#25: Heading East in California

Before this year, the only places I’d been in California were places on the coast - LA, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, etc. I had no idea what I was about to embark on when I decided to go east from the California coastline. Ironically enough, the places I never knew existed became my favorite spots in the state. That’s the thing, though. We all do it - we generalize. We think “California,” and we think the coast because that is what we see in movies or have visited. But like everything else, there is so much more than what is initially perceived. I digress. So, ANYWAY…

Because I was so close to San Diego, I headed down there for one night. I managed to secure a campsite at a San Diego county park. This way, I was close to the city, but not dealing with an RV park (I usually avoid RV parks if I can help it. Not only are they pricier because they include amenities such as playgrounds, game rooms, community areas, etc., but they also tend to have more families and parties staying for more extended periods - not campers. It’s more enjoyable for me to stay with like-minded folks.). 

An old friend from my hometown with whom I had reconnected recently had settled in San Diego, and he recommended I check out Sunset Cliffs. Here, I took in a short walk with Addie along the cliffs and watched surfers catch some waves (although, it appeared they were mostly hanging out in the water - I didn’t see many waves “caught”…). It was gorgeous, and it was here where I really felt I was in Southern California - surfboards on top of cars, people in wetsuits walking around, beach towns, and the sound of waves crashing.

As thrilled as I was to be near the ocean, I was anxious to hit the road for the San Bernadino Forest the next day. The same friend I mentioned earlier, Jared, was coming up to meet me the following day, so it was my job to scope out a campsite before him arriving. This camping trip was the first time I was camping in California, on forest service land. It’s not a state park, but it’s US-owned forest land. You can make reservations, but I hadn’t. I was wingin’ it.

I arrived around 2 pm on a Friday (as I write this months later, I now understand the downfall of that), and I was relying on snagging a first-come, first-served (abbreviated as “FF”) spot. I drove around and around. Although I saw open sites, I also saw “reserved” tags on each of them. I was confused because if some sites were FF, they shouldn’t be reserved. With the mentality of “you never know if you don’t ask,” I knocked on the camp host’s door to find out if I had any options. As luck would have it, there was one available site left. One of the people who had reserved a spot moved to a more desirable, FF spot. So, that reserved spot was now open for me. Close call, though. From then on, I learned to always get there early in the morning and preferably mid-week if I’m relying on snagging a FF site.

My spot overlooked the bathrooms, but I wasn’t complaining. I was thrilled to be there and have a place to camp. The trees were tall, the sky was blue, and I was breathing the fresh mountain air. I was in my happy place, and even the pit toilets couldn’t bring me down.

That afternoon, Addie and I took a ride to Big Bear Lake, which was about 12 miles from our campground. The lake was remarkable, and we moseyed around the little downtown area. Surprisingly, some shops were open, regardless of COVID.

In the morning, we set off on a nearby hike (Johns Meadow Trail). The weather was very odd. It was misty and foggy, and it even rained a bit as we climbed in elevation. I was not expecting that, but it was nice to be cooled off.

Jared arrived that evening, and we (Jared) cooked a yummy dinner and enjoyed catching up on the last 20 years over the campfire. I don’t think we stopped talking. The next day, Jared was heading back to San Diego, and I was staying another few nights at the campground. Before he hit the road, we made a quick trip here (this place was literally off the side of the road):

My original plan was to head back to the coast and head north along the Pacific Coast Highway. However, after speaking with Jared and a few others at this campground, my plans shifted around. From the San Bernadino Forest, I decided to go north up 395 (see map below), the highway that runs on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Holy shit am I glad I did. More to come on this.

Addie and I spent our last day in the San Bernadinos taking on a highly-rated 8-mile hike. The hike was the perfect mix of moderate open trail, rock scramble, and shady forest. I felt I earned my couple glasses of wine back at the campsite before heading to bed. The next day would be spent driving up 395…which at this point, was unfamiliar territory. I had no idea what I was going to find on my way. That is a beautiful thing.

PSA: I should note something. If you haven’t noticed, I skipped Joshua Tree National Park. I will also skip Death Valley National Park. This is due to the excessive heat in these parks (desert) this time of year. Since I also skipped Arizona for the same reason, I plan to return to the Southwest in the fall when the weather will be a bit more enjoyable for this Northeastern girl.