Costanoa (6)

Ah, to be living back in February. I didn’t know how good I had it back then. That was back before budget tightening and impending catastrophic societal failure. That was when I made this reservation, and paid for half of it. This campground is technically a KOA, but it is unlike any KOA you have ever stayed in, especially if you spring for the most expensive site, and pay an additional fee to hold it. It is about the cost of staying one night in a very fancy hotel, and about four times the cost of a normal weekend reservation. I defiantly refused to cancel the reservation, partly because I figured it might be the last time we do this kind of splurge, but also because paying the remaining balance would only feel like twice the cost of a normal reservation. So it was a weekend of pretending we were living back in February. And it was so worth it.

We hit some traffic on Friday going through San Francisco, but it was not a problem, and meant we got to watch the sunset as we made our way down the coast. We did arrive after dark though, and that led to Richard getting a very nasty bonk on his head when we were unhitching. It seems the trunk did not open all the way and he just ran smack into the corner of the door. He was bleeding and everything, but doesn’t seem to have suffered any concussion. After a nice bandaid and a mini Ben & Jerry’s from the campground store, he seemed all better. And all told, we fared better than the family that arrived just after us, who cut in line at check in, only to be told they could not stay. This campground has a very stringent policy on allowable dog breeds (which they state is due to their insurance policy). The list is there when you make the reservation, and it is included in the confirmation emails, as well as posted on the website. But I guess this guy was not paying attention and found out, arriving after dark with his giant trailer, 2 kids, and an unallowed breed of dog, that the management was not kidding and that he would not be able to stay. Ouch. But also, come on dude.

Waking up to the super premium view was lovely. But for all the money we paid for that view, we mostly spent the day away from the campground. I got texts all day long alerting me to s’mores socials, learn to paint landscapes classes, and tie dye events. But we had an ambitious ride planned that took us out to the delightful little town of Pescadero. I always make it a goal to stop at the Arcangeli Market for something delicious when we are in the area.

We aimed for a lunch stop after riding up Gazos Creek Road, and wow! That is one of the nicest rides I’ve done. Once the road splits off after the intersection with Cloverdale Road, it is so small and narrow, I would not have liked driving it in a car. It follows the creek, passing through redwood forests, until it finally dead ends at Gazos Mountain Camp. We did that as an out and back, which Richard had never seen because it has always been closed before. There are still sections that seem only barely traversable, but no problem on a bike. Plus, there is zero car traffic, so it feels like you’re riding a paved bike trail. It is gorgeous, with the creek babbling beside you all the way, but definitely chilly in the morning.

We then took Cloverdale through the rolling hillsides, past the entrance to Butano State Park. You can see evidence of the big fire that wiped out Big Basin Redwoods, but you can also see new undergrowth making a comeback. Neither Butano, nor Big Basin have rebuilt their campgrounds yet, but you can go on the trails and use the Day Use facilities at Butano. We continued on to our lunch destination and arrived in Pescadero a little after eleven. Perfect time for a hot turkey, bacon, chipotle mayo sandwich, followed by a slice of blueberry pie. I also picked up two limes, so that I could make my own margarita when the bar cart rolled by later that night. Super smart, fiscally responsible planning, right?

From Pescadero, we continued on Stage Road, passing by the San Gregorio General Store. This place is always hopping with bikies, motorcyclists, and day trippers, looking for a funky quintessentially California coast experience. It is a beautifully maintained historic building, with a full bar, sundry snacks and pastries, and a wide variety of gifts, trinkets, books, and all manner of fancy scented soaps, creams, and candles. Bikies are asked to remove their cleated shoes before entering, which I could understand, given the beautiful restored wood floors.

From there, we mostly rode highway 1 back toward the campground, taking a small inland detour up and over Bean Hollow Road. We also stopped to pee at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse. It seems there is a major renovation underway and all of the buildings were closed. But the restroom was open, so that was good. The whole loop was forty two miles and I made it (barely!) on one battery. I took the other one, for peace of mind, but I think around forty, with about three thousand miles of climbing, is the limit for one charge.

After nappy time, I was very much looking forward to my fiscally responsible margarita to enjoy with the sunset. I filled my glass with ice, squeezed my acquired limes, pulled out the bottle I use to store tequila, and became completely crestfallen to see that it was empty. That’s what happens when you don’t camp every single weekend. Critical resupplying steps like this get missed. Richard saw the look on my face and immediately went into emergency problem solving mode. He was ready to drive 22 miles to Santa Cruz if needed, not that I would have let him. He dashed over to the little store, despite me telling him they didn’t carry any hard liquor (I had noticed). I was honestly pondering what it might taste like to pour chardonnay into a glass of cold lime juice, when Richard returned triumphant! The person in the store told him he could purchase tequila shots from the Bar Cart, and he came back beaming, carrying a plastic cup of the most expensive tequila shots you can possibly imagine. So much for fiscal responsibility. It was worth it.

We enjoyed our premium view of the sunset while sitting in premium poly Adirondack chairs. After dinner, we walked around and found a fire going in an outdoor communal sitting area, next to the nicest campground bathrooms anywhere. We grabbed a couple of complimentary logs, and sat in front of the hearth for a while. And the best part was that once we’d had enough fire, we could just walk away and not have it be our responsibility to wait out every last ember.

This is a really incredible place, but oh so pricey. I’m not sure if it’s off our list, or simply relegated to special splurge occasions. I will certainly pack my own damn tequila next time, but it’s too much fun to get little ice creams from the store to pass that up, even if they are marked up. It sure was fun to live life like it’s February of 2024!

Total miles: 75.4, 16.5 mpg, 2 hours 39 min. Site S13. Super Deluxe Premium, charge us all the money, site. Full hookups. Fully furnished. “Free” wifi. Bar cart that comes around like an ice cream truck for grown ups. Upscale store fifty feet away. Views of ocean.