[Tynor] Hook ups! That was the name of our night at San Luis Reservoir. We enjoyed our night with the luxuries that we are supposed to have (water, electricity, AND propane). But getting there wasn’t as easy. We went to the wrong campsite, but someone that was there told us where to go. Then we found the right spot.[Stacia] Wind! They weren’t kidding when they said tents weren’t recommended for this
campground. Wow, was it windy. It was about 95 degrees and blowing with what felt like gale force when we finally arrived at the right San Luis campground with the coveted hookups. The first one we drove in to was tucked away in the hills and had hot showers but no electricity/water at the sites. This one (where I had the reservation) is right on the reservoir and has the hookups, but only drop toilets. I guess they figure people who camp here generally have RVs or 5th wheels, to survive the wind. I can understand why. The popup shook in the wind for hours last night. For once we didn’t have a party going on next door, but the wind kept waking me up as the canvas walls flapped and the whole popup shuddered. Yikes!Fortunately after our late arrival, the boys were all so tired they went right to sleep. It was so warm when we went to bed, we didn’t want covers. But it cooled off dramatically by the wee hours of the morning and I was up unrolling sleeping bags and tucking in more blankets on kiddos so we could all stay warm.
By morning, the wind had died way down, thankfully. We could sit outside without everything immediately blowing away. It was cooler until the sun came up and then the temperature began a steep climb back to the 90’s. As Tynor and I packed up the popup, Cory happily played with the water spigot and got soaked. Any and all water felt great in those temps! Tynor and Niall joined in at the end, so everyone had a quick change of clothes before we hit the 
road for another day of driving.
On our way up from San Diego, we hit horrible traffic in San Clemente as I mentioned (yet another accident - they sure are prevalent in the LA area) and had only gotten to Burbank by the time we were pushing the limits for a lunch break. I finally just picked an exit where I could see signs for a big mall (yes, desperate at that point), found a gas station just off the exit and filled up the car. Then started driving in search of the mall - and within a few blocks, spotted a 
big park next to the road. Yippee! Shade, grass, drinking fountains, open space for running around. Felt like I hit the jackpot. :-) It was hot as blazes but not half bad under the trees. Still, after our usual deli sandwiches and some running around, it felt good to get back into the car with the air conditioning.Later, as dinner hour arrived and we were still on the road, we stopped at McDonald’s in some little town off I-5 for dinner - a not-uncommon event on this trip. Not my favorite (especially after this trip!) but sometimes predictable food that everyone can eat and that you can find at nearly any exit is what you need to get by until the next campground. Unfortunately, this place didn’t have the “predictable” part down very well. Halfway through my cheeseburger, Tynor pointed out that it was rather pink inside. Yech! I took it back and they made me a new one – which was just as pink in the middle. And I noticed that Cory’s plain hamburger (which he’d eaten most of) was also pink. Unbelievable, since these hamburgers weren’t the quarter-pounders – just the regular tiny burgers. How much grill power does it take to cook 1/8 inch burger all the way through?? Especially when someone points out that whatever you’re using isn’t enough.
I marched back to the counter with the undercooked burgers, told them that I wasn’t interested in trying again but just wanted my money back and the information required to report them to McD’s corporate office. They were slightly concerned that I was upset but NOT that the burgers were pink, and who knows how many others that night were as well. Didn’t seem the least alarmed that they were violating the health code – repeatedly. Oh, well. I was tired and probably more freaked out that I should have been. But really, contracting E. Coli (for me or Cory) would NOT be a great way to spend the next few days on the road.
With picking the wrong campground (in the dark, with minimal signage off a busy highway mind you), and then having to backtrack, go to the right one, and drive all the way in to the sites, we didn’t even start setting up until after 9:30 p.m. At least it was warm, and everyone had already eaten, so spirits were generally good. Some of our other later-evening arrivals haven’t been quite so cheerful (Harris Beach comes to mind). But we’re getting pretty quick at setup now, so that helps too.
I marched back to the counter with the undercooked burgers, told them that I wasn’t interested in trying again but just wanted my money back and the information required to report them to McD’s corporate office. They were slightly concerned that I was upset but NOT that the burgers were pink, and who knows how many others that night were as well. Didn’t seem the least alarmed that they were violating the health code – repeatedly. Oh, well. I was tired and probably more freaked out that I should have been. But really, contracting E. Coli (for me or Cory) would NOT be a great way to spend the next few days on the road.
With picking the wrong campground (in the dark, with minimal signage off a busy highway mind you), and then having to backtrack, go to the right one, and drive all the way in to the sites, we didn’t even start setting up until after 9:30 p.m. At least it was warm, and everyone had already eaten, so spirits were generally good. Some of our other later-evening arrivals haven’t been quite so cheerful (Harris Beach comes to mind). But we’re getting pretty quick at setup now, so that helps too.
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