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Booking a campsite for an Airstream is quick once you know what the reservation form is going to ask. This is a follow-up to our post on finding RV parks and campgrounds, and it covers what to enter, where to book, and the questions worth asking before you pay. What do you enter on an RV reservation form for an Airstream? For any of our Airstreams: travel trailer, no slideouts, 30 amp electric, 16 to 30 feet long and under 9 feet wide. Here is each answer as most forms ask it: Equipment type: travel trailer Slideouts: none Electric: 30 amp (we include a 30-to-20 amp adapter for sites with a regular outlet) Length: 16 to 30 feet, depending on the trailer you rent. Check the exact length on your trailer’s listing, or see our size guide. Width: under 9 feet Some campgrounds ask for your total length, trailer plus tow vehicle. If the form asks for that, add your truck or SUV’s length to the trailer’s. Here is what a typical form looks like, this one from KOA: Where do you book a campsite in California? California state parks book through ReserveCalifornia, the state’s reservation site. National parks and national forests book through Recreation.gov. Private RV parks and resorts, like KOA, book on their own websites or by phone. Popular campgrounds, Yosemite and the coast above all, fill up fast, often months ahead. Book the campsite before you book the trailer, or at the same time, so you are not holding one without the other. What should you ask the campground before you book? Five things: the length limit, whether the site is pull-through, what hookups it has, the generator rules, and whether delivery is allowed. Is there a maximum trailer length? Older state and national park campgrounds often cap sites well under 30 feet. Pull-through or back-in? A pull-through site means no backing up. If it is back-in, our reversing guide helps. What hookups does the site have? Full hookups mean water, electric and sewer. No hookups is fine too, if you plan for it; read our dry camping guide. Are generators allowed, and during what hours? A portable generator is an optional add-on with your rental. Is delivery allowed? If we are delivering and setting up the trailer for you, let the campground know a delivery driver will drop it off and pick it up. Want us to bring it to the campsite? Once your site is booked, we can tow the trailer there, level it, hook it up and collect it when you are done, so you just drive in and start your trip. Here is how delivery works. Book your Airstream Browse our Airstream fleet and check dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing altogether, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is exactly how the rental process works.

Hitching up an Airstream takes about fifteen minutes once you have done it a time or two, and you never do it alone the first time: at pickup we walk you through hitching, unhitching and setup on your own trailer and tow vehicle. This guide and the video below are for practicing before you arrive, and for the morning you hitch up at the campground on your own. What does my vehicle need before I can tow an Airstream? Three things: a standard 2 inch hitch receiver, a 7-pin round electrical connector, and an electronic brake controller. Most of our trailers go out with a weight-distributing hitch, which we include. Your vehicle also needs to be rated for the trailer: stay within 80% of its maximum towing capacity, so a truck or SUV rated for 10,000 pounds tows a trailer up to 8,000 pounds. Tongue weight should run 10 to 15% of the trailer’s weight. Not sure your vehicle qualifies? Stop by our Lathrop lot one to two weeks before your trip and we will test your brake controller and connector at no charge. If you have no brake controller, portable ones are available to rent, and if your vehicle cannot tow the trailer you want, you can rent one of our trucks or have us deliver it. Full details are on How It Works. How do you hitch up an Airstream, step by step? Ten steps, in this order. Work slowly and check each one before moving to the next. Chock the trailer’s wheels so it cannot roll while it is unhitched. Raise the tongue jack until the coupler sits a little higher than the ball on your hitch. Back the vehicle up until the ball sits right under the coupler. A spotter outside the vehicle makes this much easier. Lower the coupler onto the ball with the tongue jack, then close the latch and put the safety pin through it. Cross the safety chains under the coupler and hook them to the vehicle’s hitch. Clip the breakaway cable to the vehicle itself, not to the safety chains. If the trailer ever separates, that cable sets its brakes. Plug in the 7-pin connector. Attach the weight-distribution bars the way we set them up at pickup. Do not change their tension. Raise the tongue jack all the way up and remove the wheel chocks. Check the lights and brakes before you leave: running lights, brake lights and both turn signals, then roll forward slowly and use the manual slider on the brake controller to make sure the trailer brakes grab. How do you unhitch it at the campsite? Do the same steps in reverse. Park where you want the trailer, chock its wheels, lower the tongue jack until it carries the weight, then remove the weight-distribution bars, unplug the 7-pin, unclip the breakaway cable, unhook the chains, and open the coupler latch. Raise the jack until the coupler lifts off the ball, and drive forward. Level the trailer with the blocks that come with it before you set up camp. What are the most common hitching mistakes? Forgetting the coupler pin. The latch can work loose without it. Clipping the breakaway cable to the chains. It has to go to the vehicle to work. Skipping the light and brake check. It takes one minute and catches a loose plug before the highway does. Driving off with the tongue jack down. Walk around the whole rig once before you pull away. Backing up is the other skill worth practicing before you go, and there is a reversing tutorial for that. If a question comes up on the road, call us: roadside and technical support is included with every rental, 24 hours a day. Book your Airstream Browse our Airstream fleet and check dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing altogether, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is exactly how the rental process works.

