Return To Dogspitality

Back in Santa Cruz

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Did you know you’re allowed to camp in Walmart carparks? Turns out that the daughter of Wally World founder Sam Walton was a Deadhead (obsessed fan of the Grateful Dead) back in the 70s. As she and her jamband loving mates followed the music across the country they often found themselves short of a place to park, and Dad decided his caparks would do just fine. Since then, it has become an unofficial rule you can pull up, but it’s expected you buy some goods. Thankfully in a store that sells everything from abacuses to zippers, that’s not a problem. Shieldsy now comes armed with a BB gun, and takes great delight on scoping his sights on the unsuspecting whenever we pull over for a wee break.

I gotta problem with my Obamamobile, no not the dart. Pic Shield

Back at Walmart, carpark camping is great unless the local council has overruled it, and just our luck, the first time we try to sleep at Sam’s Club we get booted the hell out. With this being the Labor Day long weekend this could have been a problem, but somehow we found a midnight RV lot (NOT a trailer park, more a campsite with buses instead of tents), and unleashed the smelly mob on the communal showerblock for the first time in days. After a solid night’s sleep, and after reacquainting themselves with soap it was a fresh team who went hunting the next day.

The shower scene, featuring Dean Bowen. Pic Shield

We ended up back in Santa Cruz, where Skindog forced us to come explore the local redwood forests with him. After the cheese of urban beachside SC, it was nice to head inland and walk in the woods. There are a lot of retired boho folk in these parts, and the kombis, health food stores and smoothie stalls definitely reminded the boys that America isn’t all vanilla Cali drive thru mania, there are people with some substance kicking around, breathing in the fresh air.  Having said that, it was nice to undo all the spinach frittatas with greasy Mexican back at the pier afterwards, washed down with a serving of bowling, and a side of arcade games.

Waves? We got some, and there are plenty more on the way. New nor-west swell is filling in as we speak, and the next few days are looking the goods. Keep you posted.

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