A family RV adventure in California Part 1

To holiday as a family of 4 adults does become very expensive. You are usually looking for 2 hotel rooms now which means your holiday price doubles. We decided that we would try something different this time and hired an RV to travel around in, so we all had some space and we could have an adventure together.

First stop on the US adventure is a couple of nights in Anaheim. We have stayed in the Howard Johnson hotel, which is a perfect 10 mins walk to Disneyland, with the added bonus of being able to watch the fireworks from the hotel! A great family friendly hotel with a small splash park and pool.

We last visited Disneyland in 2009, on a day trip from Santa Monica, and although some parts have changed dramatically the core of the park is as we remembered. A top tip is to make the most of the jet lag and get to the park as soon as it opens and head straight to Galaxy’s Edge. If you are a Star Wars fan this is a must visit. The attention to detail is amazing and all the staff are always in character. The Smugglers Run is a great simulation ride which brings out the competive side of our family, whilst the Rise of the Resistance has some fantastic visuals. I had seen the images of the area, but to see it close up was amazing.

We loved the rest of the park with all the favourites such as Big Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear and Indiana Jones. Strongly advise getting the Genie + for the lightening lanes as the queues can get high.

A new experience for us was the California Adventure Park, this is the home of the Avengers Campus, Carsland and Toy Story. There are loads of meet and greet opportunities around here to interact with characters. Websligers was one of our favourite rides. It is so much fun and we ended up 3rd on the leaderboard for the day when we left ???? Again lightening lane is the way forward. It cannot be used on the Cars ride, which always has a queue of 60minutes more! It is so worth it, especially if you have grown up with the Cars films. The Carsland is Radiator Springs and so real. For the thrill seekers there is the Incredicoaster and the Guardians of the Galaxy (tower of terror). I actually preferred the feel of this park, especially the boardwalk area. It has a lovely feel to it.

You need 2 full days to get around both parks. They are great fun and it was fantastic to revisit. If you have a spare couple of days on the road trip you should do it.

To give us the space, we went for the largest RV that Cruise America provide…..a 30 foot beast. It can sleep 6/8. It means that we have a bedroom, with a curtain. India slept on a large bed over the drivers area and Lewis had a small double bed in the main area. It also has a small kitchen area, shower and toilet. When you pick up an RV, although you get the keys quickly, you take ages to unpack and find your way round the vehicle. The first stop is Walmart to stock up. Be aware the RV comes without a GPS. If you have one take it with you as they do not hire them out!

To go from driving my little car to driving this is massive. I had driven large transit van’s before but this is something else. However once you get used to the size and make allowances it is okay. Although trying to U turn on a busy road is hard, especially when it turns into a 3 point turn! Also picking up in Los Angeles and then navigating the 5/6 lane highways straight out is a baptism of fire.

After picking up the RV and getting the shopping we made it onto the road. When planning I thought I would be on the road for 3 at the latest, in reality it was 4.30! We were making our way up to Santa Margarita. This was about 250 miles. It was a race against time to get there before dark. The drive was lovely, along the highway near Santa Barbara and the California coastline, although we also experienced the amazing sea mist that comes out of nowhere. Unfortunately the time got the better of us and we got to the campsite, down country lanes, in the dark and I had to then park in the dark, reversing into a space and setting up the electrics. It was an experience.

The campsite was stunning in the morning when we woke up. Everything you imagine. It was a pity we were only there for the night. The reason for choosing it was its location to San Louis Obispo.

When in an RV it is not as easy to park in small towns. We wanted to go into SLO but was not sure how to do it, the car park at the famous Madonna Inn was a perfect stop, a 15 minute walk from SLO centre. It was the perfect opportunity to peak into this wonderful eclectic hotel with its pink rooms. Next time I want to stay! SLO is a college town and has a fantastic California laid back vibe with its small boutiques, FroYo bars and coffee shops. We first visited it over 20 years ago and it still has that fantastic appeal.

From SLO, the next stop was Monterey. As you can imagine it was a drive to test my skills with the RV! It handles well and you just need to pull over sometimes to let faster cars pass. Monterey was a new stop for us and we chose to park in the Monterey fairgrounds. It gave us a glimpse into how seriously some take the RV life. The site next to us had their dogs with them, all in penned areas around the RV, complete with fake grass! We have learnt this is not unusual and some people spend months just travelling up and down the coast.

It was a basic park, with a 30 minutes walk into Monterey, along the old railway line that used to link Monterey and it’s famous canning business with the rest of the coast. Monterey used to be the main port for the Western coast and still boasts its old Custom House. It is somewhere that I have wanted to visit for a while and was a larger town than I imagined. We ate fish on the famous fisherman’s wharf. There is also the Canneries to visit and also the Monterey aquarium.