Destination: Zion National Park and Antelope Canyon Zion National Park and Antelope Canyon are bucket list destinations for most people due to their majestic natural splendor.  And for good reason, both destinations showcase desert beauty at its finest and is not to be missed!  There’s nothing quite like an Airstream road trip to visit How to Get There Zion National Park is a total of over 11 hours from our Airstream rental garage in San Jose, so we recommend breaking up your drive over two days.  When we took this trip, we stopped off at Barstow, CA, which is a 6 hour drive from San Jose.  We stayed at Shady Lane RV Camp, which was nothing more than a gravel parking lot but was suitable for a quick overnighter.  If you are an experienced tower and don’t mind the 8 hour haul, Las Vegas is another option.  One of our favorite repeat customers Jason and Grace (who’s picture appears at the top) made the trek to Zion National Park and they stopped off at Las Vegas Oasis RV Resort.  From Barstow it is another 5 hours to Zion, while it is another 2.5 hours of driving from Las Vegas to Zion. Glamping at Zion National Park There are only two campgrounds within Zion that can accommodate RVs: South Campground and Watchman Campground.  Of the two,only Watchman Campground has electrical hook-ups, which we highly recommend if visiting the desert in the summer.  You can make a reservation for either campground here.  Since both are campgrounds, neither have water or sewer hook-ups.  Thus you’ll be dry-camping and will need to monitor water usage while there.  If you prefer to have the full glamping experience or if you are unable to make reservations at the campsite of your choice, Zion River Resort is another option.  This is where we stayed while visiting Zion (and Jason and Grace stayed there as well).  This RV resort is located about 20 minutes outside of the park, but comes with full hook-ups and is one of the nicest parks we’ve stayed at. What to do there Hiking hiking hiking.  Zion National Park has some of the most breathtaking hiking trails we’ve ever done.  We went hiking everyday and each trail had its own gorgeous scenery.  Most hikes can be accessed by the Zion shuttle, which we highly recommend using.  Not only do you get a bit of history on the free shuttle, but it also means you don’t have to search for parking.  Plus it keeps car pollution within the park to a minimum.     The easiest hike, and the only one that dogs are allowed on, is the Pa’rus Trail that starts from the Zion Canyon Visitor’s Center (pictured above).  This is the easiest hike they have and is paved the whole way, but there are still some spectacular views of the mountains.  During sunset, the mountains are especially orange and make for some gorgeous landscape photography. Another easy hike is the Lower Emerald Pool Trail that leaves from the Zion Lodge.  The picture above doesn’t do it justice, but the small pools of water reflect the orange mountains beautifully. For a little more effort, the Canyon Overlook trail was easily one of our favorite hikes.  You can’t take a shuttle to this trailhead but parking wasn’t too bad.  It wasn’t as crowded as some of the more popular hikes and there were some cave-like overhangs that was fun to walk through.  It wasn’t particularly difficult though there are some drop-offs (but the paths were nice and wide) and so maybe not suitable for young kids.   One of the more popular hikes in the park is The Narrows, which requires walking on a riverbed and depending on the level of the river may or may not be suitable for kids.  Jason and Grace were able to take their kids on this hike so it is doable with children.  When we went, we wanted to go as far as possible so we started out early but we also rented gear from a place in town.  The gear included shoes, wading trousers and hiking sticks.  If you’re going in the spring or fall (like we did) I would highly recommend the gear if you plan to be walking through the cold river all day.  However in the summer you could probably get away with a walking stick and shoes (like Jason and Grace).  If you’re planning just a short trip down and back you might be able to get away with gear that you already have.  Since the river stones are quite slippery, we recommend this hike for those who are partially in shape with no problems walking. Another popular hike is called Angel’s Landing, which is a moderate trail up until you have to climb the peak.  If you’re with children I recommend not doing the last bit since it’s quite dangerous and there have been people who have fallen off in the past.  There are chains to grab onto, but the pathways are narrow and especially nerve-racking when there are a lot of hikers on the same path.  I did it once, but I’m not sure I would do it again (I would probably do the Canyon Overlook hike for the similar views without the anxiety).   And finally for those wondering where Antelope Canyon fits into all this, we decided to take a day trip to Antelope Canyon (located in Arizona) while keeping our Airstream parked at Zion.  It’s about a 2.5 hour drive each way, but since Antelope Canyon was out of our way (we were heading north), we decided not to take the time to drive the trailer down for a day and then go back up.  If you do want to take some time out near Page, Arizona, there are several RV parks there where you can park your Airstream (consult our favorite RV park/campsite app AllStays).  There is an upper and lower Antelope Canyon.  Both will give you similar views

