Site 108

I have a theory about weekend getaways.  The older you get the tougher they become.  Two nights is no time at all.  When we were in our 20s and 30s we didn’t think twice about driving 375 miles one way for a quick weekend trip to Mammoth.  Now only two nights is almost a deal breaker.  This weekend getaway was digestible because Amelia took a half day off on Friday and we were able to hit the road at 1:30pm and our destination was only 44 miles away!

Pinezanita is 4 miles south of Julian and only 20 minutes from great mountain biking in the Lagunas and Cuyamaca.  It has been family owned and operated for 50 years and we had never heard of it until three weeks ago.  It’s a large facility with over 200 sites spread over 26 acres, so it doesn’t feel cramped.

I’m guessing at least half of the sites are part of their Cabins in the Mountains program.  RVs are kept year round on their site.  The owners use and treat them like vacation homes.  It was really interesting seeing RVs, not single or doublewide trailers, with lattices around the bottom.  Some had attached decks and/or patios, but all had personalized landscaping, patio furniture, and knickknacks.

When making reservations they do a nice job of putting all the families in one section of the campground and couples like us in another section far away.  It was really quiet in the evening in our section, even though we had neighbors.  If you plan on going without kids try to get one of the following sites; 108,110, 112, 114, 116, 118, or 120.  In our opinion these are the best sites, but they are only electric and water.  If you must have full hook ups, there’s plenty of those sites, but they are more bunched together.

Driving home through Julian at 1:30pm on Sunday was a real eye opener.  What a crowd scene!  It’s like a miniature Jackson Hole, Ketchum Idaho, or any other tourist trap.  It really made us realize we live in our own little bubble.  Oh well, as they said in the 60’s, different strokes for different folks.

Everytime we bring the Airstream home to pack up for a trip Sara gets excited to see her expensive dog house on wheels.

A good look at the grounds of Pinezanita.

Amelia on Red Tail trail in the Lagunas.

Itty Bitty Biker and DJP with Amelia on the observatory deck.  They have a sweet little forest service cabin in the Lagunas.  We met them there and they lead us on a nice couples ride right from their cabin and showed us some new dirt!

The view from the observatory deck.

The old Shasta trailers with wings are really cool, almost as cool as Airstreams.

Who says there are no seasons in San Diego County?

Forever the professional teacher, picking up leaves for a fall project in the classroom.

An example of the Cabin in the Mountains program.

Site 28 says Howdy, another Cabin in the Mountains.

Team Ninja girls, Quan and Teri flying down Upper Noble Canyon.

The four of us, myself, Amelia and the Ninja girls just came down Noble Canyon.  We were taking a break before the dreaded asphalt climb up Pine Creek Rd.

She’s sad to be back in storage.