Agua Caliente County Park
Agua Caliente is a very special campground and we were very fortunate to get a spot. The weather prediction for the time of our visit was for colder and more wet conditions than what actually occurred. This probably worked to our advantage in obtaining our site because we only booked a couple of days ahead. Below is a link to Agua Caliente.
http://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/park-pages/AguaCaliente.html
Site #47 had electricity and water. Most of all, it was just across the street from the very nice bathhouse. The campground also offers fullhookups.
Water conservation is a big deal there and you must have quarters for the showers. I believe 50 cents gets you three minutes. It is not a big deal, but if going there, quarters should be a part of your plan.
The campground area is beautiful and the sunsets were a sight to behold.
In addition to jaw-dropping views, the park offers three heated pools. Agua Caliente, which means “hot water”, has natural hot springs. One of the pools is a large indoor spa. It is 3-4 feet deep and the water is 101 degrees. But, children under 14 are not allowed in the large pool.
The spa is a very relaxing place and we spent several hours there. I have been having shoulder issues that were getting progressively worse. After a couple of days in the spa, my shoulder was noticeably better.
The Town of Julian
We drove up the mountain to the town of Julian. The road was quite steep and winding. Julian is at a much higher elevation than the State Park below. It must’ve been at least fifteen degrees cooler, plus it was raining. This was the coldest we had been during our entire trip.
We were surprised by all the people who had come to see the snow in Julian from a few days ago. They were in line at several restaurants.
Julian is known for its apples and its pies. Hence, the line for The Julian Pie Company was especially long. So, we were in that line for an hour.
Most noteworthy, my husband says the pie was worth the wait. I had the Dutch Apple and he had the Apple Peach. We also had ice cream. If you wait that long, you must indulge!
A Couple of Issues
First of all, there was a rowdy group of young people about 300 yards from us. Drinking, cursing, and arguing. In the middle of the night, they woke up pretty much everyone near them. Someone told me the next day, the rangers asked them to leave. We have been in at least twenty campgrounds and this is the first time we have been aware of something like this. I am sure that it could happen anywhere. All the other people in the campground were great!
Also, a sudden gust of very high wind damaged our awning. One of the poles at the back was bent and I am hoping we can find a replacement for it. We took it down and secured our campsite for what was becoming a very windy night. In addition, the wind that night actually shook our camper. My husband did not feel secure and suggested we hook up the car, so it could be an anchor. After that, it was pretty rocky, but we felt fairly safe.
However, the next morning, the winds were calm. I spoke with a ranger and she said that the winds were about 40-45 mph. A little drama for our first California camping!
In conclusion, this was a very good stop for us, except for the damage to our awning. If you are interested in how we planned this trip covering over 5,000 miles with seventeen stops, it is covered in the following link. Planning That First Long Trip
Next, we will be heading to Nevada and in the general direction of home.