Destination: Teton National Park and Jackson, WY When Brian and I went to our first Airstream road trip, Jackson, WY, and Grand Teton National Park was by far one of our most favorite locations to visit.  We originally had intended to drive through the small town and just do a pit stop for lunch.  But we were so taken with this charming town that we changed our plans and decided to stay overnight at Teton National Park.  Isn’t being able to do last-minute changes one of the joys of doing an Airstream road trip?  And it made for one of our most unforgettable experiences of our whole trip. How To Get There Getting out to Wyoming from California is, as you can expect, quite a trek.  We were on our 3-week road trip and had gone to Zion National Park first (read all about how to get to Zion here).  From Zion, it is still a 9 hour drive so we split it over two days by stopping at Salt Lake City, UT.  If you are going to go directly to Jackson from California, it is an 18 hour drive.  So we recommend splitting it over 3 days with a stop in Reno (a 4 hour drive), then a haul to Salt Lake City (a 7 hour drive), and then finally to Jackson (4.5 hour drive).  For recommendations on where to stay in those cities, we highly recommend consulting the app AllStays (it’s what we use when we’re traveling on the road).  And yes, that’s a lot of driving, but once you’re out there at the last frontier of the old Wild West, I promise you won’t regret it! Glamping at Grand Teton National Park Again consulting the AllStays app, there are several RV parks located within Jackson, including Jackson Hole Campground  and the Jackson Hole KOA.  If you want to camp within the Grand Teton National Park, the closest campground within the park is Gros Ventre CAmpground and is only 20 minutes north of town.  Unfortunately, this campsite is only first-come-first-serve and no reservations can be made for its 300 sites.  Also there are no hook-ups at this campground.  However, if you’re staying during off-peak season you have a good chance of snagging a spot, and this is our first choice of campgrounds. If you are going during peak season we recommend snagging a spot in a RV park that allows for reservations.  There are only two reservable RV parks in Grand Teton and both are about an hour north of Jackson Hole.  The first one, about 50 minutes away, is Colter Bay RV Park.  The wonderful thing about this RV park is that all sites have full hook-ups and you’re only a 5 minute walk from Jackson Lake.  I should also note that the Colter Bay RV Park is different from the Colter Bay Campground which is non-reservable and also doesn’t have hook-ups.  The second reservable RV park, about an hour an 15 minute north of Jackson, is Headwaters Campground at Flagg Ranch, and these sites also have full-hook-ups.  If you’re on your way up to Yellowstone National Park as part of your road trip then this RV park is halfway between the two national parks.  For a quick look at all your RV camping possibilities within Grand Teton, go here. What to do there I love charming towns in the middle of nowhere and Jackson is especially charming.  There is a rustic chic vibe all around.  But what’s even better is a charming town located right next to a breath-taking national park like Grand Teton.  Now you have the best of both worlds. The great thing about Jackson is that they have free parking for your trailer (though not overnight parking).  We went during the off season so we didn’t have any issues finding a spot but I’m not sure how busy it is during the peak season.  Thus Jackson is such a great little town to stop off in to grab something to eat or kill some time before heading into Grand Teton National Park.  We enjoyed walking into stores like MADE (which focuses on hand made items from the Wyoming Area) and Mountain Dandy.  We ate at Local, which served a fresh locally sourced menu that was really delicious.   For the more outdoorsy type, Grand Teton National Park has everything you want from fishing, boating, climbing, and horseback riding.  We spent our time there mostly hiking and doing the scenic drives.  To learn more about the hikes they offer, go here.  And for those who prefer the scenic drives, you can find out more here. Where to go next From Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park is a short 45 minute drive north and so we highly recommend seeing both national parks in one trip.  If you are driving south and had made Yellowstone your first stop, then heading down to Zion National Park is about a two days drive.  Or if you’re limited on time, you can head back to California via Salt Lake City and Reno. Book your Airstream Browse our Airstream fleet and check dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing altogether, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is exactly how the rental process works.

