Rancho Los Coches RV Park

San Diego's best kept secret

Campers and RVers are Fun to be Around

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campers are fun to be aroundWe think campers are amazing people and we’ve enjoyed spending them time with them for as long as we’ve been here. There is something special about the kind of people who go camping.

They like to have fun
Parents enjoy some one-on-one time with their kids. Old friends and family spend time together around the campfire. Favorite old board games make an appearance and so do our childhood favorites like freeze tag. It’s delightful to see that elders are playing with grandkids and cousins are playing with cousins.

They make great neighbors
You’re never really alone when you’re in the campground. We often see a neighbor assist someone new in backing up their rig. Families share recipes and parents keep an eye out for kids, no matter if they are theirs or someone else’s.

They pitch in 
Groups of campers share a campfire and everyone brings something to eat or drink. Potlucks are a favorite and a great way to meet the neighbors. Often one family has extra chairs and another family has an extra cooler. They pool their resources and spend a good day together.

They are problem solvers
There is no problem a camper cannot solve. And when they put their heads together, look out! Items break sometimes, slides stop moving, you forget the coffee filters, or you accidentally arrive a day early. Campers can figure it out. They find a way to fix the problem and then get on with the things that matter. They get back to having fun.

We are always impressed at how wonderful our campers are. Many come here several times per year and some have been coming for many years. We consider them family and look forward to catching up with them each time they arrive.

If you’d like to join us please call to make a reservation soon. Fall and Winter camping is amazing!

 

Get the Kids Involved in the Adventure of Camping

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Kids help packing to go campingThe tasks involved in getting ready for and cleaning up after your camping and RVing trip doesn’t have to fall to only one or two people in the group. If you’re bringing kids along you can extend their enjoyment of the whole trip by allowing them to be part of the pre and post work that is required.

Beginning from the age of three or four, the kids are old enough to help with the simpler tasks of packing and unpacking. They can be helpful with carrying small items from the house to the camper or helping to set the table for meals. They love to be part of the family activities and get a real kick out of helping at this age.

Elementary school aged kids can help pack, particularly if you have a printed list they can check off. They can be tasked with packing their own things, too. Give each child a backpack for their belongings and let them add the necessary items. While you’re at the campsite they can help keep an eye on the younger kids and are a big help in preparing meals.

Older kids can handle heavier work such as gathering the firewood, setting the GPS, and helping to plan the route. They can help keeping the campsite clean and they are very capable of doing the laundry for you now. Flipping burgers and doing dishes can be part of their job while you’re all together in the great outdoors.

These activities help kids to feel they are more a part of the experience and it teaches them skills they’ll need when they become adults and start camping with their own families. Getting the group to work together expands the enjoyment of the whole group. You’ll have many more stories to share once you’ve returned and in later years when you remember back to some of your favorite trips.

Camping Beds for Baby and Toddler

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They are going to run their little legs of while they are here and will need a good night’s sleep to regenerate for another day of doing it again.

Sometimes Grandparents find they don’t have enough beds for their visiting grandchildren or maybe a family decides the Pack N Play is just too big for the rig. There are a few options for a variety of situations when it comes to putting the kids to sleep in your tent or RV.

Lots of kids are fine on the floor with a sleeping bag and a mat beneath them. You can choose the sleeping bag weight and fabric based on the climate where you will be camping.

Camping Cot for ToddlerIf you prefer they be up on a cot there are some very nice toddler size options. This Regalo My Cot Portable Bed  is very highly rated by users and it conveniently folds up like your camping chairs do. A matching sheet comes with it as does its own travel case.

It’s sturdy, low cost, and portable. Three very good things to have when you are planning your equipment list for the next camping trip.
Infant bed for campingFor infants, the Kilofly Instant Pop Up Portable Travel Bed  is a good option. The small profile makes it nice for camping due to limited space no matter what you are camping in. There as a screen attached that can be pulled up to keep mosquitoes away from the baby or kept open as well. The bottom has two bed pegs which act as stabilizers so the bed won’t be easily tipped.

This would be convenient for camping and for trips to the beach or to outdoor events. It folds up for easy carry and is made from non-toxic materials.

There are so many reasons to bring the kids camping from a very early age. The sooner they start the more time they get to enjoy it with the family and develop a lifelong love of camping. We are so glad to see these compact, affordable sleeping options for making campers happy and we look forward to seeing you this season.

Having Fun With Road Trip Games

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road trip gamesThere are a couple of road trip games that can be fun to take part in. You can find small versions of board games, for instance, to take with you. Or, you can play games like looking for different colored cars and more.

