Dear Reader,
After a week of traveling, we have finally entered Northern California! This is the first time for all of us. The price of gas and groceries is astronomical here ($6.59 for a gallon of Regular gas in one spot), but so far I have been pleased with the clean towns, nice roads, and friendly people. And the landscapes… I don’t know what I was expecting, but California is absolutely gorgeous! I think I’ve seen every type of tree, mountain, and water feature to ever exist just by passing East to West through the state. The best part is the gorgeous, bright flowers bursting from every yard. It’s a different vibe than Florida, more mountainous and less populated, but I love it.
Sunday, 08/02/26
Our original plan was to make this a shorter travel day by driving from Salt Lake City, taking an exploration break at the Bonneville Salt Flats, then stopping for the night after 3-4 total hours of driving on BLM land in Elko, Nevada. We scrapped that plan because it was shaping up to be another obscenely hot day and we didn’t feel like spending the afternoon lazing in the camper.
We formulated a new plan to drive to our next stop – Tahoe Donner Campground in Truckee, California -where we were supposed to end up the following day. Fortunately our site was open, so we drove the 7 1/2 hours plus towing time and arrived in time to make supper and hit the sack. On the way, we drove past the Salt Flats and they looked cool, but it seemed like more of a quick lunch/rest/photo break stop than a whole excursion, so I don’t feel like we missed out on much. We passed by Reno, Nevada which is somewhere that I‘d be interested in seeing more of.
After driving through scorching desert, our entry into California was a breath of fresh air! There were still mountains, but these ones were studded with pines and the air wasn’t so baking.
We wound our way to the campground and were warmly greeted not only by Carla, the Camp Manager, but also by our campsite neighbors, a retired couple who live in their RV! We had site 12 which was next to the bathrooms, showers, and dishwashing sink. Since we had kids the proximity was perfect, although I wouldn’t recommend site 14 next to us because their front door basically opened right up to the back of our camper. The campground is one small loop with various sizes of sites, including group sites, but if you make sure you don’t get a squishy one I would recommend going there! We were warned about bears, but we didn’t end up seeing any. Side note: they don’t allow campfires, so we used our grill to cook.
Monday, 08/03/26
Today was a laid-back recovery day. We did our grocery shopping at Safeway, and it came as a culture shock to me, a Midwesterner, that they supplied no plastic bags. Recycling also seems to be a big thing here. We spent the remainder of the day at the campground.
Tuesday, 08/04/26
This morning we headed to Kings Beach on Lake Tahoe. The cabins/houses tucked into the trees along the drive there were almost exclusively brown wood. The closer we got to the beach, the busier the road got. The beach itself was packed, and I thought it was hilarious how many people had a whole tent setup on the sand; when a spot opened up by the water, we watched a family carry a shade canopy and a table laden with food over the hot sand to stake out their area. We brought a baby pop-up tent and a beach umbrella, and I would say the shade was necessary. The water was perfect: cold and fresh, and I have never seen such a beautiful view as the mountains there ringing the lake.
For lunch we had takeout from The Burrito Window and the carne asada tacos were 10/10. I also bought some leather slides, but the scorching sand got caught in them and blistered the tops of my toes!
Wednesday, 08/05/26
Our plans have changed again! We were going to drive to a campground in Coloma, CA to stay for 4 nights so my husband, Jay, could pan for gold in the American River, but the temperature was going to be at least 100°F the whole time so we sadly canceled our reservation and continued on to Point Reyes on the California coast. My sister, Avery, and I watched Harry Potter in the backseat, so the 4 hour drive flew by.
As we made our way through Sacramento, I started to see palm trees. Beyond that, farms and vineyards dotted the roads winding through the mountains. During the last half hour of the ride, the road was so curvy that my daughter felt carsick, but we survived the ride and enjoyed the scenery.
Upon our arrival at Olema Campground, we were checked in by an older gentleman with the kindest voice. They were able to get us in days earlier with the caveat that we’d have to switch sites twice during our stay, which was fine with us. Our first site (141) is spacious and covered in flowers, and they have all the amenities here, including laundry.The WiFi is effectively unusable, but who cares.
