Interested in a SLO Gathering 2.0 this fall?

[Esteban]

Hi everyone, Chris "Italia" and I are talking about where to have another SLO Gathering. We're going to go talk to the camp host at Montana de Oro before deciding for sure that it'll be our camping location again. So, don't call Reserve America yet to make our reservation because we might change the campground to another one.

One alternate location we're considering is Lopez Lake Campground, a county park with hundreds of camp sites, about 20 minutes inland from Arroyo Grande and Highway 101 in southern San Luis Obispo County. Most of it's camp sites are partially shaded by oak trees. Some have lake views. It has bathrooms and showers, a park store, fishing and boating, hiking trails, and a water slide open in the summer. On it's website there are maps and pictures of most of the campsites.

We're also considering three campgrounds along the southern Big Sur Coast - Limekiln State Park, Kirk Creek Campground and Plaskett Creek Campground. They're each smaller camping capacity parks in beautiful coastal locations. It's a longer drive to get to them. You'd need to bring in all the supplies you need to be self sufficient because it's a long long way to get to a store. Limekiln has showers.

We prefer to camp in clean quiet naturally beautiful places away from town so those are the kinds of places we're considering for the gathering. Let us know if any of them are places you'd especially like. Or have a problem with.

Lopez Lake Campground
Limekiln State Park
links to Kirk Creek and Plaskett Creek campgrounds
photos and information about Kirk Creek and Limekiln campgrounds
Montana de Oro State Park

Kirk Creek Campground:

Location: Big Sur Coast
Description: Located on open bluff, 100 feet above sea level.
Number of Sites: 33 units
Directions: Take Highway 1, 80 miles North of San Luis Obispo or 35 miles south of the community of Big Sur.
Activities: Hiking, fishing, beach access
Facilities: Flush toilets, trailhead parking, developed water, accessible tables fire rings and grills, bike campsites available. RV's no longer than 30'.
Special Rules: Kirk Creek is a campfire-use site. Maximum stay is 14 days.
Fees: 22.00 per night, per site. Sites accommodate 6-8 people and 2 vehicles per site. Bicycle or walk-in tent camping is $5.00 per night.
Reservations: First come, first served.
Seasonal Use: Open all year.
Helpful Hints: Nearest store in Lucia. Nearest dump station 40 miles south to San Simeon State Park. Large amounts of Poison Oak on trails. Campground host sells firewood.
Contact: Concession managed by Parks Management Co. (805)434-1996 or (805) 434-9199. Website http://www.campone.com.

Plaskett Creek Campground:

Photo: Campsite at Plaskett Creek Campground. Pretty area in the trees.Location: Big Sur Coast
Description: Campsites nestled among large Monterey Pines.
Number of Sites: 45 units
Directions: Take Highway 1, 35 miles North of San Simeon State Park. Campground is just off Highway 1 on the inland side of the highway and 60 miles south of Carmel.
Activities: Hiking, fishing, scenic viewing, and beach access.
Facilities: Flush toilets (group sites have vault toilets), developed water, picnic tables, fire rings, grills, and garbage bins.
Photo: Shows what a campsite at Plaskett Creek Campground looks like; some trees and some open space.Special Rules: Plaskett Creek is a campfire-use site. Maximum stay is 14 days.
Family Campsites: Fees are 22.00 per night. Sites accommodate 6-8 people and 2 vehicles per site. Family campsites are filled on a first come, first served basis. Bicycle or walk-in tent camping $5.00.
Group Sites: There are 3 group sites. Fees are $80.00 per night. Sites accommodate up to 40 people and 10 vehicles per site. Group sites are filled by reservation only. For group site reservations, call: 1-877-444-6777 or visit www.Recreation.gov.
Seasonal Use: Open all year
Helpful Hints: Nearest store in Lucia. Nearest dump station 40 miles south to San Simeon State Park. Large amounts of poison oak on trails. Campground host sells firewood.
Contact: Concession managed by Parks Management Co. (805) 434-1996 or (805) 434-9199. Website http://www.campone.com.

