Despite a few lows, we’re high on Santa Monica Bay’s coastline
Like so many love stories, this one’s complicated. It’s a love affair seasoned with a short list of dislikes.
First, CAN YOU HEAR US? Maybe not because it’s a challenge to communicate with all those jets taking off from LAX blasting right over our site at Dockweiler Beach RV Park. Some days, it seems like a steady roar, and yet we still keep coming back.
We’ve visited Dockweiler, near the community of El Segundo, many times. We even celebrated Christmas there a couple years back. Why? Because it’s right on the beach, just beyond the Marvin Braude Recreation Path on which we’ve logged many miles. The sunsets are magnificent and the vibe in the park is very vacation forward: Kids riding bikes, grills fired up, kites flying. We’ve met locals who come here to soak up the good energy of being on the vast Santa Monica Bay, which starts in the Palos Verdes Peninsula and runs north to Point Dume.
One of us loves Dockweiler, while the other puts up with it -- because well, let’s just say John prefers more natural surroundings rather than being in a major city. So, after a couple of days at Dockweiler, we moved on up the coast to a much more chill spot on the bay.
Million-dollar views in Malibu: Here’s another spot we love/dislike, one we’ve returned over the years. What’s not to adore about the site high above the Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the magnificent ocean? Like many RV parks, this family owned operation gets a lot right, but there’s room for improvement.
And it looks as if the latter is underway at the Malibu RV Park, where the younger generation has big plans for a rebrand of this very special property. Look forward to some glamping options this summer, an expanded general store with gourmet offerings and a new name: Surf Canyon.
In the meantime, we’d love to see the place pay more attention to the details like the cleanliness of the restrooms and the walkways. There seems to be a large number of work campers dug into the premium spaces, but we never witnessed any of that crew sweeping the stairs or raking the gravel sites after guests depart.
OK, yeah, we’ll shut up and take in the spectacular view. But when you’re forking over more than 100 bucks a night, you kind of want a pristine restroom, right?
Then again, you cannot put a price on the pleasure of waking up to a chorus of chirps and bluebird sky. We love these spots even though they’re not perfect -- or maybe because they’re not.
Couple essential stops along the way: At Dockweiler, head south to Hermosa Beach for some cool jazz at the historic LIghthouse Cafe, try the signature attraction at Tacolicious on the main drag in Manhattan Beach and pick up a loaf of the best bread and incredible pastries at Gjusta Grocer in Venice Beach. Up north, we like the fish and chips at the Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market and Cafe, which you can walk to from the RV park.
