Here's my Black Friday opt out post! If possible, I'm going to try not to get caught up in the frenzy of mindless consumerism this black Friday (not a problem) or cyber Monday (more of a problem). In the meantime enjoy this post not about buying something today.
While I was on my Airstream roadtrip this year I got a request from a reader of my favorite glamping spots in Cali. So Monshanks, this one's for you! In no particular order, but organized by climate/environment:
1) Desert: Joshua Tree National Park
Ok what a typical blogger location to recommend, but really there's a reason why everyone and their mother talks about/goes to Joshua Tree. I'm not a huge fan of desert camping in general (heat, dryness, snakes!), but there's nothing quite like desert sunsets and the vastness of it all. I've also tried glamping in Death Valley and wouldn't recommend it unless you're able to get a spot with electrical hookups (for much-needed air conditioning) or go during the winter months (but then make sure you have a furnace onboard). But Death Valley did have a lot more interesting landscapes (salt flats, large sand dunes, etc.) than Joshua Tree. We boondocked (camped on public land) around Joshua Tree and it was great since we had no neighbors for miles. We also checked out the campsites within the park and I have to say they were pretty cool too (I think we checked out Jumbo Rocks campsite).
Runner-up: Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, CA {We also boondocked here for a couple days and it was a little more crowded than Joshua Tree but I loved the crazy rock formations and how cute the town of Lone Pine was}.
2) Ocean: Jalama Beach
This is a remote Santa Barbara county park with some of the most gorgeous ocean views I've ever seen (and I grew up in Hawaii so that's saying a lot). We took one of the spots near the top that had electrical hook-ups, but most of the spots don't have any hook-ups. The best thing about this spot is that since it's so remote and tucked away (about 40+ minutes of super windy roads to get there), the beach is fairly private (you only have your fellow campers to contend with). There's no cell service here so the park provides wifi (but it's spotty as best). But you're really there to enjoy the beach, not your computer/phone. Oh and dogs are allowed on the beach (bonus!).
Runner-up: Rincon Parkway {So for this 'campsite' you parallel parking alongside the beach with a road-way and train tracks immediately on the other side. It can be a tad noisy but the ocean is literally steps away. Dogs are allowed on the beach and it's also quite private.}
3) Forest: Azalea Campground, King's Canyon National Park
This campground within the national park is one of the few open year around there, and it's my top favorite because of its proximity to the sites and hikes around King's Canyon (General Grant's tree is a 5 minute drive away). The campsites are fairly well spaced and well maintained. No hook-ups here. And from this campsite, you can drive over to Sequoia National Park (about 30ish minutes away).
Runner-up: Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort {So this one really isn't glamping since there's full hook-ups here, but for newbie RVers, this is a good place to get used to living in a trailer. The best part is that you're surrounded by giant redwoods. The drawback is that the spaces are fairly close together. You can read the full campsite review on GoSilver}
4) Lake: Silver Lake Campground East Eldorado
This campground is located near Kirkwood in Lake Tahoe. We got there the week it was closing for the season (the first week of October) so it was fairly empty (so I can't tell you how it is during the summer months). But we loved that the campground was only a 5 minute hike to the lake. The lake is quite large but was really private when we were there (just a couple of fishermen late in the season). Also within walking distance is the Kit Carson lodge where you can rent kayaks and canoes. They also have a lot of hiking in the area. You can read my full review of the site on the blog I write for GoSilver here.
Runner-up: Convict Lake {The most beautiful alpine lake I've ever seen, but it's quite remote and there's not much to do there unless you bring your own kayak or you fish.}
Anyway hope you guys enjoyed this post (I sure enjoyed going down my glamping memory lane) and let me know if there any other types of posts you like seeing here!