[doug hodder]

Steve...I think that Lopez Lake would work well. More of a festival type camping thing, kind of like Mendocino, you can reserve large group sites and it doesn't appear that parking is going to be an issue. I don't know if you can pull a bunch of trailers into the group areas though. Limekiln in the Foghorn guide says that 18 RV sites and 10 tent sites...we'd need to reserve the entire place...also mentions that "parking is limited". Doug

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

I Like Foghorns!!!
So soothing and comforting, just like fog itself.

[Ken Fincher]

Steve...I think that Lopez Lake would work well. More of a festival type camping thing, kind of like Mendocino, you can reserve large group sites and it doesn't appear that parking is going to be an issue. I don't know if you can pull a bunch of trailers into the group areas though. Limekiln in the Foghorn guide says that 18 RV sites and 10 tent sites...we'd need to reserve the entire place...also mentions that "parking is limited". Doug

I would have to agree with Doug, Lopez Lake sounds and looks like a nice place, on there website the large group area said a 12 vehicle min. it did not say the maximum vehicle limit.
I wish it was'nt so far away I would jump in my car and go do some investigateing and I would take some pictures of a few TD gatherings with me to show the host and I would leave them with the host or with someone there, so they may able to work it out so we could get a few more vehicles into the camping area scince TD's take up such a little area and they do not way that much they may work it out so we could also put some TD's in the tenting areas.

Steve
If there was problem with them letting us park our TD's on the grassy areas or in the tent areas do to they do not want any automobiles in them areas, If it would help I would bring my trailer dolly to keep the footprint of our TD's to a minimum.

This is just a thought.
Steve you did great last year I (We) have faith in you & Italia.

The Sin City Teardropper.
Ken F.
( www.VegasTeardrop.com )

[Esteban]

Doug, if you really want festival camping we have just the thing for you the Live Oak Music Festival held just north of Santa Barbara that's coming up on Father's Day weekend. I go every year and this one'll be the 20th year for the festival. It's great fun, great (though crowded) camping, with great music and great people. Camping under shady oak trees and hot showers too. Don't think I'll have my teardrop done enough by then to camp in, so I'll probably be tenting again. Would really enjoy it if some teardroppers came to camp together for it. Saw only one there last year. This would be in addition to our second SLO Gathering in the fall. If there's interest in the Live Oak Music Festival I'll start another thread for it. Tupelo Sue mentioned last year she might want to come this year.

Full festival passes, including camping, are now discounted at $110 until March 15 when they go to $115.
The theme for the 2008 Live Oak tee shirt is peace. love. dirt.

Here are the performers they've signed up so far
2008 PERFORMERS:
Nanci Griffith
Dan Hicks and the Hotlicks
Mike Marshall
Poncho Sanchez
Nappy Brown
The Derailers
Randy Kohrs
Eilen Jewell
Inga Swearingen
Campbell Brothers
The Stairwell Sisters
Banshee in the Kitchen

Live Oak Music Festival entertainment schedule
Tickets

Back to the SLO Gathering. We'd thought most people might prefer to camp close to the ocean. If that's not so true then Lopez Lake Campground really begins to look like a good gathering location. I'll scout it out.

[Ma3tt]

Count us in

[doug hodder]

I'll pass on the festival...just want that type camping with a group, not a mob. Doug

[Italia]

Hello Everyone,

Lopez Lake shuts down sites after Labor Day Weekend. I will check into what areas that will be open after the Holiday.

Look forward to seeing everyone,

Chris

[Joanne]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it or not. A lot of it has to do with whether my therapist will clear me to attend this year. I have been having terrible nightmares that my therapist thinks are the result of post traumatic stress syndrome. She has named the disorder SLOCAS and is hoping to get a federal grant to study it further. We'll see how things progress as the time gets closer. What's SLOCAS? San Luis Obispo Coon Attack Syndrome.

Just for this trip I'll rename my trailer the Coon Dawg! I'm still refining my Coon Under Glass recipe.

Joanne

[Gage]

Hi all,
<snip>
Just for this trip I'll rename my trailer the Coon Dawg! I'm still refining my Coon Under Glass recipe.
Joanne

Baked in a Dutch Oven.

