Neighborhood Watch

It turns out, that perhaps Easter week is not the best week to vacation without reservations.  After spending one night at a KOA campground, we got up early determined to get a spot at New Brighton State Beach.  We arrived at 10am to a campground waitlist already 16 deep.  Come back at 2pm and we will let you know if there is room at the inn.  While waiting in the day use area, we decided to check for openings at the nearby Seacliff State Beach.  Seacliff was holding a lottery, come back at 12:30 for the drawing. Bill was holding lucky number 5.

Bill rode the motorcycle to Seacliff at 12:30 and we got a spot right on the beach.  It is what we call “parking lot” camping but we had a campsite and you know the saying “a bird in the hand, is worth two in the bush”.  We loaded up the motorcycle and drove the 1 1/2 miles down the road and pulled into our spot.

There are no hookups, just a piece of asphalt with white lines defining our spot.  However, the view from our front window is fabulous.

The waves crashing against the shore lulled us to sleep, until about 3am when there was a new sound. I awoke to Bill barking out the window at two men rifling through our neighbor’s stuff, stealing a chair and something else that looked like a small ice chest.  The men ran off and Bill called the police.  A patrol car soon showed up to investigate and the neighbors came out to investigate the lights and noise.  Fortunately, the men ditched the contraband when Bill yelled at them, so all property was accounted for.

This morning the park ranger stopped by to get the story and thanked Bill for calling the police.  He said the thieves have become very brazen, stealing a generator and bicycles in broad daylight.  He wished they had more budget so they could patrol the campground more aggressively.  Not to worry about our small stretch of campground because Bill has warned all the neighbors, both old and new.  He is now taking a nap because being the neighborhood watch captain is hard work.

My 3 Fun Facts:

1. Seacliff is one of California’s first state beaches founded in 1931.
2. New Brighton, once known as China Beach or China Cove, was the site of a Chinese fishing village during the 1870s and 1880s.
3. Put all your stuff away when you go to bed.