Destination: Rincon Parkway Campground, Ventura County With 840 miles of coastline, California has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Airstream beach destinations.  But there are only a few RV parks where you can park right next to the beach.  Most RV parks like Morro Strand State Beach Park and  Carpinteria State Beach Campground are lots adjacent to the beach which is a short walking distance away.  Others like Jalama Beach may be beach adjacent if you are able to snag the right spot.  But it’s rare to find a campground where every single spot is beach adjacent, and that’s why Rincon Parkway Campground is such a gem.  There are 127 spaces (no hook-ups) alongside the beach where each RV is parallel parked, allowing for views of the ocean from the passenger-side windows of every RV. Getting There Since Rincon Parkway is over 5 hours away from our San Jose garage, we advise splitting up the drive over two days (especially for first-time towers).  We recommend stopping over at Vines RV (or Wine Country RV) in Paso Robles.  There, you can practice your Airstream maneuvering skills, have full hook-ups in preparation for some beach dry-camping, and taste some of the best wines in California (and maybe pick up a bottle or two for the beach).  The next morning you can get up bright and early to head to Rincon Parkway, which is another 2.5 hours away.  Since there are no reservations at Rincon Parkway, we advise getting there earlier rather than later in the day.   Glamping at Rincon Parkway Campground As I said, you will need to parallel park your trailer at Rincon Parkway, which might be easy if there are several empty spaces in a row.  If the campground is on the full side, we advise using your walkie-talkies to help guide your Airstream into the space.  If you have any concerns about this, ask Brian for a mini-tutorial ahead of time on how to parallel park your Airstream.  Luckily the street that the campground is adjacent to isn’t a busy street, with mostly bikes traversing the area.  There are no hook-ups at this campground so if you plan to run the air conditioner or watch TV at night, we recommend renting on of our generators for a more comfortable stay.  The RV fees are $30/ a day and spaces are a first come first serve basis.  Pets are an additional $1/ day and leashed dogs are allowed on the beach.  Also if you’re a light sleeper I might not recommend this campground because there are train tracks that go right by the site (located on the other side of the road). What To Do There Well you came all the way out here for the beach so there’s that.  But for those who want a little more variety or for something to do at night, Santa Barbara is only a 25 minute drive north.  Here are some city guides to give you ideas of what to do in this charming California coast city: city guide from DesignSponge, city guide from Travel and Leisure, and one from Goop. Where To Go Next If you want to keep the beach camping going, Jalama Beach is about 1.5 hours along the coastline or Morro Strand State Beach and Pismo Beach is about 2 hours straight north.  If you want to change it up with some National Park camping Joshua Tree is 4 hours east and King’s Canyon/Sequioa National Park is 4 hours north-east. Keep going south down the coast and the next park we use is Malibu Beach RV Park. Book your Airstream Browse our Airstream fleet and check dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing altogether, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is exactly how the rental process works.

