Sharing Rincon with Friends (216)

We met some good friends, Phil and Deb, at Rincon Parkway for a week of dry camping on the ocean. Rincon Parkway is a special place for us. We have roots in the area, so it’s like visiting an old friend. But it’s more than that. Even though you are one of many RV’s stretched out for over a mile on the Pacific Coast Highway, you feel as if it’s just you and the ocean. The constant rhythm of the waves, the beautiful ocean with the Channel Islands in the distance, and the occasional dolphin or flock of pelicans, all come together in a perfect way. Add to that friends and interesting excursions in the surrounding area, and you have a memorable trip!

We took this photo at a rest area just as you leave the Gaviota Pass. You know you’ve reached Santa Barbara by the beautiful white mountains in the distance.

Here we are with Phil and Deb nose to tail with the ocean as our front yard!

Thanks to Phil, a neighboring camper took this drone footage of our sites!

Where else can you enjoy coffee and a view like this? We still anticipate each trip like it’s our first, and each trip here has brought new experiences and surprises.

The ocean is right outside your door. Depending on the tide, you may hear water lapping on the rocks…

…or you may have enough beach for a nice walk. Just watch out for sneaker waves!

And, of course, every night the sun kisses you goodnight with a sunset. That’s Anacapa Island in the distance.

Things To Do In Camp

You might wonder what we do all day. There is plenty to do while in camp! One of the best activities is a walk along the beach. Get your feet wet, let the dog chase birds, find interesting rocks and shells, and just enjoy the sun.

Take a ride on the bike path that runs along the park and on to Ventura and Ojai, or the other direction to Carpinteria. Expect some wind, but enjoy the ride!

Take a walk along the bluffs at a nearby park. This one is a short bike ride away.

From here you can also see the boats that support the offshore oil rigs.

Watch wildlife from the comfort of your RV.

Enjoy a craft project together. Here my Deb and Phil’s Deb are getting an early start on a Christmas ornament.

Get some work done on your RV! Here I had a Magna Shade installed. Anthony was awesome and drove from Highland just to install our shade. Thanks Anthony! It still looks awesome!

Check the launch calendar and be treated to a SpaceX launch! We saw two on this stay. This one launched at sunset and we could trace it across the sky and see the booster separating from the rocket and head to a barge waiting offshore.

This one launched just after 10pm. Amazing!

And, of course, each day ends in the same and yet unique way, with a beautiful sunset.

What To Do In Santa Barbara

Each trip we try to do something different. SO…check out all our trips to the area to see excursions to Zuma Beach, the Ventura Cross, the Seabee Museum, Stearns Wharf, Chumash Painted Caves, Ojai, etc. etc.

This trip, we enjoyed a few sites in Santa Barbara, including the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, the Santa Barbara Mission, and the Reagan Ranch Museum.

Santa Barbara County Courthouse

Visiting a courthouse on a vacation was never at the top off my list. This place is different. It’s an architectural marvel of “Spanish Colonial Revival”, with interesting asymmetrical elevations, and beautiful details everywhere. Oh, and it’s still a working courthouse that was built in 1926.

As you enter the arch, feel free to explore the sunken garden on the other side.

On the way back through the arch, step inside the building and take the stairs to the Mural room.

The murals in this room feature scenes from the history of Santa Barbara from the 1500’s through the 20th century. The murals were painted by a Hollywood set designer and took months to complete. The painting is stylize and you feel like you are watching an old swashbuckler movie, or an old Robin Hood flick, or maybe a combination of both. If you look close you will even find Peter Pan!. It’s a fun room to explore.

Now back to the stairs and up to the roof…

Here, you can see all the way to the ocean on one side…

…and to the mountains on the other side. Here, you can see the Santa Barbara Mission in front of the mountains.

Santa Barbara MIssion

In fact, the Mission was our next stop. It was build by the Franciscans in 1786 and is known as the Queen of the Missions for its architectural beauty and majestic setting.

Reagan Ranch Museum

Our next stop was the Reagan Ranch Museum. It’s a small 5,000 square foot museum focused on the Reagan Ranch and its historical significance. It’s located near Stearns Wharf.

Reagan bought the ranch, Rancho Del Cielo, from a friend while he was governor and loved spending time there. The unassuming house there is only 1500 square feet and has no heating system, yet he visited there several times a year as president, even entertaining heads of state at the ranch. When Gorbachev visited, he thought they had mistakenly taken him to the servants quarters. 🙂

It’s 688 acres, with views of the ocean and mountains. Perfect for Reagan to ride his horses in peace. He also loved working on the ranch himself, fixing fences and other manual chores. I think the pace of the ranch and the ruggedness of the area helped clear his mind.

If you are a fan of history or Reagan, or both, this is a great museum to visit for an hour. You’ll get a better understanding of the President and how he saw things.

You’ll also see a small section of the Berlin Wall…

…and a small table where his landmark legislation was signed into law.

We had a really great trip with Phil and Deb. I didn’t include a few things…a visit to Ojai, the SeaBee Museum, dinner with Rick and Linda (old friends from the area)…because we’ve written about them before. However, we enjoy repeating good things like that when we can.

One thing we never tire of repeating is the sunsets!

And Rincon Parkway never disappoints!

Now if you visit, there is some AmTrak traffic and car traffic, mainly during the day. It is also windy here most days. Also, there are no hookups. Strictly dry-camping, though a truck is available to pump tanks and deliver fresh water. Wee’ve never used that service, but good to know it’s there. In my mind, these imperfections are just part of the charm.

We are already looking forward to our next visit!

Al & Deb