Expert: Steve Summers - 5/7/2006

Question
Hi - I just moved to Las Vegas, and want to drive to southern California for a camping trip.  I have 2 children I'll be traveling with, 10  & 4, great travelers.  Could you suggest a wonderful tent campground?  I'd love something special - not just a parking lot...  Thanks so much for this service.  We have a few days off, and can really go anywhere we can comfortably drive to -  

Answer
Hi Laura Lee,

The BEST place to go tent camping is a little beach town called Carpinteria. You can make reservations at www.reserveamerica.com. Pickings might be a bit slim, but you should be able to get a site for a midweek stay. Weekends book months in advance, but here's a secret: Book several days midweek, even if you have to change sites. Then on Friday or Saturday, you go to the ranger station at 8AM to see if there are any no-shows. There are almost always a couple, and if you're first in line, you're in!

Carpinteria is rated as one of the safest beaches in the world. In addition to a very nice beach, it is SO fun for the kids to ride their bikes and scooters around the campground, it's practically a parade in the afternoons before dinner. Also, you can check out some fun places to eat in town like the Spot (a local burger and mexican food place), Foster's Freeze (burgers and ice cream), and Giovanni's Pizza (EXCELLENT antipasto salad and good pizza, too).

Right now, the grass is green and tall in the campground... the best time to visit. By summer, the grass is pretty dried and beaten down.

Also, there is an old fashioned candy store in town called Robitaille's. The kids will love it, and you probably will too.

This state beach has a lot of special memories for us, and we camp here several times per year.

Have fun!

Steve