Esme's First Ocean Visit

Destination: Van Damme State Park, 2 miles south of Mendocino. Esme's first journey to the ocean. She and Zorro were excited to hit the road, and with gas prices being what they are, this trip represented what is being a rare occurance. We did find fuel in Marysville for $3.15 per gallon, which seems like a bargain these days.



We were expecting a storm so Van Damme was the obvious choice to protect us from the wind.



Van Damme never changes. This entrance is the same as 1975 when I made my first visit.

Directly across from the entrance is a parking lot right on the beach. The state calls it "Enroute Parking". You can spend the night in your vehicle for only $35.00 if the campground is full. Van Damme is always full during the camping season.



Diana and Esme stop to chat with a father-son on the beach. The little boy loved the little dog of course!



"Ah! What's that? I think I just spotted a whale!"

One of the joys of RVing in the winter is the absence of people. This beach would be jammed if it were June.

See the house perched on the bluff? I would imagine they get a 'rock-n-roll' experience when major storms arrive.

As you can see, our rig was the only one in the park. It provides a sense of privacy and absolute silence.

Zorro - on guard just in case a squirrel scoots by.

This is the view from under our canopy. The ocean was a 2 minute walk, and we could hear the waves off in the distance and the harbor bell gently ringing at night.

There is no point in going to the coast unless you get to see a sunset.

Esme and Zorro suspect mom is fixing them a snack after playing on the beach. They do not take their eyes off her when she is at the kitchen sink.

You want to create a scene from "The Birds"? Take a slice of bread outside and watch how fast the birds show up. Some will even eat out of your hand.

After all the exploring, dirt, sand and other environmental challenges for a young pup to experience, she gets a much-needed bath upon arriving at home.

Esme has proven to be a strong explorer and loved all the new sights and sounds (and smells!). She did, however, freak out for a moment when a pine cone fell on our roof in the middle of the night. But then, we were all a little shook up for a moment. We had a driving rain come down Saturday night and it felt good to be warm and comfortable throughout. Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day for taking the photos.

Van Damme is still charging $35 per night which helps explain why no one was there. They do offer Wi-Fi and a dump station. This time, we disconnected from the grid and experienced 2+ days of just reading, writing, eating, walking and sleeping. It was good to simply turn the pages of a book.

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