[ PROS ]

• Each site comes with a picnic table & fire pit with grill.
• Sites are seperated with some trees and bushes, albeit still close together
• It’s near San Clemente Beach! There isn’t an easy access to beach but you can drive. Pssst….parking for the beach is included with your campsite fee!!!
• Showers and restroom facilities are clean! Not the best I’ve seen, but nothing to complain about. You know the drill with CA State Parks -- bring cash for shower tokens
• Firewood is sold at the campsite for $7 a bundle. Cash only so leave your plastic at home.
• 1.5 mile hiking/biking trail to the beach. It’s a little hilly so be warned if you’re going with children or elderly.
• You get the most wonderful sea breeze during the daytime that helps you stay cool (since there isn’t much shade or tree canopies). The evening are perfect during the spring and summertime.

[ CONS ]

• Campsites are close together
• No beach view :( The pictures online are a little misleading because it makes it seem like the beach is A LOT closer. It’s not suuupperrr far, but it’s definitely not a quick walk.
• Our neighbors warned us that they and 2 other sites were robbed the night before and the rangers were pretty much unhelpful with the matter. Luckily we didn’t have anything stolen from our campgrounds, but from what our neighbor told us, the rangers said “it happens all the time and campers need to be careful with leaving property out.” Campsites are close together so it’s very easy for someone to take something unnoticed, especially when the campsites are pretty empty during the day when everyone drives down to spend the day at the beach.
• Not much wilderness hiking trails around besides down to the beach. There is wildlife and nature around, but most of the activities (surfing, bodyboarding, etc.) are down by the beach.
• Beware of LOTS of ants and bees, more so than I’ve seen at other campsites.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - this weekend I tested multiple items from HUMAN GEAR. I’ve never used Human Gear products before so I was really excited to test them out. All their products have a lifetime guarantee which is amazing, so you know their products are going to be legit. Right off the bat, I loved all the color selections that their products have. I lose and misplace gear when I’m camping very easily, so I like when my gear is brightly colored. After testing these products, I’M A FAN.

GoTubb (Small) - I like these but I feel that this size is much to small for what I normally need. This isn’t the most practical size for me, personally. I tend to lose small items like this but I found it pretty useful for holding my spices. I LOVE that it can be opened with one hand (GENIUS), which really came in handy when I was cooking -- I had one hand on the pot and the other hand opening go-tubbs to get to my seasonings. I also used one of the GoTubbs for holding my CA State Park shower tokens -- handy for that!

GoToob+ (various sizes) - I’ve tried many travel soft tubes before, and these are definitely SO MUCH MORE SUPERIOR than anything else out there. There are lots of little features about this simple tube that makes such a HUGE impact. I’m actually really excited to talk about these tubes and share my experience.

• The flat tube base for easy filling is a GAME CHANGER. Usually when I fill my travel tubes it’s either 1) a two person job or 2) me awkwardly trying not to spill liquids with one hand pouring and the other hand holding the tube in place.
• The wide opening mouth for easy filling/cleaning also makes this tube such a great design. This is especially true when you’re trying to pour lotions or something with a thicker consistency into the tube. Trying to fill small opening tubes with lotion is like trying to thread a needle -- it’s a pain in the a**.
• The valve on the tubes also dispenses really nice and efficiently without wasting product. Some other tubes out there that I’ve tried has been awful because product would continue to leak after you stop squeezing, or it’s difficult to control how much product comes out when you squeeze the tubes.
• Lastly, THE LOOP LOCK!! Such a simple and clever design that really makes you never want to pick up another travel tube again. I love that it helps prevent leaking so you can rest easy. Added bonus, I love that you can attach it to a carabiner.

GoCup - I have a couple telescoping cups already and these stand up to other products out there, but what sets these apart is the lid. It has these air vent holes that keeps the lid suctioned on so that it doesn’t leak during transport or pop off. The built-in pill case is a cool feature, but I don’t see myself using it very often. I’ll mostly use this cup for measuring things since it has volume markings on the interior. It’s only half a cup so it’s rather small.

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FlexiBowl - These are so much fun! I love the shape, and I love how flexible it really is. They really can be bent, squeezed, squished…YOU NAME IT…and yet it’s not flimsy and still holds its shape. These are great for backpacking because it’s so packable. They also clean super easily -- run some water and a quick wipe is all it takes since it has that super smooth interior. These bowls are also a lot bigger than they look and can hold a lot of content.

GoBites (uno, duo, trio) - I love all the different models and they all come in handy for different purposes. I find the Trio better for packing a lunch for work. Some highlights of the Trio is that it comes with a reusable toothpick, and the knife doubles as a bottle opener. The storage container is handy!

But for camping, I find the Uno and Dup much more practical. My personal favorite is the Duo! When attached together, it’s pretty long so it’s great for cooking with since it has a far reach. I like that the edges of the fork have a sharper edge so you can also use it as a dull knife. These work great.

VEGAN CHILI RECIPE (6 servings) - SPICY

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 3 Heaping Tablespoons of Cumin Powder
• 1 Tube of Soyrizo
• 1 Can of Diced Tomatoes
• 1 White onion (diced) - Set aside ¼ of diced onion for serving
• 1 FlexiBowl of mushrooms (diced)
• 1 Tablespoon of Chilli Pepper Flakes (optional)
• 1 Teaspoon of Basil
• 1 Teaspoon of Oregano
• ½ Teaspoon of Rosemary
• ½ Can of Corn
• ½ Can of Black Beans
• ½ Cup of Jalapenos (diced) (optional)
• ¼ Cup of Chopped Cilantro
• Chopped Green Onions for serving (optional)
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

Note: Remove Chilli Pepper Flakes & Jalepenos from recipe for non-spicy chili.

Cooking Directions:

1. Combine diced tomatoes, onions, chilli pepper flakes, basil, oregano, and rosemary in a medium stock pot (at least 2.8 L) . Cook and stir on medium heat until onions are translucent.
2. Stir in soyrizo, tomato paste, cumin, jalapenos, mushrooms, and cilantro to the pot. Fill the pot with water until it covers all the ingredients.
3. Bring pot to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cover until mushrooms are tender. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.
4. Stir in beans and corn, and add salt/pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes; stir occasionally.

Serving (optional)

• Serve with green onions and diced onion
• Enjoy with corn tortilla chips