Campfires and Fire Season

Tips on how to have a safe campfire and not burn the whole place down!

Fire season in California runs from about June through September, but can start as early as April, and run through November in dry or drought years. It’s serious business here. Public campgrounds will likely conspicuously display what is considered the local level of fire danger, and institute rules and regulations based on the current level of danger. If you don’t see a sign, ask. Always follow the rules on this stuff.

PRIME RULE #1 TO FOLLOW: Wind is the cause of many a raging wildfire! If it is windy or becomes blustery after you have started enjoying your campfire, the safest and wisest thing is to carefully douse your fire to full extinguishment with water. Be careful to not cause embers or sparks to migrate past your protective fire ring.

It is always best, and just good camp etiquette, to use already existing pits or rings for your campfire. That way any root systems or other underground combustibles are not likely to be an issue. Secondly, you’re not going to be adding another layer of burnt charcoal to the dirt area of your camp, something that is not good to leave behind for future campers to deal with.

If having a campfire is crucial to your joy and happiness, and there are restrictions on fires where you are, you may want to invest in a small propane campfire set up. See this link.

In every case never leave any fire unattended, and make sure to fully douse your fire with water before retiring for the night or leaving the site.

Be Fire Safe and Fire Wise!

Cabin Fever? Your workstation and schoolhouse await at the beach!

Work and school are looking a lot different these days! Take this opportunity to get away from the surroundings you’ve been stuck in these last few months and get-away. Just a couple of  hours south of our location in Costa Mesa, adventure awaits in America’s Finest City, San Diego!

October is Kids Free San Diego month. Throughout the city, kids 12 and under are FREE with a paying adult*. This encompasses all that San Diego has to offer, from the world famous San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park Museums, to Legoland, whale watching and even some of that delicious San Diego cuisine (did somebody say Mexican Food??). You will NOT run out of fun and educational opportunities for family bonding and new, exciting experiences.

Larger camping resorts in San Diego, like Campland on the Bay and Mission Bay RV Resort offer FREE WIFI. You and your kids can spend the morning, getting through your Zoom meetings and Google Classrooms, with San Diego’s greatest adventures as your reward.

Add some real-life experiences to your kids’ virtual schooling. At the San Diego Zoo and their less-visited, but equally wonderful Safari Park, see how science is meeting the challenges that animals face all over the world. These institutions are world-renowned for their work with endangered species and animal rescue.

San Diego’s crown jewel, Balboa Park, is a dream come true to minds eager to learn about the world. World class museums, like the San Diego Natural History Museum, The Fleet Science Center and San Diego Museum of Art, are perfect for experiential learning that just cant take place through a screen or even a classroom. The park is also home to acres of parkland and gardens, as well plentiful trails where kids can get out their wiggles in the San Diego sunshine.

There are so many do not miss sights in San Diego. Make sure to visit the USS Midway Museum. This historical US Navy aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum, highlighting the history and the stories of the USS Midway. They have an extensive aircraft collection on board as well. Down along the shore, make sure that you visit the classic California Boardwalk and Giant Dipper wooden rollercoaster at Belmont Park. The coaster was built in 1925 and restored in the 1990’s. Little Italy offers delicious restaurants and the Little Italy Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. Pick up some farm fresh fare for your camp kitchen, and, of course, pizza for everyone!

The city of La Jolla is a nature and beach lover’s paradise. You and your kids will delight in the throngs of seals and sea lions who have taken over the beachfront concrete “Children’s Pool”. Get right up close to nature - but not too close! They are protected animals. La Jolla also offers a unique opportunity to get right up close to the rocky coastline with La Jolla Sea Caves Kayaks. This coastal area is inaccessible by foot, so this is your chance to see what so many miss. Watch the water for the famous orange Garibaldi, California’s official State Fish, along with leopard sharks and gracefully swimming rays. You can join an organized, but distanced, kayaking tour, or you can go out on your own. Children must be 6 or older to take part in this activity.

Of course, don’t forget the famous San Diego Beaches. Head over the big blue Coronado Bay Bridge to sandy beaches and the iconic Hotel del Coronado. Torrey Pines Beach and Reserve Park, Swami’s in Encinitas and Pacific Beach offer beach fun for everyone. We can even throw a surf rack or a bike rack on your bus for even more adventures. If your family includes Fido, make sure to check out the San Diego Dog Beach in Ocean Beach.

And no trip to San Diego would be complete without sampling street tacos and Mexican food. Sample some Tijuana-style street tacos at The Taco Stand. Try the tacos in freshly made tortillas as La Fachada. And visit the Barrio Logan neighborhood for art, culture, and fish tacos. The downtown Gaslamp District also has delicious restaurants for you to check out. Plenty for families to love, from The Old Spaghetti Factory and Ghirardelli’s Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop.

*ages and offers may vary - check location for specific details.

Long Live the Camper Van: Companies renting Vacation Mobiles

George, Alyce, Mae and Kim cruise the California Coast in a vintage VW camper van rental from Vintage Surfari Wagons.

