Stafford Meadows... Huge Possibilities

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Joanie and I just got home from the 1st Jefferson State Stafford Meadows Gathering.
It was also a campout with our local dutch oven group, but let me tell you...
If the ITG or say Tear Jerkers ever wants to put on a really huge gathering on the West Coast, we found the spot!!!
This place will easily hold 300 teardrops.
17 acres of sprawling meadows amongst a second growth redwood grove, cookshack, flush toilets and hot showers too.
We didn't even know the place existed...
It's situated behind the Stafford RV Park.
The Redwood Christian Center recently purchased the business and property, so no fear of State or County closures because it's privately held.
They are still in the process of cleaning up this great piece of land, restoring it to it's once splendid grandure.
Aside from the church using the property behind the RV park once a year for their own church camp, they are open to renting it out for group use.
I only had room for the two pictures above on my camera, but I snapped several shots of the property on Kevin's camera... he should be along shortly to post the pics.

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

OK...
Kevin has 43 images uploaded to bg's site Here if you want to look at all of them.
(You must be logged on to bg's site first for the link to work)
I'll post a few of them below...

But first, I gotta share two awesome pizzas Kev and I did in his Boyett Pizza Oven...
(Remember, this was also a campout with our dutch oven group so we had to be at the top of our game)

Here's a Combo ready to come out...


Here's a Carnivore with every meat in the book...


It all starts here... Situated behind the Stafford RV Park...


Here's some folks from our dutch oven group set up...
There were more of them, but they all had huge RVs so we set up across this meadow away from them...


View of the main meadow showing the playground...


Another section of the main meadow...


Here we are... Right where TDN wanted us. (We hadn't explored the park yet)


We hadn't found areas like this before we set up...


Or like this...


Or this...


Or this...


Or even this... These all are areas that the caretaker has reclaimed thus far, with much more yet to come.


The caretaker says he has about two more acres to mow on this meadow...


Another meadow still in need of mowing and cleanup...


More mowing for the caretaker...


Pressing onward into the grove area still in need of cleanup, we came across this trailer in need of rescue...


Yup... A Boles Aero.


Here's a shot of the bathrooms...


Each bathroom has three hot showers.


A cookshack with full kitchen... Hasn't been fixed up yet.


Here's a shot of a huge dining tent being constructed out in front of the cookshack...

I hope somebody takes a serious look at using this place for a large gathering, as Joanie & I have our hands full doing the IRG.
If so, I'd be more than happy to share my thoughts and what I know about this property.

[Esteban]

Dean and Joanie, Stafford Meadows looks like a jewel in the rough. Where is it? Nor Cal or Oregon? In or near what town?

You, TDN, and friends put on a great gathering at Pamplin Grove. I can't imaging doing one as big as you do.

If the subject is to share ideas for potential locations for really large group gatherings I have one to add. The Live Oak Camp in Santa Barbara County. I've camped there many times, over 18 years, as a volunteer helping put on the Live Oak Music Festival. It's a very pretty location with a rural feeling, yet close enough to Santa Barbara or Santa Ynez for site seeing/shopping/etc.

Here's an idea for anyone who might want to do a large gathering with room for hundreds of trailers in the Southern California/California Central Coast area. It's much, much too big for my friends and I to consider doing. Maybe Tearjerkers, or whoever puts on the Vintage Trailer Rally in Pismo Beach would consider it for an alternative location. Or for Spamboree, or its offshoot, in a new location?

Live Oak Camp in Santa Barbara County would be another good site for a very large gathering. It's a little north of Santa Barbara. The Live oak Music Festival is put on there over Father's Day weekend every year. It has hot showers, only pit toilets unfortunately, a large covered eating area and kitchen that can hold hundreds. About half of the park is covered with shady oak trees.

Park
Description: Nestled in pristine wilderness between the San Raphael and Santa Ynez Mountains lies 40 undeveloped acres that were once a campsite for cowboys. Live Oak is reservable for large group functions only. Hot showers/restrooms. Accommodates up to 1,500 campers in "open" site fashion, and an additional 2,000 non-camping patrons on a daily basis. Roofed kitchen and eating area seats 250 guests.
Park Features: BBQ Grills, Bird Watching, Equestrian Trails, Group Picnic Areas, Hiking Trails, Restrooms, Tent or RV Camping.
Location: This 40-acre camp is 15 miles northeast of Santa Barbara and 15 miles southwest of Solvang approximately five miles from Cachuma Lake Recreation Area. The camp shares its entrance off Highway 154 with Rancho San Marcos Golf Course. Take a left once you've passed through that entryway.
Hours:
Rates:
Contact
Information: (805) 686-5076

Live Oak Camp
Live Oak Music Festival