Jalama Beach
For one of our nights on our California campervan road trip we decided to keep our options open by not booking a campground in advance. That morning, we woke up in Big Sur, headed south, and began researching some possibilities online. Surprisingly, it took some extensive research to find a place that appealed to us, and once we did it took some phone calls (no online booking) to find out if there was availability. With confirmation of open sites at Jalama Beach County Park for $30, we drove towards the town of Lompoc (or some may recall it from its viral sensation days as Lom-Pokemon). After a day of adventuring en route and a quick stop in Lompoc to buy firewood, we followed the directions to a winding road. This road, we found out later (I guess we didn’t read the website completely), was 14.5 miles long. For about 30 minutes we weaved our way down a narrow road that circled hills with grazing horses, dipped into valleys, and continued to surprise us with every passing minute.
The moment that always comes back to me, more than any other on this entire magical vacation, was when we made it around the final right-hand curve and suddenly the Pacific Ocean was below us to our left. We timed it perfectly, unknowingly, as the sun was about to set into the water. Straight ahead of us was the campground, with bare gravel sites and small cabins for rent. And to the right, situated just above the county park was an Amtrak railroad that appeared to be shooting out of the mountain ahead. I was in complete awe. I saw a few people walking down the beach wearing wetsuits and carrying surfboards. I spotted a handful of cars and vans and RV’s at the campsites. But I could not understand why this place wasn’t packed with people.
The landscape was stunning, and I instantly wanted to be able to show it to all my friends and family. This scene was exactly what I imagined when I daydreamed about living in a campervan. The beauty and serenity of the seemingly untouched shoreline made me so grateful to be there. The sense of seclusion, nearly 15 miles from civilization, made it really easy to believe that the entire world was right here, with nothing of importance on the other side of those train tracks behind us. Before we even left the next day, we were discussing the possibility of coming back and staying for an extended period of time. The remote location and lack of a crowd made it feel like the best kept secret on the California coast, and the unbelievable panorama it provided made me feel like it could not possibly be real life. But it was, and I am so grateful we found it.