Eye spy is a game where you say that you see something with certain features. For instance, you can say “eye spy with my little eye, something blue” if there is a blue car around the vehicle you’re in. You can also play this when the vehicle is stopped because that allows you to pick from more things in the landscape. You can’t expect to pick something on the side of the road if the vehicle will be going by it fast, but if there is a large landmark in the distance that may just work out.

You can find small versions of games that you can bring with you on a road trip. Even if you don’t want to go with that because your kids don’t know what to do to play the game, you can bring tablets or other devices that have games on them. You could also bring paper and pens and let the kids play tic-tac-toe. If you’re going to bring anything in the vehicle, make sure you store it properly when it’s not in use. You don’t want to have, for instance, your tablet sitting out in the sun while you go somewhere for a while.

What you take with you as your road trip games will depend on what your family is into. The more you can prepare to have a good time on a trip, the better. You’ll know you made the right choice when everyone is having a lot of fun on the road.

Choosing the Best Sleeping Bag

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Sleeping bagsSleeping bags are the staple of the camping and RVing community. There are many choices available and your needs will differ, depending on where you are camping and what you are camping in.

You can find sleeping bags in all weights and fabrics. They can be drab green or colored and shaped like cartoon characters. Some will fit a tall person and others will fit a toddler. As your needs change you will find yourself purchasing new sleeping bags so these are a few things to look for.

Make sure the sleeping bag is durable and will hold up to whatever abuse you can dish out. You’ll be using it for more things than just sleep. You’ll find yourself pulling out a sleeping bag to cover laps around the campfire on a cool night, or laying one down for people to sit on picnic-style. The sleeping bag will be crammed into closets and stuffed into trunks so make sure it is one that will last.

It has to be comfortable. If it crinkles each time you move or makes you sweat because it doesn’t breathe you will not be happy with your purchase. There are all kinds of fabrics available these days so choose accordingly.  Do you need a fat, downy one or a thin one that can be rolled and clipped on a backpack as you hike. Decide what you will be using it for and shop for the best one in that category that you can find.

Whether you are camping in a tent or in a motorhome you will find plenty of uses for your sleeping bags. We hope yours offers you a great night’s sleep and a feeling of being refreshed in the morning.

Don’t Forget That Camping First Aid Kit

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RV First Aid KitIt’s really important to carry a first aid kit with you and have it stocked for your family, including your pets. You never know when someone will get a bump, a bruise, or have an allergic reaction so being prepared will greatly reduce your stress and get that person back to feeling better faster.

For the humans in your family, you will need the following items:

For bumps, slivers, rashes:
Bandages, gauze pads, ace wraps, adhesive tape, rubbing alcohol, antibacterial cream, sunscreen, aloe, eye wash, Calamine lotion, pain reliever, cough & cold medicine, Benadryl, and something for tooth ache.

Tools you’ll need are:
Latex free gloves, tweezers, magnifying glass, ice paks, small scissors, eye dropper, small flashlight, and thermometer.

For your pet, you’ll need:
Phone number of your regular Vet, vaccination records, and all of the above plus their prescriptions and maybe needle-nose pliers. (if you’re going into porcupine country)

Once you have assembled your first aid kit you will need to be sure and check it regularly. Some of the items will have an expiration date so be sure to replace them as needed. Keeping a dedicated kit with you whenever you travel will provide peace of mind and just may provide exactly what you need when one of your loved ones is hurt or not feeling well.

This 3-in-1 Breakfast Station is a Hit with RVers

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RV 3 in 1 Breakfast StationWe like to pass along things we see that our campers might need or things that just make their time away even nicer. So this compact, inexpensive breakfast station for camping is something to consider.

There is something about breakfast when you are camping and RVing. It’s a favorite meal for many. Maybe because the day doesn’t begin with an alarm clock but instead it starts with good
conversation and good friends. Whatever it is that makes a camping breakfast tops on your list having an appliance that keeps things orderly can make it even better.

This unit is sold in red or blue. You can make coffee, toast muffins, and cook eggs & bacon all at the same time. The interior toaster area will fit small pizzas and sandwiches. There is a 30 minute timer for those times you get carried away in conversation and forget you are
cooking something. The griddle on top is non-stick and it comes with a transparent cover. A typical drip coffee maker is stationed at the end.

People who purchased it and left their reviews are saying they love the small profile because it gives them more room in the RV. Some people have purchased it for their college kids’ dorm rooms as well. A woman mentioned that she had made grilled cheese, pot pies, and even baked cookies in it. They say it is easy to clean, which is another big plus.

