Travels with The Rayman

View from El Capitan campground

Well, now.  Today was the first big excursion in TDH.  Drove from Temecula to the El Capitan State campground 17 miles north of Santa Barbara. (see above)   And we did this without incident.  Rayman drove.  I’m certain that is why it went without a hitch if you’ll pardon the pun.  I’m not sure about my aptitude with this vessel.  Tomorrow is my turn at the wheel.

Beaumiester in transit

Actually, there are two campgrounds across the freeway from each other here and we took the state one.  Rayman said there were hookups so he was pleased.  When we arrived, there was an unmanned kiosk with signs that included instructions.  It was self-pay and they wanted $33 dollars in cash.  I suggested that we go pick out a sight and then return to pay.  Rayman wanted to pay and then go to the camp sight so that is what we did.  When we arrived in the area designed for RVs there were no hook ups.  Oops.  So, we picked a spot and then spotted a ranger.  He said that there was another RV resort across the freeway.  Oops.  Rayman was not a happy camper but he was instrumental so not much was discussed as you can imagine. Our spot is right on the bluffs of the Pacific.  Nice.

Rayman undid the car and we drove to Santa Barbara to visit the REI store and to get a salad to go with the pasta we were having for dinner.  Mission accomplished, we headed back, parked the car, walked the dog, fixed and ate dinner and had a lovely evening until the beeping started.  Four high pitched beeps were emanating from the carbon monoxide detector in the bedroom.  After much inspecting and discussion and opening of windows and turning on of funs, the beeping stopped.  We resumed our reading.   The beeping resumed.  Off went the generator.  Off the wall came the detector.  It was to have been replaced in 2009.  Hum.  So, I got the bright idea to text our sales guy, Leonard.  He got right back and suggested that we do what we had done.  I reported our findings and suggested that perhaps the unit was defective.  He replied, “Maybe.”  At which point I texted, “Well, if you read in the paper that a couple was found dead in their RV, tell them it was asphyxiation… not suicide.” and I sent the text.  And then I sent him another text.  “Remember, the RV Ready sign is still in our license plate holder!!”  He mentioned something about mentioning the problem to maintenance.  I mentioned that I was kidding him.  In the meantime, Rayman turned on the generator again to test it.  Then we decided it was almost 8 and that is when generators must be shut off so the Rayman just shut it off, the dog was walked, the lights were turned off, the teeth were brushed and here we are in the dark.

And now I’m pretty sure that we are parked on the Harbor freeway (picture of the Harbor freeway below).

Forget the sounds of the waves crashing.  All we can hear is the traffic.  The very loud traffic.  And the only thing that breaks up that sound is the occasional train that blows by every so often.  Did I mention that the train track was located between the campground and the freeway  OMG.  We know how to pick them, don’t we? Well, it’s called the learning curve.  And apparently we are bound and determined to utilize as much of that curve as is possible. Perhaps the traffic will die down.  It’s only 8:39 p.m.

My first stab at driving TDH