No State Park Campgrounds near Santa Cruz - where Pablo's due a Toyota Dealer Full Service - so we roll up at KOA Monterey Bay - La Selva Beach a few miles south - looking for a peachy spot for a couple of nights.
Danny at the Front Desk sorts us out with Pitch 75 at a discount rate and all's good. Campground almost empty. German Family in a RoadBear Rental RV nextdoor on Pitch 76 - "Guten Tag", "Wie Gehts?" David greets in his best 'O' Level Deutsche.
KOA Monterey Bay is enormous - probably 300 Campsite Pitches.
Let's get one thing straight here. Americans don't go Camping. Not as we know it. Their idea of a Campsite Pitch is a 40 foot long hard-standing of tarmac or concrete (to park their Caravan - sorry - Trailer/ Camper Van - sorry - Recreational Vehicle). No actual Tents involved. Pitch must have Full Hookup - Electric Power supply (30 Amp or 50 Amp for the BIG rigs), High Pressure Fresh Water supply to plumb direct into said vehicles, and a Waste Water disposal Sewage Connection to connect direct to their 'Restroom'. Additional requirements - Picnic Table (Industrial Grade) & Fire Ring with Grill for cooking in the Great Outdoors!
Their Trailer/RV is the size of a house, and contains everything you'd expect in a home. Flat Screen TV, Lounge Seating, Several Bedrooms, Fully Equipped Kitchen, Bathroom with Hot & Cold running water - Sink, Toilet & Shower, Air Conditioning throughout + Gas Furnace for heating on those cold nights at the 'Primitive' Campground.
And there has to be a 'Truck' - or 'Pick-up' as we Brits call them. Trailers need a Truck to tow them. RVs don't - but owners often tow their Truck behind to maintain bragging rights whilst 'Camping'. Trucks will always be parked out front - always gleaming clean - always pimped with raised shocks, fat wheels and chrome add-ons. Welcome to the 'My Truck's BIGGER than your Truck' world of Camping.
Plus a Dog. BIG is better, BIGGEST is best! Some have Labs, some German Shepherds, most have Pit Bulls or Rottweilers. One thing's for sure, all are BIG! Perhaps it's to make up for the inadequate size of their Truck?
Friday morning and David toddles off to see Danny about staying another couple of nights. Did you say "Friday"? Isn't that the start of the Weekend? Aren't you forgetting something? Oops! Danny has just one Campsite left for the Weekend - Pitch 202. Otherwise the whole Campground is Full! "Please move to Pitch 202 by 12 noon as the Weekend occupants of Pitch 75 are already here" says Danny.
Back at Pitch 75 Joy, Earl, Darnell and the whole Trailer Park crew are lending Amanda a hand to pack up real quick so they can back their Juggernaut sized Trailer onsite and crack those Bud Lights open!
As Friday afternoon rolls on the Trucks roll in, and by 6pm the KOA is full. Buzzin to both kinds of music. And the BIG Truck contest is underway. We award the prize to a Mahoussive GMC Denali HD (see Photos) - deffo the BIGGEST Truck at KOA this Weekend!
Saturday we take a break from the Trailer Park Action and ask Danny how to get to La Selva Beach. He starts to give driving directions until we ask him "Is it walking distance?" "I suppose you COULD walk, but it will take you 20 minutes or so." "Head along the old railroad track and take a left down Sand Dollar Drive." We make it through the 'PRIVATE NO ENTRY' Gated Community, along a concealed Public Walkway and down a hidden Public Staircase to the Beach - it's lovely - and we're the only people there!
Recap - 299 American families drove their almighty Trailers/RVs to KOA at La Selva Beach for the weekend. Paid $100 per night for a Pitch. Polished their Trucks. Parked them out front. Chained up their Dogs. Put up their Gazebos. Played some C&W music. Cracked open their Bud Lights. Stood around their Gas BBQs burning burgers. Spoke in LOUD voices whilst their kids played NOISILY with the latest plastic fantastic from Toys 'R' Us. And only a mile's scenic walk down the road was a beautiful beach with just two people strolling on the sand, paddling in the ocean, collecting shells, admiring the wildflowers, watching the wildlife, smiling and chatting!
Funny old World isn't it!!