Destination: Pinnacles National Park If you want to include a national park in your Airstream road trip, Pinnacles National Park is an easy check off your national park list.  It’s not as well known as the larger and more majestic national parks in California like Yosemite or Sequoia National Park, but it was recently designated as a national park for good reason and shouldn’t be missed.  It is in fact the second newest national park, designated as such by President Obama in 2013.  Pinnacles National Park is named after the narrow peaks, which were formed from volcanic activity millions of years ago, that make up its unique landscape. Getting There Pinnacles National Park is actually the closest national park to our San Jose garage, and is located about 2 hours south of us.  The majority of the drive is on major highways and thus is fairly easy.  However about 3 miles before the park entrance, you will need to turn off onto a narrow road.  We advise driving slow and cautiously down that winding road, especially if you are renting an Airstream 25′ or larger, so as not to damage the sides of the trailer.  There is only one campground in Pinnacles and it is located at the east entrance. Glamping at Pinnacles National Park Pinnacles campground is open year around and allows reservations up to 6 months in advance.  We highly recommend making reservations if you’re planning to go during the summer months or on the weekend.  The campground itself is well maintained though rather flat and open.  There are 37 sites with electrical hook-ups and 82 sites with no hook-ups.  Since generators are not allowed at the campground, we recommend reserving a site with electrical hook-ups if possible (especially in the hot summer months).  There are water stations where you can fill up your water tanks and a dump station to empty your tank if you need to do so.  Pets are allowed at the campsite.  There is no firewood sold here (at least in the off-season) so if you want to build a fire in your BBQ pit or fire ring, you will need to bring your own.  There is also a small market at the Pinnacles visitor center, located at the entrance of the campground, where you can purchase ice, beverages, camping gear, and any other items you have forgotten to pack.  And last but not least, there is no cell service in the park.  If you need reception, you will need to drive about 5 miles out towards the main road to get service. What to do there Rock climbing is a popular activity at Pinnacles, with a lot of designated climbing spots on the face of the volcanic rocks.  For those who rather keep their feet on the ground, there are a 30 miles of hiking trails within the park.  And what makes hiking at Pinnacles especially fun are the two trails that wind through caves formed when large boulders fell between narrow canyons.   The Bear Gulch Cave Trail is the closer of the two cave trails and is located just south of Pinnacles campground (in fact if you wanted to add 0.3 miles to your hike, you could just walk to the trailhead).  The Bear Gulch Trail is a little over 2 miles roundtrip and is one big loop that goes through Bear Gulch Cave and passes by Bear Gulch Reservoir.   We highly recommend this moderate hike for some fun cave “spelunking” and beautiful views of the unique rock formations.  We advise going through the caves first and then going around to the Rim Trail to get back instead of going in the other direction.  Rangers advise carrying a flashlight when going through the cave, though our phone lights worked fine.  Also pack a light lunch with you so that you can enjoy it at the reservoir, but just watch out for some fairly assertive squirrels that are very used to humans.  Also while you’re there, see if you can spot the face that guards the reservoir.   The other cave, called the Balconies Cave, is located by the west entrance of the park.  Since there are no roads that connect the east and west entrances, you will need to hike there to see it.  It’s about a 9.5 mile hike from the Pinnacles Visitor Center. If you’re a fan of flora and fauna, wildflowers bloom from mid-February to early June making that a popular time at the park.  Bird watching is also another popular past time with a plethora of birds calling the park home.  Pinnacles is also the home of the endangered California Condor, and it’s a special thrill to see one of the largest birds in North America. Where to go next Pinnacles National Park is a great first stop on your Airstream road trip because it is located in central California.  From here, there are a variety of options of where to go next.  If you are done with camping, head to Vines RV Resort in Paso Robles, about 1.5 hours away, for full hook-ups and some great food and wine.  Or if you want to camp amongst redwoods (and still have full hook-ups) we recommend Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort, also about 1.5 hours away from Pinnacles.  If instead you want to camp by some California coastline we recommend Morro Strand State Beach Park.  And last but not least, if you want to keep the California National Parks tour going, head to King’s Canyon National Park (3.5 hours away) to see some sequoia trees or Yosemite National Park (south entrance is 3.5 hours away) to see some granite cliffs. Book your Airstream Browse our Airstream fleet and check dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing altogether, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is exactly how the rental process works.

