Inquiry Socal Or Central Coast Tear/raindrop Meet-up

Calling on Camp-Inn Tear/Rain Droppers.... IS anyone interested in setting up a SoCal or Central Coast Meet-up for the fall of 2017?

Please let me know.

 

Yes. It would be great to have a Central Coast Teardrop Gathering in the Fall of 2017. I'd be glad to pitch in to help organize one. BTW, I'm a guest here not a Camp Inn owner.

Beginning in 2007 friends and I organized three SLO Gatherings. The first one was at the Montana de Oro State Park campground. The next two were at Lopez Lake County Park.

 

Thanks Steve, this could be real fun

Do you have a preference between Montana de Oro SP and Lopez Lake, and if so why?

 

Mary and David,

Thanks for your enthusiasm.

The choice of a location largely depends on how big or small a gathering you/we want to do. A half dozen campers or dozens of campers?

Montana de Oro State Park campground and the Lopez Lake Recreation Area campgrounds are both nice. The coastal location of Montana de Oro may be a more compelling attraction to would be teardrop campers.

Yelp reviews of Montana de Oro State Park
Montana de Oro SP has a beautiful undeveloped coastal location. One of its best features is a mile+ long bluff top trail overlooking the ocean. Its a "primitive" campground (no electric, water, sewer hookups or showers) with about 48 campsites in a valley near the ocean. The bathrooms are (pretty) well maintained pit toilets without running water. Several water spigots are available in the campground. When we did the SLO Gathering there in 2007 it was after the busy summer season when campsites went off prior reservations and became first come first served. The camp host bent the rules (a lot) to help us put on the gathering which filled up the entire campground. I doubt we'd be so favored like that again. Can talk to the MdOSP Rangers to see what's possible. Big question I'd need answered is when/if (in the Fall) the campground changes from advance reservations to first-come-first-served.

Yelp reviews of Lopez Lake
Lopez Lake is owned and operated by the County of San Luis Obispo. Its in a rural setting about 10+ miles inland from Hwy. 101/Arroyo Grande. There are many more (350) campsites than MdO. Most of the campground is in oak covered hills or valleys overlooking Lopez Lake. Camp site amenities range from full RV hookup to no hookup tent sites. We used the Beaver campsites with electric hookups for two SLO Gatherings. To camp here people would make their own reservations - up to a year in advance. Due to the recent drought the water level is low. Let's hope for plentiful winter rains to refill the lake. Lopez Lake has new zip lines!

There are many more possible locations. Like very popular Morro Bay State Park campground which can sell out soon after reservations become available (six months in advance). A Paso Robles organic farm sometimes allows people to camp in their orchard and a (kinda funky) Paso Robles hot springs allows camping. Figueroa Mountain Campground above the Santa Ynez Valley or Jalama Beach County Park, near Lompoc, in Santa Barbara County are other possibilities. There are more potential locations I know less well from Ventura in the south northward to Big Sur.

 

Hey, we're in. Haven't been to gathering out here for quite a while and that would be good area to do it. Maybe one other spot to consider would be at the south end of Rt. 1/Big Sur at Plaskett Creek where there is a group site or two.

 

We would also be interested. Central Coast is a favorite spot for us, though the coastal campsites are hard to get.

We'll be at El Capitan State Park in April, and then a few days somewhere else, likely up the coast.

-Al

 

I camped in a group camp site at Plaskett Creek campground many years ago with the Sierra Club to go hiking. It might be a good location for a small teardrop gathering.

To get more information I called the Templeton, CA office of Parks Management Company to inquire how many people and vehicles can camp in a Plaskett Creek group site. I was told up to 40 people and 10 vehicles are allowed. They count a tow vehicle (TV) and a teardrop trailer (TD) as 2 vehicles. That seems to limit the ability to have a gathering at a Plaskett Creek group camp site to 5 teardrop trailers and 5 tow vehicles. The limitation is partly up to the camp host's discretion. Extra vehicles are charged at $10/day.

Additional teardrops and tow vehicles might be allowed for $20/day per TV/TD combo at the camp hosts discretion. Unfortunately there is no way to contact the camp hosts to find out how much leeway they'd allow.

Edit: Maybe 10 teardrop trailers could be used in a Plaskett Creek group camp site if all of the tow vehicles are parked in the overflow parking. The overflow parking costs $10/night. The overall cost could even out as the group camp site costs $100/night.

 

We'd be interested. Paso Robles area is nice but there aren't a lot of campgrounds. Steve's suggestions look interesting. Love Big Sur but is longish haul from So Cal. but depending on timing we'd love to join.

 

I called (left a voice mail message) and emailed Windrose Farm in Paso Robles to inquire about doing a gathering there. It's an organic farm that sometimes allows camping in their fruit orchards for $20/night. Produce and fruits from their farm stand could be delicious ingredients for a potluck. It is close to many wineries which could be fun side trips. Yelp reviews of Windrose Farm.

Further south the Dennison Park in Ventura County near Ojai, CA might be another good gathering location. The web site information seems promising. The cost at $21/night is reasonable. I haven't been there to see what it looks like in person. Yelp reviews of Dennison Park. The park's scenery looks attractive and uncrowded: http://www.campgroundviews.com/listing/dennison-park/

 

I talked briefly with the owner of Windrose Farm. They may be open to our having a small gathering (maybe up to 10 teardrop trailers) in the Fall. They invited me to visit them in April to see what the farm looks like.

 

Also, there is a So. Cal. TD gathering at Lake Perris this March. Not Camp-Inn specific but has been held for many years. Should be nice this year with recent rains.

Lake Perris Teardrop Trailer Gathering 2017 | Lake Perris, CA

 

Hello All... New to this site and picking up our new 550 ultra in sept. Has there been a date set for this gathering???

 

I've heard nothing other than what you see above. We remain interested.

-Al

 

So do we, though we need to get our wheel bearings and/or brakes checked out. Something is smoking.

 

Were on our way to Wisconsin in 5 weeks to pick up Loretta # 916 and are spending 6 days coming back through
the so west..... I live in central Calif. Please let us know it there will be a Gathering in Cali......
Camp Inn Central California Unite!!!