12-1-2024
H: 64ºF L: 51ºF
Morro Strand State Beach, Morro Bay, California
We got up, made coffee, and took Peter to the dog beach. Unfortunately, Peter and Marcel were roughhousing yesterday and now Marcel is limping so he couldn’t go. We thought that we’d have the beach to ourselves since it was so early but there were a lot of people there with their dogs. Peter doesn’t like strange dogs running up to him so we only let him run around for about 20 minutes.
We wanted to explore the southern side of the road closure on Highway 1 (the road has been closed for a year due to a landslide). We saw and heard elephant seals playing in a river leading to the ocean in San Simeon, CA. There is a seven mile stretch of beach which the Piedras Blancas colony of elephant seals use as a rookery. There are 25,000 elephant seals in this colony but they are never in the rookery at the same time. There may be hundreds of elephant seals on the beaches in July and August and thousands of elephant seals on the beaches in January through May. Adult males stay on the beach for 3+ months but most of the seals only stay 4-5 weeks and they don’t eat or drink while they are at the rookery. I especially liked watching them scratch themselves with their little flippers.
Driving up Highway 1, we noticed several areas of the road which looked like they had been recently repaired. It was a pretty drive but we both agreed that Highway 1 near Big Sur was more picturesque.
On the way home, we drove around the town San Luis Obispo, CA which is the home of California Polytechnic State University. It looks like a fun college town.
12-2-2024
H: 60°F L: 44°F
Pacific Dunes Ranch Campground, Oceano, California
It’s a travel day! We drove just a little south to stay near Oceano Dunes. We have a site with views of the sand dunes where we can watch the sunset. We were told by neighbors that coyotes have been seen right next to the campsites.
12-3-2024
H: 61ºF L: 46ºF
Pacific Dunes Ranch Campground, Oceano, California
We took Marcel to a veterinary appointment today. It is suspected he has injured his cranial cruciate ligament in his left knee which is similar to the ACL in humans. We are not sure if it’s torn but, since he has shown a little improvement over the past couple of days, we elected to do bed rest for 3-4 weeks and then reassess. Fingers crossed he doesn’t need surgery. And, oh boy, was Marcel irritated to be at the vet. He growled so much that the vet tech was afraid of him. Of course, he quickly warmed up when she offered treats but he continued to lie on the floor and grumble.
We also have been enjoying the horses near the campground. One mare in particular has been very friendly. On the way home, we saw her race around the pasture kicking and rearing. She is definitely the boss in her pasture.
12-4-2024
H: 56ºF L: 44ºF
Pacific Dunes Ranch Campground, Oceano, California
We just hung out at the camper today after doing some grocery shopping. It’s a fairly quiet campground so we have enjoyed just hanging out and working on random stuff.
12-5-2024
H: 67ºF L: 47ºF
Pacific Dunes Ranch Campground, Oceano, California
We walked over the sand dunes to the ocean. It is a one mile walk each way. I found a beautiful blue seashell with pink barnacles.
We spent the evening talking with our neighbors, Charlotte and Taylor. They have been full-time RVing for 9 months and we found we have a lot in common with them. Taylor has just started a blog to chronicle their adventures. Check out his blog Away We Go.
12-6-2024
H: 69°F L: 50°F
Pacific Dunes Ranch Campground, Oceano, California
We took Peter for a walk this morning during coffee time. He loved running off leash and smelling the sand. The pink hues of the sunrise made the dunes a beautiful mauve color. Poor Marcel… he would have loved it and he cried as we walked away from the camper.
We drove to Montaña de Oro State Park in Los Osos, CA and spent some time on Spooner Beach looking for pretty rocks. We also drove through a divine smelling eucalyptus forest. Eucalyptus trees are considered an invasive species but we think they make California smell so good.
We also finally got some pictures of California quail. We have been seeing these cute little guys since our stay near Cloverdale, CA but we have been unable to get a good picture. We love the little plumes on their heads.
We walked by Chapman Estate in Pismo Beach, CA which was built in the 1930s. It is built on a cliff overlooking the ocean and has a windmill which was used to pump seawater over terracotta tiles to heat the pool. We would have loved to tour the house and grounds (costs $5) but the estate is only open May through October.
We stopped at a store in Oceano, CA, The Place on PCH, which has original art and plants. Some of the plants I had never seen before like a pickle plant. I found the prices to be reasonable.
Another neighbor, Dan, hung out with us and we encouraged him to consider a whole food, plant-based diet for his health.
12-7-2024
H: 65ºF L: 47ºF
Pacific Dunes Ranch Campground, Oceano, California
We stayed at the camper all day. Daniel talked to our neighbor, Dan, about Teslas and travel. Dan is a big fan of Elon Musk too. We enjoy meeting new people. We are grateful for the knowledge others have shared with us especially the tips on full-time RVing.
Stats
Expenses:
- Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
- Tesla Model X fuel: $0
- Campsite: $158.33
- Camping memberships: $38.26
- Food: $65.13
Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 33 (24 kWh)
Tesla Model X miles driven: 306 (89.7 kWh)
Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 3
Contact Happy Vegan Campers!
Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or send us an email: happyvegancampers@gmail.com
Those elephant seals are adorable. So much beautiful scenery to greet you at every stop!
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I could’ve watched those seals relaxing on the beach, just scratching themselves, all day! So cute!
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