Space is at a premium when you are in your RV but you also want quality appliances. This one seems to fit the bill. It weighs just 12 pounds and its dimensions are 19.2 x 11.5 x 12 in. It offers a 90 day warranty which can be downloaded under the product information area of the page. You can find out more about it here > Nostalgia Retro Series 3-in-1 Breakfast Station

Fun Card Games To Play With Kids

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kids' card gamesCamping provides lots of good things to families and time together is one of the most important aspects of it. Suddenly, the clock doesn’t really matter and you can spend more time with each other just having fun. It’s a good time to teach kids how to play some simple card games. They love the challenge of trying to beat you and you get to enjoy the sound of their laughter for an afternoon. It’s a wonderful thing.

Go Fish

In Go Fish, you shuffle the deck and hand out five cards to each person. The goal of the game is to end up with no cards in your hand, and the way to get cards out of your hand is to find a match. So if you have an 8, you ask your opponent (or one of them, if more than two people are playing) if they have any 8s. If they do, they give it to you, and then you lay your 8 and their 8 in the discard pile.

But watch out! If your opponent doesn’t have a match, they say “Go Fish”! This means you have to draw a card from the deck. If it matches a card you have, you may play the match. But your turn is still ended.

War

War is a game similar to Go Fish, in that the goal is to get rid of all your cards. In order to do this, you shuffle the deck and hand each player five cards. You then turn the top card of the deck over, and the first person to play has to play a card of a higher number than the number just put down.

If you don’t have something to beat the card last played, such as if they played a 10 and you don’t have a Jack, Queen, King, or Ace, you draw a card. Many people make a house rule that you have to keep drawing cards until you draw one that can beat the previous card.

These are some easy card games to teach the kids. If you ever need to pass the time, then these games can be great!

Three Easy Ways To Remove A Splinter

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remove splinterEveryone has had a splinter at some point in their lives. The worst part is struggling and fighting to get them out. If you try one of the following three methods, you can remove them as easy as pie.

1. Grab Some Tape

If you notice a piece of the splinter protruding from the skin, you should try this method. Basically, you apply a piece of tape, allow it to adhere to the splinter, then tear it off in the opposite direction from the way the splinter went in. This is extremely important since pulling it the wrong way can cause the splinter to sink further into the skin

2. Vinegar Bath

Grab some vinegar and soak your finger in it for about a half-hour. This may seem off the wall, but it will cause the offending splinter to rise to the surface. At this point, you can take some tweezers, grasp it and remove it without any issues. Use vinegar that has not been diluted in order to increase the effectiveness.

3. Egg Shell Film

The film in the inside of an eggshell actually has some use. Apply this to the splinter and let it dry. Once that happens, pull on the film and the splinter should come right out. As you were told earlier, always pull in the opposite direction from the way that it went in. This will ensure that the problem gets better without getting any worse.

The next time you get a splinter, there is no need for you to panic. Looking for a needle to dig it out will not be necessary either. Using one of the ideas that were mentioned to you here means that you will be able to safely remove it without going through a ton of trouble.

Healthy Popsicle Recipes The Kids Will Love

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healthy popsicles for camping kidsKids absolutely love sweet treats and, if you add a dash of cold in the summer months, you have a real winner. Unfortunately, most store bought popsicles contain high amounts of sugar, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors as well as other ingredients that could be harmful to your kids health.

Try these healthier popsicle recipes at home:

1. Fruit Juice

Simply take some fruit juice and dilute with some water until the right popsicle taste is achieved. Pour the solutions into a popsicle tray and stick the lot into the freezer. Remove when fully frozen and enjoy.

Berries are a firm favorite among most children as the juice is naturally sweeter and more vibrant. However, if you want to add a little extra sweetness, apple or grape juice is better than adding refined sugar. If you aren’t using freshly squeezed juice, remember to check the fruit juice label to ensure it doesn’t contain sugar or any other harmful ingredients.

2. Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is a great alternative for creamy popsicles that don’t contain any dairy. While dairy isn’t necessarily unhealthy for kids, most store bought creamy popsicles have additives that could be harmful to your kids health. Add fruit juice or any other flavoring to improve the natural flavor of the coconut milk.

3. Chocolate Mint

Contrary to popular belief, chocolate is not an unhealthy treat unless it contains large amounts of sugar. So opt for the darker varieties or make a cocoa solution and add a dash of mint for a great popsicle recipe. Add a touch of milk or coconut milk for a creamier option. Sweeten with just a dash of berry juice or a small amount of sugar.

With just a little time and effort, you can make healthy popsicle treats at home that your kids will absolutely love this summer.