Destination: Morro Strand State Beach Park   California has a lot to offer an adventurous Airstream-er so places like the Central Coast often are overshadowed by the more glamorous Northern California spots (Napa, San Francisco) and Southern California locales (Los Angeles, San Diego).  But we really enjoy the Central Coast because of it’s beauty and the fact that it’s usually less populated than other California coastal areas.   About 3 hours south of our San Jose Airstream garage off the 101 is the small town of Morro Bay, so named because of the large Morro Rock island that sits just off-shore.  There are several RV parks to chose from in Morro Bay, but we went with Morro Strand State Beach Park because of it’s location right next to the beach.  Unlike most state beach parks, Morro Strand has sites with full hook-ups (water, sewer, power), which makes it one of the best beach parks we’ve stayed at.  To get to this one (and don’t mistake it with Morro Bay State Park), take the Yerba Buena Street entrance.  And when leaving Morro Strand State Beach Park we recommend not going on Old Creek Road (if Google/Apple maps decides to route you that way) because it is an old, bumpy and twisty road.   We chose a standard (non hook-up) site since we were only there for a couple days and we wanted the primo spot where the beach access path comes right up to your front door.  Also these premium dry-camping spots are a bit easier to reverse into since it’s just a matter of parallel parking your trailer (which is great for newbie Airstream renters).  The standard sites also come with fire rings while the hook-up sites do not.   If you want to spend some quality time with a beautiful California beach, this state park is a must. There’s miles and miles of uninterrupted beach estate, which is great for beach jogs, fishing, and surfing.  Unfortunately dogs are not allowed on the beach because it is also a bird sanctuary (but dogs are allowed within the beach park).   The picture below is a view of Morro Rock from the Morro Strand State Beach Park. Another wonderful thing about Morro Bay, a small town with a still active fishing industry, is all the delicious fresh seafood available!  There are a lot of great restaurants to choose from but one of our favorites was Giovanni’s Fish Market.  They are known for their fish and chips served from their side window, which can get quite popular during peak times.  Luckily we were there on a weekday and there was no wait (but if you’re looking at an hour+ wait I’m not sure the fish and chips are that worth it).  Their fresh local oysters were also delicious!  And one of the best parts was enjoying our meal while watching all the boats go in and out of the harbor and around Morro Rock.   If you don’t feel like waiting for food at the takeout window, still take the time to go inside their fish market where they sell fresh seafood along with in-house smoked fish, which was really delicious and affordable.   There’s also a lot of other highly rated seafood restaurants including The Galley Seafood Bar & Grill and Tognazzini’s Dockside Too.  The town itself doesn’t have a lot of things to do, but there are places you can rent boats or kayaks.   Also if you are interested, Hearst Castle at San Simeon is only a 30 minute drive away.  Since landslides on HWY 1 have blocked access to Hearst Castle from the north it is only accessible from the south (like Morro Bay).  We didn’t have a chance to visit, though I have it on my agenda for next time.   So if you’re looking for a beautiful beach spot that’s an easy drive from San Jose, I can’t recommend Morro Strand State Beach Park enough.  Morro Bay is a wonderful little beach/fishing town with a lot to offer! Book your Airstream Browse our Airstream fleet and check dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing altogether, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is exactly how the rental process works.

