I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There are few better places to be in the Spring than California. We tend to get blue skies and warm (but not too hot) weather. The days are getting longer and the wildflowers are out in force.

The return to the office is still optional and quite frankly those in-office days have been few and far between. No real need to stick around for that then. And the feisty Basecamp was raring to go after five months of chilling out in the back garden. It gave us a look every time we went out in the garden “C’mon then, what are we waiting for? Let’s get out there and enjoy it!”

With a resolution to stay closer to home than last time (that Alaska trip kinda took it out of us), we decided to check out the coast practically on our doorstep, starting off with a week camping in Carpinteria and working in Santa Barbara. Oh and not forgetting Ventura, because our last minute plans meant we couldn’t get a camping spot for the full week. Literally last minute, as in we only thought about this trip on a Friday evening and by Sunday morning, we were packed up and on our way to the beach.

So bring on week one!

Hey Darren, wait for me!
Morning runs, walks and bike rides took us along the bluffs, right from the campsite at Carpinteria
Tough to run when all I wanted to do was stop and smell the roses. Metaphorically.
A great view down to the Carpinteria seal sanctuary. Although the pelicans seem to have claimed the beach as their own.
One particular bonus of west coast life – when the sun goes down, it sinks into the ocean. And somehow, that never gets old.
Beyond the sunset, one of the main attractions in small town Carp is the legendary Island Brewing
What it says 👆
Moving on to Ventura, it was more of the same 🙂
Sea air, palm trees and wildflowers.
Of course in amongst the recreational indulgences comes the work.
The Ventura co-working office worked out nicely.
The Waypoint campsite in Ventura was way too cool for school. It’s mainly onsite remodeled retro campers, with a few spaces for drop-ins, like us.
Cool fire pit though. And they do free s’mores.
I spy a ship in the distance, that reminds me… I need to work onboard a ship for the day at the weekend. Not this one though, this is a Princess ship.
Ah, that’s the one. Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam. A milestone indeed, first time onboard one of our ships in over two years!
And the tender ride to/from the ship wasn’t bad either. It included a free seal-watching tour.
Meanwhile, Darren had all the time in the world to enjoy himself paddleboarding and cycling along the awesome coastal bike path.
Even roped in our good friends Lisa and Paul for a paddle

And with that, it was time to turn our sights inland once again. Next up: San Luis Obispo.