SLO, CA Gathering at Montana de Oro SP Sept. 13-15, 2007

[Esteban]

We're going to hold a Tear Drop and Tiny Trailer Gathering on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Sept. 13 -15, 2007 at Montana de Oro State Park. It's a beautiful park on the California Central Coast, located almost midway between the SF Bay Area and LA. From US Hwy. 101 in San Luis Obispo it's about a 20 mile drive to Montana de Oro SP campground. The City of Morro Bay is 9 miles northward.

Montana de Oro is a beautiful, uncrowded, large ocean front CA state park several miles south of Los Osos. The campground is within walking distance of Spooner's Cove and it's sandy beach. It's a "primitive campground" with pit toilets, no hookups, and no showers. Fresh water is available from trucked in water tanks. Each camp spot has paved parking for two vehicles (the trailer counts as one of them), a picnic table, and a fire ring. About 1/3 are well shaded, another 1/3 have partial shade, the rest are sunny. The campground is wind sheltered in a little valley with a creek on one side, with many pine trees, and hills on both sides. It seldom gets "hot" here. September should be warm and sunny with little or no fog. There's an ocean front bluff top walking trail, surfing, hiking and biking trails in the hills.

Dogs kept on a short leash are OK in the campground, on the paved roads, and on the beach. They're not allowed on trails.

Montana de Oro State Park: http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=592
Map: http://www.parks.ca.gov/lat_long_map/de ... lvl_id=231
Coastal photos: http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi- ... &year=2002
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/montanadeoro.htm

This is our first time organizing a gathering. We're keeping it simple and not aiming for it to be a big one (7/9/07- it's been growing beyond our expectations). MdeOSP campground has 47 camping sites. They've agreed to hold (7/9/07 update) up to 35 sites for us. Let us know as early as you can, by leaving us a RSVP reply at the end of this discussion thread that you'll be coming and we'll put you on the list for one of the "on hold" spots. (8/28/07 update) Please tell me your (real) name either by posting it with your RSVP or by PMing me with your name after you RSVP here...the camp host needs (real) names for camp site registration.

After Labor Day there are no more Internet reservations through ReserveAmericaDotCom. Camping at MdeOSP becomes first come, first served. Camping costs $15/day. Extra vehicles are $3/day. You'll pay the campground by cash of check when you arrive. Seniors can get a discount. Disabled vets, with an ID card, camp free according to the camp host. Check in time is normally 2 p.m. however the camp host said we can come in as early as noon. If you arrive earlier in the day there's plenty of day use parking.

As new TD gathering organizers we're not planning many activities. We appreciate fun creative people who will help out. A pot luck on Sat. night is traditional. If someone would like to show us all (Hello Dean?) how to cook in DO's they'd be very welcome. Yipeee, we hooked a couple of DO masters, Ma3tt and Joanne, to demonstrate DO cooking!! Lot's of good times are expected meeting new and old friends, and looking at trailers.

How to get to the SLO Gathering: You can use "Montana de Oro State Park" as your destination with Google maps to give yourself driving directions. I suggest turning off US 101 at Los Osos Valley Road, newly marked as Exit 200 , on the south side of SLO, because it's the most direct road/route to MdeOSP. The drive from SLO to the campground is less than 20 miles and passes through the coastal town Los Osos.
Map of SLO turn off from Hwy. 101 at Exit 200/Los Osos Valley Road

For stocking up there's a Costco in SLO off Los Osos Valley Road. Map to SLO Costco.
Trader Joe's is easterly off exit 200. From Los Osos Valley Road (exit 200) turn left on S. Higuera St. and go about two blocks to 3977 S. Higuera St.
Map to SLO Trader Joe's
Food4Less grocery store is next door to TJ's.

Three markets and one yummy bakery in Los Osos:
Ralphs - 1240 Los Osos Valley Road
Los Osos Mexican Market - 1236 Los Osos Valley Road
Vons - 1130 Los Osos Valley Road
Carlock's Bakery 1024 Los Osos Valley Road is a yummy, yummy bakery. http://www.carlocksbakery.com/index.html

Come. Relax. Do as little or as much as you like. SLO's Thursday Night Farmer's Market goes on weekly from 6:30 to 9 PM on Higuera Street downtown. http://www.downtownslo.com/home.html It's lot's of fun with fresh fruit and veggie stands, BBQ and food vendors, music, and good people watching. Morro Bay SP has golfing and kayaking. Morro Bay has good seafood restaurants. You can go wine tasting.
http://www.slowine.com
http://www.pasowine.com

We want to meet some good people in September to camp with, relax, have fun, eat well, and to admire all your wonderful tiny trailers.

[Esteban]

A bird's eye view of where we'll be camping



These are people/couples who've RSVP'd they're coming to the SLO Gathering. The first 35 (7/9/07 update) people who post RSVP replies get one of the 35 camp spaces that are "on hold" for us. That's the upper limit on the number of spaces we can get. I'll update the list with names of the people/couples who are coming. BTW, you'll choose your camp spot when you arrive from those on hold.