After setting up, we drove 20 minutes to Limantour Beach and again I was blown away by the scenery! The road winds up, over, and around the side of a green blanketed mountain until you arrive at the quiet, spacious beach. The waves were big enough to turn my sister and I upside down, and wiggling sand fleas decided to take residence in both of our suits after one especially large swell. My absolute favorite part of the day was when I saw the face of a gray seal peering out from under the crest of a nearby wave! At first I thought it was a dog, but it didn’t take me long to realize it wasn’t!
Animals I saw today:
- Cows (it seems like they’re everywhere in the U.S.!)
- Horses
- Sheep
- Bees (one stung my foot)
- A flock of albatross
- Sand fleas (crabs?)
- A gray seal (I basically swam with him)
Thursday, 08/06/26
Today we explored the oceanside town of Bolinas. The streets are narrow, the houses are pretty, and like everywhere else I’ve been in California it has the most gorgeous flowers! Lots of people were surfing at the beach there, but it was too chilly for us to dive in. I think my Michigan blood became acclimated to the 100°F Salt Lake City weather and now anything that’s room temperature feels frigid.
Our next stop was Agate Beach. This one was rocky and empty, but we found a sandy spot to sunbathe at the foot of the cliffs a short ways down the beach. Though I prefer Limantour Beach, I liked how private this spot was.
Friday, 08/07/26
We were at the campground until 1:00 PM because today was our first site-switching day and the people on our new site (234) didn’t leave until well past the noon checkout time. Our new site felt more crowded and the nearby bathrooms weren’t quite as nice, but it was fine for us.
We drove an hour to San Francisco because it was time to stock up on food and the markets around Point Reyes are extravagantly priced. I think it’s about $3.50 for the cheapest yogurt cup and $15 for a pound of ground beef. We wanted an introduction to the city anyways, so it worked out.
After leaving our truck in the tightest parking lot ever ($30), we took the stroller to Fisherman’s Wharf at Pier 39 for lunch at Boudin Bakery. They had mini bread loaves shaped like teddy bears and crayfish, but we skipped those in favor of French dip, pizza, and mac n’ cheese. I’m not sure if we were starving or if the food was actually amazing.
Afterwards, we explored the pier. It was packed and touristy, but my daughter got to ride the carousel while we watched a street performer juggle and do handstands on a rooftop balance board. This was Avery’s favorite spot so far on our trip.
Jay told me he found a “white girl spot” to bring me to and then drove us to the San Francisco National Cemetery… I guess because girls like true crime podcasts and nature? He was spot on, though. The trees lining the walking path there were beautiful, and we caught a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge through the fog, but it was chilly so we didn’t stay long. Then we did a Target grocery run before driving “home” to Olema Campground.
Animals I saw today:
- A dock full of seals marinating in the San Francisco sun
- 4 precious baby birds nesting in the rafters of the new bathrooms
Saturday, 08/08/26
We had seen signs up around Olema declaring that there would be a fair in the neighboring town, Inverness, on Saturday, so of course we had to go. Inverness is the prettiest small town with what looks to be a tiny, older population. The fair turned out to be not much more than a rummage sale/craft fair/cake raffle, but we tried some pie, found a couple souvenirs at the sale (I got a leather backpack for $5!!!), and got out without too much hassle.
Stinson Beach was our next stop. The parking lot was so full that we had to wait for a couple to towel off at their car so we could snag their parking spot. The beach was busy too, but it had more than enough room for everyone. It was too chilly to swim, so we ended up strolling around the surrounding area and peeking into the shops.
These past two weeks of traveling in a camper have solidified in my mind that all I need in order to have a good day and stay sane is enough sleep, time outdoors, and time with loved ones. Normal day-to-day life sometimes made it tough to get all three, which has made this trip a welcome relief.
I’m not against living in a camper forever at this point… first of all, consider the location flexibility! If the weather isn’t ideal, just go somewhere else! That’s what the retired couple in Tahoe did; they were from Southern California, but it got too hot so they went north for a month!
Also, if you lived in a camper you’d basically be forced outside all the time because your indoor space and facilities are limited. I’m loving it, as long as I have AC when I need it. My kids are usually more content outdoors, as am I, and I’ve finally been able to lose my vampire-like pallor!
Surprisingly, it’s been a bonus to live out of little more than a suitcase! Less stuff to take care of = less chores, which means more time to explore, and I don’t mind being limited to a crockpot and a skillet. Life feels simpler with less options.
I know there are cons to camper living, but don’t burst my bubble until I return home! I will come home… eventually.
– Madelyn