Boondocking restrictions? where can't i go in CA?!

[Carl L]

... head inland around san luis obispo for some winery!

Try a bit further south around Buellton or Solvang.  That is Sideways country and the site of a number of very interesting vineyards and wineries -- Sanford, Foxen, Gainey, and La Fond for a few.   The Flying Flags RV park in Buellton is not a bad pied-a-terre.  Google Santa Yñez Valley.

[ArdraF]

Yes.  Wendy is correct.  The AAA maps and books are really good.  I prefer them to most others.

ArdraF

[Tom]

If you want a real taste of wineries, cross the Golden Gate bridge and head over to the Napa Valley, California's #1 wine area. Lots of vineyards, several hundred wineries, free tours and wine tasting. The vino eqivalent of a pub crawl.

[Tom and Margi]

When we lived in Sebastopol (Sonoma County) one of our favorite Napa Valley wineries to take visitors to was Berringer Brothers.  Their wine is delicious, but the main attraction was the limestone caves, hollowed out years ago by Chinese workers, which maintain a constant temperature year round for storage of the wine in oak casks. 

Margi

[Buddy Tott]

Mike
If heading south down 101 from the Santa Cruz area, then (as others have suggested) the Santa Ynez area should not be missed, especially Solvang. It's a Danish village in the middle of California.  A decent place to camp in the area is at Lake Cachuma, a few miles south, runs around $28 a night for full hook-ups.  Flying Flags at Buellton OTH (about 15 miles away) is around $60 - depending on services.  I  expect to be there myself sometime next week.

BT

[Tom]

Good suggestion re Solvang. We've taken many visitors there and they always enjoy walking around the numerous small shops where many of the shopkeepers are dressed in the Danish national costume.

[Marsha/CA]

Wendy,

I forgot to answer you.  I got on the Cal State website for parks; but to find out about the reservations with photos, it was ReserveAmerica.

We'll be here in Kernville all winter except for a trip to QZ and Palm Springs in January.  We'd love to get together with you guys.  We are right on the boundary for the Sequoia National Forest and there are several campgrounds that are either free or very resonable; but they are dry camping.  We also have other campgrounds with full hook ups.  It does gets cold up here in the winter, with an occasional snowfall.  The backyard is fenced so the canine "boys" can play to their heart's content.

Marsha~

[WilleyB]

where can't i go in CA?!

Tall order, I believe the previous posts pretty well covered it. Now for just about a full coverage and where you can overnight in CA, I suggest you join the group in this link.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/OvernightRVParking/
When you get notification of acceptance, log on to to the site, click on "FILES" (left column)  then scroll down to "RV Parking & No Parking Locations " and you'll find all the Calif. locations. notes and location  directions. Locations in all other States and Can Prov are also available. For tank dumping you might find this site helpful http://www.sanidumps.com/

Cheers
Willey

My gosh! a Sept thread, sorry folks guess I'll have to click on that Mark all threads read button so this doesn't happen again.
Sorry 
Willey

[DonTom]

"Highway rest areas are posted against it as being just plain dangerous as well as being illegal. "

Is this something new?

The last I heard is that rest areas in CA are legal for RV's  as long as the max hours are not exceeded. The "no camping" signs only means no camping outside your vehicle, such as in a tent or sleeping bag outside.

And what makes them dangerous? I've used them countless times all over CA and other states, with no hassles.

-Don- San Francisco, CA

[conniecatz]

Hi, We live in Santa Cruz...Signs are posted for parking restrictions. There are a few side streets with no postings on parking. I've noticed a trailer parked on Portola Drive in Capitola/Santa Cruz, just 2 blocks from the ocean in a Surfer paradise (over 1 year). This RV gets moved back and forth. I'm sure he is Boondocking. There are some problems with camping on the streets so be sure you read the street signs before you stay the night....I hope you have a nice trip.
FYI
Campgrounds at the ocean=New Brighton State Park, Seacliff Beach, Sunset Beach...enjoy

[DonTom]

There are some problems with camping on the streets so be sure you read the street signs before you stay the night....

Sometimes there are laws without the signs, such as right here in South San Francisco. Here, we may legally  park a RV on the street for a night before or after a trip, but not at any other time. I have got  several "warnings" when I had my RV parked here in front of my own home on the street for about a week. I usually can park it there for about a week before getting the warning and then I can get away with it again for a week or so a month or two later.

Sleeping in it overnight while parked on the street is also illegal here.

No signs for either. I checked into the laws after I got my first warning. Here, it's not a big deal for me because I can park the RV in my own driveway and that is legal, even if everybody can clearly see it. No HOA here.  But I normally keep it at my other home near Reno, where it cannot even be seen from the street because of the HOA rules. But I have a good place for it there on the side of the house, that keeps the HOA satisfied.

-Don- SSF, CA

[jack r]

might review below site for park information all over th USA


http://www.rvparkreviews.com./

have a nice trip

[DonTom]

might review below site for park information all over th USA

http://www.rvparkreviews.com./

That also has Mexico and Canada. Great information! And just in time for my month long trip to Canada that starts next week. Thanks for posting that!

-Don- SSF, CA