Day 23 - Santa Monica(ish)

We packed up our mountain lake campground this morning and headed back to PCH for our final two-day leg home. Along the way, we found a “campground” that is really just RV-size parking spots between the railroad track, PCH, and bluffs being pounded by the Pacific. I thought it was a nice spot to stop for lunch, so we pulled off to an empty spot for a shot time. 📷

Next we stopped in at the Channel Islands National Park Visitor’s Center in Ventura. The channel islands are a chain of islands 🏝️ off of the California coast, so no we didn’t drive over to one. They are one to four hours to reach by boat. There’s a nice little museum, gift shop, and movie about the park. It isn’t the easiest park to visit, but I hope to make it back for a day hop to the nearest island sometime, just to have gone there.

After some scenic driving along PCH and some ordinary driving through Oxnard, it was down to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which is is part of the National Park system. In there are some state parks and beaches and our campground at Leo Carrillo state beach. It’s a pretty tight spot to squeeze into, especially since the RV across from us doesn’t quit fit into their space. After about twenty tries and help from a stranger, we got the camper and Jeep parked. 📷 The campground is on the inland side of PCH going into the mountains, right next to the famous Mulholland Highway. So once parked, we ventured out for the Mulholland drive! It really was a fun mountain road of twists and turns, and then peering at ranches and mansions. (Later note: We got to enjoy this area just days before much of it burned in the Palisades Fire. 🥲)