Group RV Rally At Ventura Ranch KOA

We spent this last weekend at our largest RV club gathering yet - approximately 22 RV's and some 100 people getting together to celebrate Halloween at the Ventura Ranch KOA in Santa Paula, California. I'd expected chaos, and it was to a degree, but it was also wonderful, wonderful fun, and we were truly sad to have to pull out this morning and head for home.

This was the first large scale rally Mike and I had attended, and we learned some interesting things along the way.

• It is a LOT of work to host a rally this large. Our hats off to the couple that wagon mastered this event. They were absolutely incredible, overseeing a pancake breakfast, childrens costume parade, group photo, trick or treating, potluck dinner, haunted house, film fest and poker contest. 
• Downtime and privacy pretty much go out the window. Sitting outside of our trailer was generally an invitation for someone in the group to come on over for a chat. Before the weekend was over however, Mike and I were doing exactly the same, and thoroughly enjoying it.
• We need to bring more "share" food next time. I'd picked up several items to pass around the campfire, but I'd overlooked having snacks on hand for the many times people dropped by to chat.
• No matter how good your intentions, you end up eating a lot more than normal because you're constantly sitting down to talk and snack. And the Saturday night potluck? Ridiculously fabulous and utterly irresistible. It reminded me of Las Vegas with regard to the food . . . two days felt more like a week.
• RV'ing people are some of the friendliest folk on earth, and sitting around the campfire together talking and laughing really helps to put life in perspective.

We also managed to squeeze in a visit to Channel Islands National Park over the weekend, the 19th National Park we've visited together, leaving 39 still to go. Our visit, which included a one hour boat ride each way to reach the islands, plus about eight miles of hiking when we arrived, was absolutely marvelous. Hopefully the photos I've included below give some idea of why these islands were added to our national park system in 1980.

• Ventura Ranch KOA water & electric site for 3 nights/4 days: $124
• Gas: $45
• Food:  No change from what we'd spend if at home 
• Ice for our cooler, and wood for the collective campfire: $16.17
• Roundtrip transportation to Channel Islands National Park: $100
• Andria's Seafood Restaurant: $16.36 for fish and chips and a bowl of clam chowder (Mike and I shared both items)
• Club-sponsored pancake breakfast: $5.00
• Socializing and enjoying all of the Halloween festivities: Free!
• TOTAL FOR 3 NIGHT/4 DAY TRIP: $306.53 

Welcome signs . . . enter if you dare!

The club members went all out decorating their rigs and campsites.

My creepy contribution to the potluck dinner.

Santa Cruz Island - the largest of the five islands that make up Channel Islands National Park, and where we hiked for the day.

Some of the sea life we passed on our way over to Santa Cruz island.

Where we sat down to have lunch. Quite the view, yes?

The creative manner in which kayaks, brought over from the mainland on the ferry, were transported to shore.

We felt like we had the entire island to ourselves. At just over 300,000 visitors per year, this is one of the least visited national parks currently.

Beautiful views everywhere we looked.

Sadly, this was our last RV trip for 2012. We spent this afternoon giving our trailer a thorough cleaning before putting her away for the remainder of the year. We'll see her again in early January when we head down to Palm Springs for the Palm Springs International Film Festival. 

In the meantime, we have lots of things to take care of around the house, including packing for our upcoming trip to China. More details on that to come shortly.