I was looking for a RV park along the ocean near one of the redwood state parks. According to the RV Parky app, Shoreline RV Park fit the criteria.  This was our first stay in a city/county park as this RV park is managed by the local government (http://crescentcity.org/)
Crescent City is a small town nicely situated with the Pacific coast on one side and the redwood forests on the other. It is the only incorporated town within the county of Del Norte (http://exploredelnorte.com/)Â Centered on a protected inlet, we enjoyed southwest views of the Monterey Bay and Pacific Ocean. There are 94 gravel lots, fairly level and all have hookups for almost any rig. Electric is delivered in both 50 and 30 amp to all sites. Ocean front lots are pull in and, according to internet reviews, this was a plus for the Class A family.
The RV park is bare of any trees or landscaping other than the ground cover between the gravel lanes and pads. It is neat and tidy. In contrast to a couple internet reviews, I had no issues navigating around the divots and dimples of the gravel travel lanes. Each space has a concrete pad, some of those have a heavy wood picnic table. Ours did not. There are no fire pits but I found remnants of a couple small fires that irresponsible campers had built. I suppose they felt hidden from the office by their rigs. I picked up a small handful of candy trash this morning but this could have been blown in by the winds.
The nature of this adventure changes as the days progress so I am not making reservations in advance. We are using a few apps and internet reviews to help decide what fits our intended route of travel. Then we select a campground that has space available. Shoreline RV park is similar in cost to our stays at KOA sites with not nearly the amenities. I prefer the sounds of quiet woods, breezy grasslands, or moving water so this park was perfect for us. There is no pool or playground so if you have exuberant children who need to release their energy, you may want to select a different campground.
Shoreline RV Park does not have a dedicated pet area. We had no issues walking with Lucy around the campground. Only about a quarter of the spaces were filled when we arrived but several more came in throughout the evening. The spaces were about 1/2 full by morning. During our walks along the grassy berm, we did have to navigate around a few piles of several days old poo but again, I contribute that to irresponsible campers over the holiday weekend. Lucy is always on lead and we did walk her down along the beach to explore what the low tide had exposed. There are many gulls and crows but they seemed to realize that todays campers were not going to feed them. I am sure they had their fill of delicacies over Memorial Weekend.
We selected an ocean-view, pull in spot. Not sure if this was a good thing or a tourist mistake? The winds were steady all evening, averaging 10 mph with gusts that rocked this 33ft Class C. But nothing worrisome or close to the wind issues we had in South Dakota. There is a faint, rhythmic warning horn coming from the lighthouse, approximately every 15 seconds. Whether I notice it seems dependent on the winds and other campground noises. It did not keep me up, but it did help get me moving in the morning as it kept me from falling back to sleep. A similar alarm clock as the birds that nest in the trees outside my home.
During our walk this morning, Lucy was interested in all the new sniffs but was skittish of the birds. Not the best response if one is interested in a hunting dog, but she is a great companion pet. We climb the small embankment of earth and rock to see it is a gray morning, with low lying fog over the gray-green water. The shallow beach is exposed due to the low tide and many gulls are standing on the wet sand. Nothing really of interest seems to be left behind by the receding tide. The small bay, the rocks, the gray … all remind me of our family holiday, this past Christmas, on the Chesapeake Bay. At night, Steve and I would lay in bed listening to the waves and reflect in wonderment of our new life together. Our last night at the cottage is the night Steve’s soul left to be with Jesus. And now I am here, on the other side of our great United States, staring out into a small bay, the rocks the gray …
While I liked the spaces we had in Iowa and Wyoming; and the Oregon rest stops are amazing; this spot, for this night, was a perfect follow-up for reflection and honest prayer before our Lord.