[Esteban]

We've widened our search for a site for SLO 2.0 from Montana de Oro to a few other locations so maybe you won't have to suffer from SLOCAS again, Joanne. Matt has a nice raccoon themed tee shirt design almost ready for SLO 2.0 if we camp at MdeO again this fall. Would hate to have him waste his artistic effort. It needs a little something. Maybe a Coon Dawg trailer perched on the bluffs in the background.

Today was a sunny warm day, in the low 70's, that felt like early spring so I did some scouting around at Lopez Lake Campground. The recent rains turned the hills around Lopez Lake beautifully lush and green. The campground was nearly deserted. In the middle of the day no raccoons were out and about. Groups of deer quietly grazed on fresh grass at empty campsites and a flock for wild turkeys wandered around. A sign warned to be careful not to leave food out because of bears - they're a rarity around here.

Several areas looked promising for our camping. The squirrel area, has about 2 dozen campsites in a shaded valley with a feeling somewhat like the back loop of Montana de Oro - it may be too small for SLO 2.0 if the interest exceeds that many people.

On a hill overlooking the lake several clusters of individual primitive campsites, Conejo, Gizzly and Buck, neighbor one another. If we camp there we'd have room for more people. A bathroom with showers is near the center. Camping areas with electricity, the closest one is Beaver, are nearby so people who need it could camp close by. The helpful reservation clerk made it clear that we'd need to carefully chock our trailers because not all sites are level.

The group camps at Lopez Lake are too small for our needs. So we'd be using clusters of individual primitive sites for a gathering there. Primitive sites are $22/day plus a $7 reservation fee. Electric sites are $26/day plus the $7 reservation fee. There's a camp store, snack bar, and laundry near the boat launch. The water slides are open only on the weekends in September. On the drive from Hwy. 101 to Lopez Lake you'd pass wineries you might stop in if wine tasting is your pleasure.

Tomorrow Chris "Italia" and I are going to scout out several campgrounds along Highway 154 in the hills between Santa Ynez and the City of Santa Barbara. Chris and Dan have camped there before and have a favorite one they want us to consider.

We'll choose one soon and let you all know.

[Ron Dickey]

Fun fun oh boy more fun. I should have mine done and several thousand miles on it by then.

After our trip to NM in Aug, we should love to go someplace close. Open for any camp site on the coast.

Mantana De Oro, San Simion or more north.


As you know steve just give me a call if you need anything

Lazy bones I sold my old tractor for $300 so I can't show it to you.

Ron Dickey
Los Osos, CA

[Ron Dickey]

I thought of Santa Margarita Lake (county Park) but think it to small

http://www.slocountyparks.com/facilities/index.htm

http://countyofsb.org/visiting/campgrou ... eation.asp

http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/pacficsw/losp.htm

Other wise do you know anyone who has land we can camp on?

Ron D.

[tdhombre]

Why wouldn't Montana d'Oro work again for the 2.0 version this year? It offers lots of advantages it seems to me. Liz and I are definitely going to attend assuming, of course, that I don't injure myself again like I did last year!

[Esteban]

Dave, we'd like you and Liz to come to SLO 2.0.

We like Montana de Oro campground a lot. Despite the raccoons. People who came last year said they had a very good time and most liked MdeO well enough to want to come there again. So it's a top contender for SLO 2.0. Their reservation system is confusing. We need to sort it out before we can announce whether MdoO can, or will, be our location again. Last year a lot of the success of the SLO Gathering was due to Lana a VERY cooperative camp host without whom the gathering couldn't have happened, at least as well as it did. We may not be so fortunate again.

We're looking into several other campgrounds as alternatives if MdeO doesn't work out again. Or if we just decide another location would be preferable this year.

Tuesday Chris "Italia" and I checked out national forest campgrounds between Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez off Hwy. 154. Several look good. One very attractive campground has too little capacity - unless they'll let us double up. We're waiting for the camp host to run that idea by the rangers to see if it'd be OK.

This weekend we're going to check out Lopez Lake Campground to see if we like it. It has more than enough camp sites, hot showers, and a reservation system that seems easier than the others to use.

It's coming together.