1. Esteban - Steve Boyer, San Luis Obispo, CA
2. Italia - Dan and Chris M, Orcutt, CA
3. Martha24 - Martha and David A., Goleta, CA
4. mfkaplan - Mary Kaplan, Atwater, CA "Mom's Nest"
5. cherokeegeorge - George Boyett, La Crescenta, CA, 2005Camp-Inn 550 Ultra, George's birthday is the Thursday 13th
6. BillNut, Bill Pistacio, Simi Valley, CA
7. Duane and Linda King, Salinas, CA
8. sdtripper2 - Steve, San Diego, CA
9. emiller - Donna and Eddie Miller, Phoenix, AZ
10. Ma3tt - Matt and Beth, "Noodleberry Park", CA
11. Roly Nelson, Wildomar, CA
12. tupelosue, Napa, CA
13. cuyeda - Cliff and Vanessa Uyeda, Long Beach, CA
14. Doug Hodder and sidekick Daisy, Northern CA
15. Nic - DeCamp, Torrance, CA HaHaHa!!!
16. Mike and Nancy Ahern, Placerville, CA
17. T for 2 - Allen and Terry Hopkins, San Luis Obispo, CA, coming Friday afternoon
18. 3hansons - Tim. Margaret, and Nicky, Buelton, CA, 1960 Serro Scotty
19. Joanne, (Buelton, CA?), 2001 kit teardrop copy
20. Kevin and Gloria Shaw, Solvang, CA
21. dhazard - Dan Hazard, Manteca, CA sharing a site with Ken & Jan Fincher, Las Vegas
22. Dan & Deb DeBono, Simi Valley, CA
23. Harmany - Lynda Harman, Los Angeles, CA, Campinn 550
24. Joanne - the Queen of Cast Iron, Las Vegas, NV, Desert Dawg sharing space with daveleb55 - Dave & Kathlen, Las Vegas, NV, tent camping
25. Lazybones - Lee Bryant, Willits, CA
26. Gordon Azevedo, Goleta, CA
27. Ron Dickey, Los Osos, CA
28. Gage - Gage & Tanya Enoch, Palmdale, CA, 1956 Dalton (standy)
29. Filifera - Gwen & Steve Crippen, Bakersfield, CA, 2005 Little Guy Deluxe
30. tdhombre - Dave Klinzman, Morro Bay, CA
31. Phil & Ningning, Corona, CA will share a campsite with Milt Camp from Sonora, CA and his restored teardrop
32. BruceB - Bruce Blackburn, Western USA
33. Reddiver - Steve, Hayward, CA, van camping, coming to get ideas to build one sharing a site with Juan Al Dana, Van Nuys, CA
34. sunny16 - Utah, a pretty great state! (West Jordan)
35. Randy "Mac" & Cyndie McFarlane, "Team Sequoia" arriving Friday sharing a campsite with Wes - Wes & Betty Morrissey, Laguna Beach. CA, teardrop and 1 car
36. We're full

If you're on the RSVP list above for one of the 35 spots and you cannot come please PM me, Esteban, or post a note, with your cancellation. Then someone else can join the SLO Gathering at MdeOSP.
After we get 35 RSVPs signed up I'll start a short waiting list (with no more than 10 people). If a large number of people want to come to the SLO Gathering that MdeO camp ground can't accommodate I suggest they make reservations at nearby Morro Bay State Park and come visit during the day. There's no entry fee to Montana do Oro Park and there's plenty of day use parking at the entrance of the camp ground by the ranch house above Sponer's Cove.

Waiting List

[martha24]

RSVP for:
Martha24- Martha & David A. Goleta, CA

[Italia]

Steve,
Thank you for all the hard work you have done.

Chris

[mfkaplan]

RSVP- Mary Kaplan Atwater, CA. I will come on Thursday.
Can't Wait! What a neat location. A field trip to the farmers market on Thursday is a must.

Mary
Mom's Nest

[cherokeegeorge]

esteban, thanks for taking care of business count kathy and I in the 13th is my birthday. woo hoo

george

[billnut]

BillNut the Tiny R. V. will be there O Simi Valley

[James & Avisia Flohr]

R.S.V.P. for James and Avisia Flohr, Clovis CA. Thanx again for all the hard work for something so close to home. Jim

[sdtripper2]

R.S.V.P. for sdtripper2 from San Diego, CA

Thank you Steve B.

[emiller]

My wife says yes so put me down Donna and Eddie Miller
Phoenix, Arizona

[Ma3tt]

Matt and Beth from NP CA if it sells out I will sell my site at a profit! Ma3tt the official T&TTT scalper!

[Roly Nelson]

Hi, Roly here, first time builder and owner of the much maligned and pratically unheard of, beat up little 4 x 8 foot teardrop trailer, complete with wooden 2 slice pop up toaster and wooden satelite dish and flip-down Sony Plazma TV. I,m looking forward to making the trip to the SLO Gathering and meeting some TDers I've never met. Plan to check out the wood carvings in the Madona Inn while there. Keep up the good work, and good luck on getting conuntless RSVPs.

Roly Nelson, Ol' retired TDer from Wildomar, CA and plan to celebrate my 100th Bday in my tear in another 25 years! (have wood, will travel)

[tupelosue]

Hey that weekend works for me! I'll have just enough time to wash the dust off from Burningman before heading to SLO!!

count me in for 1.

Steve, thanks for the great planning process you've modeled. I've considered setting up a small gathering for the Napa area sometime...any wine drinkers out there?

[Duane King]

RSVP for Duane & Linda King. Sounds like a blast. Thanks for making this happen. We're looking forward to it.

[Esteban]

This is so exciting! In just over a day a baker's dozen people/couples have RSVP'd for our little gathering by the sea.

Welcome, Dan, Chris, Martha, David, Mary, George, Kathy, Bill, James "Jim", Avisia, Duane, Linda, Steve, Donna, Eddie, Matt, Beth, Roly, and Sue.

Dan and Chris drove up Saturday to meet me at Montana do Oro, We walked through the campground and shared ideas. The three of us talked with Lana, the very nice camp host at MdeO, to talk over how to make the gathering work well. Their support and ideas helped get this off the ground. Martha's been helping out behind the scenes here. I had the pleasure of meeting Martha and David a week ago. Matt's offered his help. Thanks to you all. It feels like it's coming together well and that we're going to have a good time camping in September.

Steve's next phone call: "Hello Dexter, I need an axle."