Editor’s Note: This post is written by a member of LTV’s sponsored content team, The Leisure Explorers. Do you own a Leisure Travel Van and enjoy writing? Learn more about joining the team.
Since we got our Unity FX in 2018, we’ve mostly traveled to new locations, never doing any “repeats” other than some local wineries. But three years ago, as we completed our trip from the Central Coast of California to Oregon and back, we spent our last days in the California Redwoods. Unfortunately, Hilary got sick then, so her recollection of that time is pretty much lying in bed. After years of thinking about that disappointment, we realized we could always return! So that’s what we did this fall, returning to the Redwoods when everyone could finally enjoy it.
A Golden Opportunity
This was going to be a quick(ish) trip—only four nights long. Our first day’s destination was Sonoma County and its wine region. As Harvest Host members, we had stayed there on our return journey three years ago, but Hilary couldn’t really enjoy the wine. This time, we booked the same place to stay and headed north.
Instead of driving around San Francisco, like last time, let’s take advantage of the “golden” opportunity to drive through the city and over the Golden Gate Bridge. Driving over the bridge wasn’t the ultimate goal. Instead, it was to drive up into the overlook spots north of the bridge and try to get some family photos of the dogs. This would be the second time for Odin, the corgi, as we took photos there years before with his brother. But this would be the first time for Thor, the other corgi, and Apollo, the golden retriever–we couldn’t resist!
Driving through a big city can be nerve-wracking in any vehicle, but it can be especially tense in an RV. That’s why we’re glad our Leisure Travel Van drives so well and is small enough to be comfortable even on busy streets. Hilary drove while I navigated and got us onto the bridge.
Our destination on the other side was Battery Spencer, a famous overlook spot where you can see the whole bridge with the city beyond. While we encountered clouds and even some rain on the way up north, it was all sunshine by the time we reached the city. The road to Battery Spencer has many bends and is one-way, so you have to go a little out of the way to get there. If you want to go, I’d suggest letting your cell phone map lead the way. My chief worry was finding parking—especially a spot big enough for the LTV.
HINT: While the LTV is too big for the parking lot spaces, there are quite a few spots along the road, and we can easily fit into a double spot. Nevertheless, there are only so many of those, and with the road being one-way at this point, it isn’t easy to go back around. I’d suggest parking at the first opportunity and walking up. It won’t be far in any case.
Before getting to the main overlook at Battery Spencer, there is another viewpoint, and as we drove up and saw plenty of spots, we decided to stop there for some pics in case we were unlucky further up. Out popped the dogs, and they quickly understood the plan and started posing. While we’re taking our pictures of them, so are others! Our dogs have shown up in many people’s travel photos over the years, and here was no different–they’re good posers.
Back in the LTV, we crossed our fingers that we could find another parking spot at our destination—and we did! A short walk later, we were with the rest of the crowd, finding our spots to take iconic pictures of the City by the Bay.
Once again, we (okay, the dogs) were a hit. One little girl wanted not just a picture of the dogs but a picture of her with the dogs, and they were very happy to oblige.
Back in our LTV, we still had a few miles until our stop for the night. We were repeating our stay from three years ago by going to the Mayo Family Winery in Sonoma. They only have room for one RV, so we had nabbed the spot months ago. When we arrived, we were the only customers. As we moved to their patio area to taste the wines (very good by the way), the tasting associate told us it was okay to let the dogs off leash, as their patio is fully fenced in. That gave Thor the zoomies. All three got a chance to stretch their legs and play a bit before they joined us on the couch as we conducted our tasting.
We were so grateful they let the dogs have some freedom, and even more so when they told us they don’t lock the patio at night and we were free to use it. So, after dinner, we moved back over there and played games into the night while the dogs played around some more.
Redwoods Return
The next day, we didn’t have as long of a drive, so we looked for a dog park along the way to give them more run-around time. We were going to Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The coastal redwoods here are some of the tallest in the land, and we knew our campground was right along the Avenue of the Giants.