If you live in Southern California and have an “Endless Summer” mentality, Vintage Surfari Wagons is probably the van rental company for you. Their fleet of vintage Volkswagen buses from the ‘80s through 2000s look straight from the set of a classic surfing movie, but with the addition of modern upgrades like much-needed air conditioning. Many models include pop-up roofs to create an even breezier open-air vibe, and if you want to go full RV, some have generators and water hook-ups. For those who’re looking for the glamping-est of camper experiences, they also offer tours led by experts.

Guest post by Dan Gentile on Paktbags.com

Hire a Kombi Comes for a Visit

KOMBI DIARIES

California with Vintage Surfari Wagons

August 2019

WINDOWS down, hair flying everywhere and we are in one of our kombi’s cruising along the Great Ocean Road.  For our family me (Alyce) husband George and kids Mae and Kim, this is the best place to be, out on the road in our vans.

As we stare out the windows, never tiring of the beauty surrounding the cliffs edge, we would excitedly chat about all our dreams and our future with our kombi’s.  Kombi’s which I have watched George spend sleepless nights working on.  We have so many ideas for our business but it always ends with we will be able to do it as soon as we finish these resto’s.  (A whole other story for another day)

Despite still pushing wet poo up hill on finishing resto’s we bit the bullet this year and over Instagram messaging, Diane from Vintage Surfari Wagons and I, said “bugga this, lets do a kombi swap”!  I’d go out to the shed and ask George should we, can we, do you want to and his head was always too deep in an engine to answer and I’m sure Diane experienced the same with her husband Bill so we women made the executive decision to live life in the fast lane and book flights.  Knowing the monstrosity of work that we both had we also both needed a holiday.

Emotions were high.  We have been in business 6 years and we have been on call 24/7 every day since we opened.  Bill and Diane have been in business 14 years (yes lets all take a minute silence for them)!!!!  The thought of shutting business for 16 days was massive and to think we were finally going on our first holiday made my throat burn every time I thought about it and I’d cry.  A lot.

Anyone who knows us well knows we don’t get out much so it was a big deal.  We were going from not being able to ever go camping with friends, seeing the Grampians, Wilsons Prom or venturing past Port Campbell to flying to the other side of the world to drive the West Coast of America!

Knee deep in our own restoration we couldn’t see how it was going to happen but family and friends stepped in and demanded we went.  They weren’t letting us cancel this trip and as you will see from the following photos and the screens gone blurry as I write this….but this was the best trip of our lives.  The kids couldn’t wait to travel in a kombi in another country and George and I couldn’t wait to switch off our phones and discover what it was like to be a customer.  If you missed our Instagram stories here are a few photos to take us back down memory lane of that time two fellow crazy people, Bill and Diane gave us the trip of a lifetime in California!

Us, Alyce and George in front of our sweet ride from Vintage Surfari Wagons!

We will be seeing the beautiful couple in Australia soon so they too can finally be customers and we can’t wait!  We hope Australia is as fun for them as California was for us!

Vintage Surfari Wagons have 3 styles of VWs so for those of you who want to travel further in a newer van they have you covered also.  We couldn’t imagine anything other than the kombi and with George being a full time mechanic they kindly trusted us to see where the wind blew us over the 16 days.  Their kombi Cardiff ran like an absolute dream up the West Coast from Costa Mesa to San Fransisco over a week and then we headed East to Yosemite National Park where we had another week to mosy back but we wish we had a year!

Cruising Big Sur California in a vintage Volkswagen camper van, simply the best!

If you’re thinking of heading to California we highly recommend doing it in a van.  So much freedom comes with traveling in a van with your family.  You have your food, bed and wheels with you at all times and we met so many people A: because we were in a kombi B: we were Australian and Americans love the Australian accent.  We are two Aussies who love a chat so we never really got too far in a hurry but in our opinion this is the best way to travel!

We would wake up in the morning on the beach, look across the road at the motels and know we had the 6 star location.  Highway 1 and 101 are really impressive following the coastline the whole way but we did take the smaller roads whenever we could and went through small country towns which are some of our best memories as we met the local folk who were real nice and gave us a real feel for the different walks of life in California.

Hire A Kombi and Vintage Surfari Wagons together in California August 2019

I could go on forever about our trip and how wonderful Bill and Diane and their fleet of vws are but I’ll let you take the scroll down memory lane instead and if you have any questions about our adventure we are more than happy to chat so shoot us an email or contact Vintage Surfari Wagons x  We really did fly by the seat of our pants with no real plan or structure.  We had an idea that we wanted to travel the coast and if we had time for Yosemite then bonus.  As it turns out Yosemite was the real heart thumper for us but if you’re planning a trip Bill and Diane will be able to guide you to the right van for the timeframe you have.

So glad we decided to wander over to Yosemite!

Peace Out x

Gift Ideas for the Wanderer

Vintage Surfari Wagons’ Big Sierra Skies Camp Tour

Ready to find a fun and thoughtful gift for your nature-loving friend that they will actually enjoy and use? The best gifts for avid adventurers are those that will fuel their passion for nature and give them a reason to get outdoors. With that in mind, here are some ideas to wrap up for the outdoorsy people on your shopping list.

