ones, we would like to be close a bathroom and the beach with full hook-ups.  Thanks...from an adventurous non-camping family!

~lisa van weelden

Answer
Well, my adventurous "non-camping" friends, let me see if I can get you to become campers.

I first have to ask how long your rig is. If it's over 25 feet, it makes a difference in where you stay. The top choice is definitely Carpinteria State Beach, since it is right on the beach and has hookups! Check out this web site, and look at the photos on the right: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=599
However, Carpinteria is quite popular, and the best sites are already taken for the fall. Sites go on sale 6 months in advance, for the entire month. So, sites for September went on sale back on March 1. October sent on sale 8 AM April 1, and so on. It takes some planning, and some advance work. You need to go to reserveamerica.com, and set up an account. Then, on the first day sites are available, be on the Internet a few minutes before 8 AM so you can login. Choose your desired campsite (more on that later), and click on it at 8 AM. This won't guarantee you'll get the site you want, but it's your best shot. Sites go within minutes, so don't log on at 8:15 expecting any good sites.

Here's the details that you'll need: Within Carp, there are four camping areas: Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel. The first two are dry camping, Santa Rosa has full hookups (water, electric, and sewer), and San Miguel has water and electric. Within Santa Rosa and San Miguel, there is "Beach Row", which abuts right up against the beach, and "Long Row", which is the next row in. Beach Row is only designed to fit RV's 24 feet or less, but I have seen some up to 30 feet squeeze in. It's tricky, and not recommended for first-timers. You also have to know which sites you can do it in, otherwise your RV will get tree damage. Long Row is designed to take up to 30 foot RV's, but I have seen some big boys (40 footers) in some sites. Once again, not for the novice or faint of heart, and you need to scope out which ones will fit you in advance. Our 32-foot Storm fits in anything in Long Row. There are also two rows beyond that for 25-foot RV's, which are still pretty nice, but you'll still envy the first two rows.

Obviously, Santa Rosa is the section everyone wants because it's closer to town and the ranger station, as well as having sewer hookups. There's a dump station on site, but there's always a long line just about every morning from people who are leaving and need to dump. For longer RV's, Santa Rosa 105 is the Holy Grail of sites at Carpinteria. Don't even think about trying to reserve it, because it's mine. Mine, I tell you! It has room on both sides, so you won't be right up against another RV. However, anything on Long Row or Beach Row is very desireable. The great part about Santa Rosa is that you can step out, and you are right on the sand. Your kids will be in heaven. And there's nothing like making a campfire and cooking marhsmallows to make s'mores. If you don't know how to make s'mores, just Google it.

San Miguel also has some very nice sites, but you are about 6 feet above the beach, and must climb down bluffs or rocks to get to the beach. But if there's a beach front or long row site, you should definitely take it. I don't think the kids will care at all.

If all else fails, you can get a site without hookups. The beach is so nice, and so it the town. If you are going to get a dry site, get something in Anacapa along the western edge of the campground. There is an open field there, perfect for the kids to run around. If you get Santa Cruz, try along the south (beach side) or eastern edge by the creek. The creek is not good to play in, but it usually has a lot of wildlife.

As for bathrooms, you can easily see them on the maps on the reserveamerica site. You're never far from one, and having an RV makes those late night bathroom runs much easier.

Note: Like many state beaches, there are active train tracks right by the campground. After awhile, you get quite used to it. And a lot of families play the "train" game. Whoever hears the train whistle first calls out "TRAIN!", and is the winner until the next train comes along. Mostly they are no big deal, the one exception is the freighter that comes around 11 PM, where "Mr. Happy Horn" is driving. After so many years camping here, we know all the rangers and can even distinguish the horn-blowing styles of the engineers.

Don't know why you would want to leave Carp, unless you want to go into town. You can easily walk into the town, where everything is either on Carpinteria Avenue or Linden Ave.  Right next to the RR tracks on Linden is a local favorite called The Spot. Good burgers and mexican food. The line out front says it all. Further down the street, there is a steak house (The Palms, where you cook your own meat), Italian (Tony's), Thai/Fish & Chips (Siam Elephant), and a pizza place (Giovanni's). There is also an old fashioned candy store called Robataille's, right next to Vons, that your kids will LOVE. Did you forget anything? No problem, there's a Vons and an Albertson's right in town, plus an Ace Hardware (on Linden) and a Rite Aid (next to Albertson's). Are you tired? Really tired? The local pizza places deliver to your campsite. Really!

After all this, I really hope you go there. You also have McGrath State Beach in Ventura (the water is quite a long ways), El Capitan State Beach (a good third choice) near Santa Barbara, and Refugio State Beach (second choice) two miles past El Cap.

For a side trip, how baout taking that 9YO to the Santa Barbara Mission? If you have to do a Mission report (4th grade, I believe), it helps if you have actually been to one. Also, Santa Barbara is a really beautiful town. The kids will like Alameda Park, on Santa Barbara St (101 north, exit Laguna, left at the signal, right on Santa Barbara, about 2/3 mile.) State Street is the main drag there, where you will find LOADS of shops and restaurants. One of my favs is the Acapulco mexican restaurant, which has a fountain in the courtyard, and you can eat right next to it (1114 State St). On Cabrillo Blvd, right along the beachfront, there's a nice little park and a carousel. On State Street, you have the Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center.

The Avodado Festival in Carpinteria usually attracts a big crowd. It's the first weekend of October and a lot of fun, but the campground is usually full that weekend.

Have fun! Send me an email if you need further info!