Pacific Ocean: After traveling from Colorado it was a joy to see the Pacific Ocean after crossing the desert and southern California mountains. The reason for this trip was to attend a RV Rally but it is perfect timing for us to travel and enjoy the change of scenery and weather. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Sail On: San Diego has many marinas along the shores of San Diego Bay leading out to the Pacific Ocean. We enjoy walking the shorelines and viewing the thousands of boats along the way. Shown is a sailboat as it leaves the marina and trolls toward the open waters. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos

We have been stationary at our home in Castle Rock, Colo. since before the holidays. When we are not traveling I get very restless. We had intended on a couple of weeks travel in January when it’s freezing and we are shoveling snow. However, this January it was also cold in some of the southern areas that we travel and in some areas we enjoy visiting in the winter it was snowy and cold there as well.

That all changed this week when we left Castle Rock after an appointment Monday morning on Feb. 24. We were signed up to participate in a RV Rally in San Diego beginning Wednesday evening. Driving from Castle Rock (near Denver) to San Diego in three days in the RV is not our usual travel style. It is generally a little slower traveling in the RV but we made it! 

We usually travel short distances each day on the two lane backroads as we move about. This trip was 1,300 miles of Interstate driving which is the only way we could have made it to the rally on time. We joked and said it took use three days to get to California and it will back 30 or more days to make the return trip home.

It was refreshing to cross the Southern California mountains and move westward until we saw the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the RV rally we have enjoyed walking along the beaches and taking in the coastal views and enjoying good seafood. While it was still February, the temperatures were quite cool which is typical for towns along the coast.

Since the RV rally wrapped up Sunday we have meandered up the coastline loving the views of the ocean along the way as we drove through many coastal beach towns. We will turn our van toward the north and east next as we plan to visit Death Valley National Park. Neither of us has ever been to Death Valley and it has been on our bucket list for some time now.

It is a relief and a breath of fresh air to be back on the road again. The change of scenery and climate is always needed by March and this trip is just what we needed. We are looking forward to traveling through the southwest for the next month or so as we unwind, enjoy the sites, and put some more miles on the van. Hopefully many more miles traveling on the backroads since our blitz trip to the coast last week!

Spring On the Coast: Spring is a beautiful time to visit this area of Southern California. The spring flowers are in full bloom and the crowds are not too bad especially on weekdays. The spring weather can be unpredictable but it is always  nice to see sunshine instead of snow. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Lighthouse Viewpoint: We drove to a lighthouse which sits at the end of a point just north of San Diego. The view from the area looking back toward the city is impressive. Seen is the Pacific Ocean as it enters San Diego Bay. Also seen is a portion of the Naval Station on the north end of Coronado Island with the downtown skyline of San Diego beyond the island. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

RV Rally: We enjoy attending RV rallies like this one in San Diego. Shown is Phil Nickel of Pleasure Way Motorhomes in Canada as he gives the attendees instructions on routine maintenance points on the RVs. There were six new 2025 models on show at the rally (two in the photo) showing the features and changes of the new models. Attending these rallies allows us to meet many other owners of RVs like we own and get to know them and how they travel. The rallies are both a learning experience and a social encounter with other attendees. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com