RV Roddy

Jan 2023
Pio Pico Thousand Trails
San Diego County CA

I booked 4 nights at the Thousand Trails Pio Pico in Jamul, CA mainly because of it's close proximity to San Diego. I went to college decades ago in San Diego and this is only my third return to the city. Pio Pico is on a nice piece of property and I had high hopes. First issue, being in a canyon about 8 miles from the nearest urban area, there is almost NO cell service. I have Verizon but I now understand that no carrier works well at the campground. I was able to program 23 channels from the San Diego DMA. The second issue was laundry. Yet another card but this card maker only accepts $5 bills. So I tried to get change for a $20 at the Pio Pico store but it was closed till noon for a meeting. (also closes around noon every day for lunch but that's another story) So I drive the 16 mile round trip to town to change the $20. I buy the card with the only $5 bill I have and it sells me a card with a $3 balance. A load is $3.50 and the card machine only take $5, $10, and $20. I load another $10 on the card and two hours later I complete my $15 load of laundry. Maybe the card will work somewhere else but it's unlikely. It's a shame but I don't ever see myself returning to Pio Pico.

Pio Pico Site Map

Pio Pico Thousand Trails

San Diego California

San Diego is beautiful any time of year and the end of January was no exception. I only had a few days here but I was able to renew my fascination with the area from my college days. I spent some time at Imperial Beach which is the southernmost city in California and the West Coast. I also took a long drive all around Coronado Island and tried to get some updated photos of The Hotel Del Coronado but access was a lot easier in the 1980s. My absolute favorite place in San Diego is Balboa Park. The Park has vast open spaces with walking trails and gardens. It is also home to several museums, several theaters, and the World Famous San Diego Zoo. An amazing place. The PGA was also hosting the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla. I did drive up to La Jolla on day 3 of the tournament but it was a madhouse and I wasn't able to get close to the golf course. Well done San Diego! I just needed a little more time.

Imperial Beach

Balboa Park

Imperial Beach

Balboa Park

Hotel del Coronado

San Diego

Oakzanita Springs RV Campground
San Diego County CA

I booked 4 nights at the Thousand Trails Oakzanita Springs RV Campground in Descanso, CA at an elevation above 4000 feet. During my stay at Pio Pico I learned there would be snow on nights 3 and 4 of my stay at Oakzanita Springs so I decided to go anyway and just plan to leave and get off the mountain before the snow flies. On arrival there were 2 full service sites available neither of which I felt I could fit into without tree damage to the side of my trailer. Oakzanita Springs is really tight, small sites, and people were doing some real backwoods engineering to get level. I decided to cancel my 4 night reservation and head east on the 8 to my backup location. Worked out really well!

Quechan Casino
Wenterhaven CA

With the issues with Oakzanita Springs RV Campground I decided to move on the my backup location at Quechan Casino in Winterhaven, CA for four nights. Great decision! There are no services in the RV area but that's okay. There were always between 50 and 80 rigs here and room for more. The Casino is less that 2 miles from the Los Algodones International border crossing so if you would like to shop or eat in Mexico it couldn't be more convenient. The RV area is not free; $10 per night, $25 three nights, $50 seven nights. You must get a free players card to register your RV and pay at the gift shop. There are a lot of dining options in the casino including a huge sports bar called Sidewinder, the standard casino buffet called Ocotillo, an la carte grill called Gila Blend, and Ironwood Steakhouse. I spent 4 nights here for $35 and will definitely stay here again. Casino Lot Docking is a great alternative to desert boondocking.

Quechan Casino

Quechan Casino
Wenterhaven CA Sunset