Glamping Accessories

Worldation explains glamping is a trendy way to enjoy the great outdoors without being unplugged completely. If your giftee loves glamping, consider getting them a fun glamping accessory that will make their time in the outdoors a little more comfortable.

You can never go wrong with a big, fluffy blanket or a portable espresso maker. Portable chargers, gourmet s'mores kits, and light strings can also make for great glamping gifts. If your gift recipient likes to stay in wifi-enabled yurts or campers, you could even get them a versatile and powerful streaming device so they can get cozy in front of their favorite shows after a day of outdoor exploring.

Useful Outdoor Gear

Most hikers and campers are always thrilled to receive new gear they can use on the trail. For example, a good-quality daypack is one of the best things you can buy for an active adventurer. Other hiking essentials, like a hydration bladder, water filtration system, and trekking poles, can come in very handy on long day hikes and overnight trips in the wild.

Even if your giftee already has every piece of hiking gear imaginable, they can never have enough comfortable hiking socks—99 Boulders recommends merino wool for its temperature regulation and moisture-wicking properties.

Gift Cards and Passes for Fun Activities

Non-material gifts are another great option for the nature lover in your life. Consider giving the gift of a fun, memorable experience with a gift card or pass for an outdoor activity. For example, a gift card for Vintage Surfari Wagons is the perfect travel-inspiring gift for anyone with a case of wanderlust. The gift cards are available in $100 increments and can be used to rent a campervan or book a group expedition for an unforgettable road trip experience. Vintage Surfari Wagons

Some other great experiential gifts include a National Parks Pass or tickets for zip-lining, gondola rides, or an aerial adventure park. REI also recommends gifting an experience you can do together, like a kayak tour, snowshoe adventure, or camp cooking class. On top of the gift itself, your special someone will have fond memories to look back on.

Educational Books and Guides

Books can make some of the best gifts! They’re affordable, personal, easy to wrap, and perfect for those people on your list that say they don’t want any presents. From trail guides and survival handbooks to elegant coffee table books filled with stunning landscape scenes, there are endless books you could get for the outdoor enthusiast in your life. Wilderness tales and true adventure stories written are also great ideas.

If your gift recipient really likes to read, consider getting them an e-reader so they can take all their favorite books with them on hikes and camping trips without adding excess weight to their pack. Many e-readers even have backlit screens, which make them great for night-time reading after the sun goes down.

Buying a gift for the outdoorsy person on your list might be easier than you think. There are several great material and non-material options out there that are sure to inspire and excite glamping enthusiasts and ultralight hikers alike. In the end, your gift recipient will love any present that you’ve put this much thought and care into.

Written by: Ted Fernandez

Cayucos

PLACES NOT TO BE MISSED ON YOUR VW CAMPERVAN VAYCAY

Just north of Morro Bay is the small beach city of Cayucos. Here you’ll find 2 places not to be missed, a fish taco joint seaside and a cookie bakery.

Park outside of Ruddell’s Smokehouse (free parking here) and grab a smoked Albacore Tuna Taco for $6.50. They’re served in a soft fried tortilla with apple, celery, and lettuce. You’ll need to eat this taco with their Cayucos Hot Sauce. Head across the street to the beach and enjoy your taco with a view or grab a spot right outside of Ruddell’s, they have a few tables outside their establishment. We recommend you pop into the corner market next to Ruddell’s and buy yourself a refreshing beverage to accompany that Taco. Try a Radler Grapefruit or Lemon can of beer. BTW I can’t take credit for either of these (taco + beer) recommendations… our good friend @thebucketlistrip turned us onto the R+R mix and now it’s a regular stop for us on our camping tours.

Follow your taco fuel-up with a visit to The Brown Butter Cookie Company - it’s within walking distance from Ruddell’s, you’ll see the sign, trust me ;) Try a Tower Special, it’s a combo pack of Chocolate Chunk, Snikerdoodle, Oatmeal Raisin, Lemon Sugar and Cocoa… AND remember “Butter makes everything better!”

• Ruddell’s Smokehouse

• The Brown Butter Cookie Company

Family Vacation #vanlife Style

Vacation film from our trip down the Pacific Coast Highway.

Want to take a vacation that your family won’t forget? Want to be that hero that surprises them with a trip of a lifetime? In this video you’ll witness Mr. D, the Husband, Dad and HERO that journeyed Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to LA with his family in a quintessential California road machine - a VW campervan! OH MY!

DMK Media

LA Times Article

The Volkswagen Bus’ long, strange trip from hippie van to hot collectible by GUSTAVO ARELLANO

…From 1950 to 1979, the German automaker churned out over 4.7 million of them under different names and models —Westfalia, Samba, Kombi, Transporter — to create one of the most beloved lines of cars worldwide. Its basic frame — a raised, boxy body, a weak engine in the back, bench seats on the inside, a plethora of windows — attracted a devoted worldwide following. Aficionados turned them into everything from surf wagons and homes to taxis and work trucks. Even movable beer gardens…

Click Here to Read Full Article

Concertgoers sit on the roof of a Volkswagen Bus at the Woodstock festival in Bethel, N.Y., in mid-August 1969. (Associated Press)