After three days of packing the car for our first sleep-away in my new 21-foot PleasureWay Lexor, my dogs and I were ready to head out.

We drove 2.5 hours to Marina Dunes RV Park 20 minutes north of Monterey. Marina Dunes is a tidy, small park. Beggars can’t be choosers. I took the only spot available on such short notice. Just big enough for my relatively tiny rig, I shared a campfire pit and picnic table with four neighbors who all backed up to the same circle center. I wouldn’t need either the pit or the table. The pricey $77/night fee, including taxes, provided water and 30 amp electric, but no sewer hook-up. (There were sewer hook-ups for the larger spots.) Cars whizzed along the freeway to the east. But hey, this trip was meant to be a practice trip. Ice-plant covered sand dunes spread to the west promising the dogs and me a walk along the beach.

According to my bubble level, I didn’t need to try out my new leveling blocks. I plugged in the electric, passed on the water, since I didn’t have a water pressure valve yet, and changed into something warmer to head to the beach. The walk down the sandy trail would take about 15 minutes if you didn’t have a corgi who wanted to sniff every stick and pebble and a male Norwich Terrier who didn’t want to mark every post along the way.

I assume the RV park’s hefty price tag is for the privilege of walking California’s gorgeous coastline. The crashing waves and soaring seagulls reminded me why I wanted to get away from my computer desk and out into the fresh air.

I cooked my first meal on my propane stove. I learned that I need to pack fewer pots and pans because they get in the way and to turn on the Fantastic Fan before frying salmon or I will set off the smoke alarm. The brown rice and black beans came from Costco packaged in a packet that I heated up in my microwave. Super easy and no cleanup for that dish! I farmed the lettuce for the salad on my hydroponic Tower Garden – food for another blog.

We woke up to a chilly, cloudy day. I prepared a decaf latte on my tiny cappuccino maker (my one space splurge) and drank it inside. Ramsey is surrounded by tinted windows. I can see out and others can’t see in. That means I have yet to try out my new folding table and chairs for the outside. I fried both the scrambled eggs and the English muffins in a pan on my propane stove. After cleaning up with my super eco-friendly dish soap I got ready for a short trip to Monterey. Marina Dunes is in the process of rebuilding their restrooms and showers. I won’t comment about the porta-potties and shower trailer they provided for the mean time.

Parking for a Walk along Cannery Row

Just as you approach Cannery Row in Monterey there is a place to park your RV. It’s called Breakwater Cove Marina on Foam Street. Perfect.

You purchase a parking ticket from a machine, place it where it is visible on your dash, then head west to walk the strip of former sardine canneries that John Steinbeck made so famous. A statue I had not seen before displays the characters from his stories. Dead center is my favorite, Susie, who featured in Sweet Thursday.

I was home again by 4:00 that afternoon, safe and sound. I hosed Ramsey down to get the bugs off her nose, vacuumed her interior, and unpacked the food and clothing. Where to next?