Before checking in, we drove over to Founders Grove to look at some of the more spectacular trees in the park. Last time, we could not do this with Hilary under the weather. This day, everyone was up for it. Unfortunately, as with most State and National Parks, the dogs were not allowed on any trails. They stayed behind in the LTV while we walked around these magnificent trees. Pictures really can’t do justice to just how big and tall these trees are.
We stayed at Burlington Campground, one of three in the State Park. We had stayed here last time, and while it isn’t the biggest of the park’s campgrounds, I felt it was the prettiest, with well-spaced spots nestled amongst the big redwoods. We checked in and set up our camp (which consisted of pressing one button to get the slide out and another to level the jacks). There are no hookups at this campground, so I picked spot #15 near the restrooms and showers to conserve our water.
HINT: If you want to go here, be aware that some sites are strictly for tents, while others can easily accommodate RVs our size. They say the max length is 24 feet, and while an A-class wouldn’t fit, there was plenty of room at the spots I saw for our LTVs, and with no hookups, if you can look at the campground map, you may want to select a spot close to the showers/restrooms to conserve your precious water.
There was plenty of room between campsites, so you really felt like you were on your own. Sitting down and staring up at the trees never got old while we were there.
There’s a small visitor’s center next to the campground, and across the street is a ½ mile-level path to walk through the trees and even down to the Eel River. As before, the dogs stayed inside while we did these walks, although we did give them plenty of loops around the campground.
With the trees blocking much of the sky, it got dark quickly, and we settled inside for dinner and games before pulling the bed down. We had to be ready for the next day when we were going nowhere! We had booked two nights at the campground to spend time there and relax and enjoy it. That’s rare for us. Usually, we’re all about exploring one place and moving on to the next. Other than at an LTV rally, we usually don’t spend two nights in the same place. This trip, we decided to break that trend.
What we didn’t do, and we saw many of our campground neighbors do, was leave to go hiking or other activities during the day. Partly, it’s because we’re not big hikers, but mostly because we couldn’t take the dogs with us, and we thought we’d all enjoy it more hanging out at the campsite. So that’s what we did. We walked back on the nature path, walked around the campground with the dogs, sat outside, and drank wine. All in all, it was a perfect day. If you visit and want to be more adventurous, there is lots to do in and around Humbolt Redwoods. It’s just not for us this time.
Bayside View
While we could have tried to push for home the next day, it would have been a very long drive, and we weren’t in a rush. I originally had looked for another Harvest Host location in Sonoma. Still, I remembered a winery on the east side of the San Francisco Bay that seemed a unique location–and the perfect distance between the Redwoods and home. It’s called Four Fools Winery and probably not in any area you’ve ever visited. We drove around the top part of the bay before we got there, and we weren’t in any hurry as they don’t even open until 5:00 pm. The winery grounds have some RV storage spots, but there are also six spots for Harvest Host members. We had spot number six, which I feel was a prime location. We were well away from any other RVs there that night, with a view out our window of the bay (and a derelict tugboat). The winery was having a band, food truck, and booths that night, so we didn’t have to eat leftovers once again, and we could sit overlooking the bay, sipping our wine and listening to the music.
As the sun went down, it provided a great backdrop to the boat and the water. As they stayed open until 9:30 pm, we could enjoy our time at the winery with the dogs before turning in for the night.
Final Reflections
The next day was an easy drive home and allowed us to reflect on this repeat of a journey. In truth, it wasn’t a repeat as it was very different than the last time. With both of us healthy, we could enjoy the magnificent redwoods and the tasty wineries together, and not being on the tail end of a 10-day trip meant we weren’t as exhausted as we were last time. The dogs have become seasoned travelers and quickly adapt to life inside a 25-foot box. This had been our first real trip in a while, so it was especially lovely to get back on the road and create the memories that we got our LTV for in the first place.
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