Day 5 – Joshua Tree…um, no.
Everyone warned us that driving through California on June would be a hot experience. And they are RIGHT! When I called in early May to make reservations for the campground near Joshua Tree, they laughed at me, telling me that it was the “off season”. No kidding! It was HOT! We had every intention of stopping at the park for a visit, but when we pulled off at the exit, we had a change of heart. The truck had just pulled up a large hill, and was already hot. Nobody in our party was excited about spending more time outside in the heat. And we were making good time, so we decided to push it on through to our next stop: Anaheim.
When researching the campgrounds near Disneyland, all we could see from the pictures were acres of asphalt and concrete. Some had pools, others had dog kennels, but they all had concrete and little grass. Except one. Nestled off of highway 91 en route to LA in a town named "Riverside" is a simple campground called “Canyon RV”. I was a bit concerned about the facility, since we were planning on spending 3-nights. But out of all the campgrounds we have been to, we have been pleasantly surprised by the area. There is a pool, and a water park, and a playground, and a river. There is the sound of the highway in the distance, but this is really the only drawback. The staff located us centered between the pool and the playground, with the washroom facilities nearby as well. There is so much green space for our kids and dog to run…it’s like having your own park to camp in. The staff are friendly, but a pleasant surprise is the locals. Evidently this campsite is one of Orange County’s best kept secrets. Many people live in the RV park, semi-permanently. They can only stay for 6 months at a time, but they live here fulltime during those 6 months. Then leave for a week and return for another 6-month stint. And I can see why – it’s beautiful here. If we ever decide to throw away city life in Denver…this place would be high on the replacement list for us. The kids would love living here, for sure! All the “locals” have their own little golf carts to putter around in, and gardens boasting large, ripe tomatoes, and flower beds with their own plants. As I type, I’m watching my daughter play at the playground with some of the local kids while a teenager bikes laps around the facility on the smoothly paved road surface. It seems like such a safe haven for families, either to live or to camp. About the only drawback, besides the constant traffic noise of Hwy 91 in the background, would be that the pool is unheated. Otherwise: nearly perfect!
Forgive my typing and grammatical errors. Time is short: I have a limited battery life and a game of Mancalla to race back to. Besides...I'm suppose to be camping!
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