Destination: Malibu, California Malibu Beach RV Park has got to be one of the prettiest full hook-up RV parks that’s near a major city.  It’s definitely one of our favorites, not only for the ocean views but also for it’s location within the exclusive and upscale town of Malibu.  It’s also only 30 minutes away from West LA and about an hour from downtown LA, making day trips into LA an easy reality (as long as you can avoid rush hour as much as possible).  If you’re looking for some beach time R&R but still want to experience a bit of city life, than this is a must-stay RV park! Getting There From our San Jose garage, Malibu Beach RV Park is about a 5.5 hour drive and thus drivable in one day (though I recommend requesting an early pick-up of noon when making your reservation to ensure you make it to Malibu before sunset).  However, if you want to break up the drive, Morro Bay or Pismo Beach are great locations to stop at the first night. Glamping at Malibu Beach RV Park This year around RV park has full hook-ups so you are truly glamping in all sense of the word.  If you want to save some dollars and don’t mind dumping at the end of your trip at their conveniently located dump station, then you can “rough it” with just a water and electrical hook-up.  Or if you want the full “small apartment living” lifestyle then you can pay the premium for a full hook-up with ocean views.  Rates range from $90-$220 during peak weekend summer season and less for weekdays or during the off-season.  See all rates here.  We definitely recommend making reservations well in advance since this is quite a popular destination. What to do there Well first thing’s first, you have to go to the beach!  It’s Malibu! There’s one that’s within walking distance from the RV park and can be seen by the ocean view RV spots.  If you don’t mind driving a bit, there are also other breathtaking state beach parks like Point Dume State Beach Reserve and El Matador State Beach. But after you tire of the sun, sand and waves there’s still a lot to do in Malibu.  We checked out the Malibu pier at sunset and had a great time taking in views, watching the fishermen, looking into the shops and ogling the menu at Malibu Farms.  I would also recommend making reservations to visit the Getty Villa to take in some ancient artifacts, art and some gorgeous architecture. If you prefer hiking there’s Topanga State Park and Malibu Creek State Park. Like I mentioned earlier, Santa Monica and Venice Beach are about a 30 minute drive south.  There are plenty of places to eat and shop there including the 4th Street Promenade in Santa Monica, or the Venice boardwalk or Abbot Kinney in Venice.  For our own trip we decided to make a day trip into downtown LA since it’s been awhile since we’ve been there.  We stopped by the Broad Museum (free entry!) and ate our way through the Grand Central Market.  We also love stopping by K-town and eating some of the best Korean food this country has to offer.  And this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to LA! Where to go next Malibu RV Beach Park is the best stop for those doing the California Coastal tour.  Go further south to San Diego (a 2.5 hour drive) or head north to Santa Barbara (1.5 hours), where we loved staying at Rincon Parkway and Jalama Beach.  If you’re done with the beach scene then head east to Joshua Tree (3 hours) for some desert scenes.  Or head northeast to Paso Robles (3.5 hours) for some great wine tasting. Book your Airstream Browse our Airstream fleet and check dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing altogether, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is exactly how the rental process works.

Destination: Lake Nacimiento When you say “lake destination” a lot of people in Northern California automatically think of Lake Tahoe.  And true, there are a lot of great campgrounds at Lake Tahoe to take your rented Airstream (we featured some here and one here).  But if you’re heading south towards Paso Robles or to the beaches near Santa Barbara, then you can still enjoy a bit of lake time at Lake Nacimiento.  Though Lake Nacimiento isn’t large, the resort located there has all the fixings needed for a fun summer lake experience!   This 18-mile long lake is located in about two hours south of San Jose.  This campground is also the site of the music/spiritual festival Lightning in a Bottle, and we have had a client rent an Airstream to dry camp there for that festival.  But we ended up visiting it during the off-season so we had the lake and campsite to ourselves, which was such a pleasure! Getting to Lake Nacimiento This lake is about a 2.5-hour drive south from our Airstream garage in San Jose, and thus is doable in one day.  It’s a straight shot on Hwy 101. Glamping at Lake Nacimiento Campground The campground here is quite large with several different campsites.  Oak Knoll is the only campground with full hook-ups and requires reservations.  It’s located near the entrance of the campground and higher up on the mountain (not lakeside).  We chose to go further down towards the lake, and camped at Pine Knoll (which had no hook-ups).  Since we were the only ones at the park (we went mid-week), we were able to choose a site that was just steps away from the lake edge.  We especially loved this lakeside campground for all the wildlife, and we saw plenty of deer and birds around our campsite.   There is a general store on-site in case you need to purchase any last-minute items.  And they have re-opened the Dragon Lake Grill, the only restaurant located within the resort.   What To Do There Since we went on a cold late autumn day we weren’t able to enjoy the number one attraction of this lake: water sports!  They have boats and water sport equipment for rental so you can enjoy such things as kayaking, waterskiing, flyboard, wakeboarding, wake surfing, paddle boarding, tubing, and jet skiing.  If fishing is more your thing, then you’re in luck!  Lake Nacimiento has a large variety of fish and plenty of fishing opportunities for the experienced fisherman.  Even newbies can enjoy themselves with a purchase of a fishing permit and supplies at the resort’s general store.  And if you’re the only one in the family not a lake-lover, there are still a multitude of hiking trails and even a 5k dog path.   Even if you’re not an outdoorsy person, this campsite is great because you also have the option of visiting several Central Coast wineries in the area.  The famous Justin Vineyard and Winery is located 20 minutes away.  Their grounds are gorgeous and they also have a restaurant serving delicious meals paired with their wines.  Kiamie Wine Cellars and several small wineries are also located nearby.  If you’re looking to grab a quick and easy meal near the campground then we highly recommend Naga café (it’s located right outside the campground). Where to go next This is a great first stop on your trip south. If you’re looking for some beach destinations, we recommend Rincon Parkway Campground, Morro Bay, or Jalama Beach.  If you want to visit some of California’s National Parks then Pinnacles is located 1.5 hours away and Sequoia National Park is 3 hours away.  Or you could head back up north and visit the Santa Cruz/Monterey KOA or Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort, both 2 hours north of Lake Nacimiento. Book your Airstream Browse our Airstream fleet and check dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing altogether, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is exactly how the rental process works.

