Escondido to Manhattan Beach, CA
Dockweiler RV Park
Site #102
Route: 78 to 5 to 405 (via toll road)
Distance: 112 miles
Duration: 2 nights
Cost: $55 per night (plus $10 reservation fee)
Weather: Upper 70s and partly cloudy
Our daughter's wedding was absolutely beautiful and everyone had a wonderful time helping her and Will celebrate their special day. I have shared a few photos from that lovely day here, in case you missed that post.
We enjoyed a slow morning over coffee and croissants at our gorgeous hotel in La Jolla before driving back to Escondido where we returned our rental car and got the RV organized for travel. The drive up to L.A. wasn't at all bad. There was a lot of traffic, but we didn't encounter any crazy drivers. We stopped for lunch at Rubio's in Manhattan Beach before heading on up to Dockeweiler's in Playa Del Rey.
Dockweiler RV Park is nothing but an RV parking lot right next to the beach. It's a great place for families or those who love to spend long hours hanging out at the beach, but it's not really our favorite type of camping. We chose to stay at this park because we were visiting family in Manhattan Beach and there isn't anywhere else nearby to camp or boondock. I had done some research on Dockweiler's and was aware of the noise from LAX (we were directly under the flight path), but knew we could handle that for two nights. There are three rows, all facing the ocean, and each site has full hook-ups, a picnic table and grill. The sites are level and within a very short walk to the beach and the Strand (Marvin Braude Bike Trail). As I recall, there wasn't any WiFi provided, but we had decent cell service (Verizon and Sprint). There is virtually no privacy between sites and on our first night we noticed a few of our neighbors were sitting outside, talking and listening to music. We were thankful they observed the quiet hours rule and turned in a little after 10 pm. I can imagine it would be quite a party park in the summer. Definitely not somewhere we would want to be then or during Spring Break!
On the plus side, I got to ride my bike! I went south from the park down to Redondo Beach and back, which was about a total of 13 miles. It was a beautiful morning for a ride and the bike trail is smooth and fairly flat. It would be fun to do the entire 22-mile trail, which begins in Pacific Palisades (at Will Rogers State Beach) and ends in Torrence, just south of Redondo Beach.
Dockweiler RV Park.
The Strand and Dockweiler RV Park.
Quiet beach in late September.
Our view. Nobody in front or to the right of us!
One of the many, many jets to fly over us.
Nice site in the back row.
Dockweiler's is just beyond the volleyball courts.
Manhattan Beach Pier.
Such a great bike path!
Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant
(aka sewage treatment plant)
We had read about this treatment plant while researching the RV park, but didn't notice it until our second night. Not the most pleasant smell to waft into one's RV in the middle of the night!
I've never seen a hang glider crossing sign before!
Another view from inside our RV.
I usually take a lot of family photos, but for whatever reason I forgot to take any until the end of our visit. Maybe I was too busy catching up with everyone, telling them about all the events of the wedding week.
Aunt Alison and her grandson, Jude.
We have recently made plans to return to Manhattan Beach in a few months for a family reunion. I've reserved two nights at Dockweiler's and in addition to seeing everyone and enjoying another bike ride on the Strand, I have my fingers crossed that the ocean breeze provides nothing but fresh, odor-free air!
That bike path is great!
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky to be there during the week. I've been there on a weekend and it's super crowded.
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