Destination: Joshua Tree National Park If Yosemite National Park is the park to go to in Northern California, then Joshua Tree National Park is the must see park in Southern California.  True, it has some competition from Death Valley National Park, but Joshua Tree has a landscape and beauty that’s all its own.  Plus you don’t want to miss the very unique Joshua Tree for which the park is named. Getting There Since Joshua Tree National park is an almost 8-hour drive from our shop in San Jose, we suggest splitting the drive across 2 days with a pit stop on the first day at Bakersfield.  Bakersfield is about a 4 hour drive from San Jose, and that is probably the max amount of hours you want to tow, especially if it’s your first time towing an Airstream.  We stayed at Bakersfield River Run RV park, which is your standard suburban RV park with full hook-ups.  Nothing particularly exciting about this RV park, but at least you can take long hot showers, send some last minute emails, unhitch to get gas in the truck, and organize your Airstream in preparation for some dry-camping at Joshua Tree. From Bakersfield to Joshua Tree it’s another 4 hours or so.  We recommend not taking I-5 that goes through LA since driving a trailer through LA traffic is not fun and either routes through Victorville or Barstow would probably be better. Glamping at Joshua Tree There are multiple campgrounds at Joshua Tree, with 4 of them available for reservations.  We highly recommend making reservations ahead of time since the number of RV spots are limited per campground and that’s especially true if you are renting one of our larger Airstreams (25′ or longer).  Joshua Tree is also a very popular national park and thus reservations and camping spots will fill up fast.  Only two of the campgrounds, Black Rock and Cottonwood, have dumping stations and water refill stations, which is convenient if you plan to stay for awhile or end up not rationing your water well.  However, if you’re feeling confident in your water conservation skills then Jumbo Rocks (pictured below) is also a great campground and quite unique too due to the massive boulders that provide shade around the campsite.  But you can’t go wrong with any of the campgrounds at Joshua tree!    There are also multiple private RV parks outside of the national park if you can’t get a reservation or rather have some hook-ups.  And lastly, boondocking or dispersed camping is a possibility on BLM land outside of the national park, however we highly advise against doing it since you risk damaging the Airstream by driving over the unpaved and rugged land.  If you are an experienced tower and would like to try it, just please let us know ahead of time so that we may advise you on the best way to boondock. What to do there Like every national park, there are a multitude of things to do at Joshua Tree.  Our favorite activity is hiking, and there are a plethora of hikes available in this large national park.  One of our favorites was Cottonwood Springs (pictured below), where the palms in this desert oasis reach gargantuan heights. We also visited Skull Rock and Jumbo Rocks campground.  And we also drove up to Keys View to take in the sights (pictured below). There are so many things to do and places to visit within Joshua Tree, unique because it is the meeting point of 2 distinct desert biomes.  And it really is the perfect place to take the Airstream road trip you’ve been dreaming of! If the same trip takes in the theme parks, here is our Anaheim guide. Book your Airstream Browse our Airstream fleet and check dates here. Every rental comes stocked and trip-ready, and if you would rather skip the towing altogether, ask us about delivery and setup. Here is exactly how the rental process works.