Nature's Playground – Explore, Play, Unwind
December is a time of celebration and also a time of reflection as we prepare for the new year.
In this month’s column in East County Magazine, The Purple Mountain Sage offers a beneficial process to set up 2011 to be the best year ever. As you do this exercise, you reveal lessons of 2010 that you can take forward to a better life. Give it a try and let us know how it goes! Read more…
Even Weeds are beautiful!
Sunset at Sacred Rocks Reserve
Today the thermometer showed 83 degrees. A glorious spring day. No clouds or wind. Retired to my RV about 9pm, flipped the air on for 15 minutes to cool the walls, then opened the windows. As I lay there drifting into sleep I could hear the frogs saying ‘ribbit, ribbit’. In the distance the coyotes played yip-yip tag. An occasional hooting from the huge owls that roost in the Reserve. The quiet laughter of guests around their campfires. I felt the cool breeze of night gently on me and my last conscious thought was about how grateful I am for my life.
And then at 5am, that is FIVE AM, 5 o’clock in the morning, I had to wake up to come to San Diego for my son’s school function so I checked the temperature. It was 63 degrees. That is 20 degrees cooler than the daytime. O perfect weather! Did I mention that I had to wake up at 5 in the morning?
We were thinking about vacations. You know when you get on a plane and fly off to Hawaii, or cruise to Alaska, or tour the Greek Islands. And come back refreshed and glad to be in your own home, your own country and eat your own food. This year may be a hard one for people to have these kinds of vacations. The news tells us much hardship is going on. So we wanted to do something for people who are having tough times. Thus, the $200 Vacation week idea was hatched.
So you can come to Sacred Rocks and bring an RV, and spend the week for a mere $200.
400 year old oaks surround campsites with nature's beauty.
Our motto this year along with being ‘The Most Earth Friendly Park in America‘ is to offer the most ‘eco-nomical vacation’ ever.
For me, there are two kinds of vacations. The traveling vacation takes you out of your world, has you living out of a suitcase for a week or two, offers you unusual food and shopping experiences, and perhaps challenges your communication skills in other countries. Sometimes, I need to come home and ‘rest’ from the vacation. Have you ever felt like that?
The other kind of vacation, I call rejuvenation vacation, is a deliberate withdrawal of self into the quiet. Whether by yourself or with friends or family, getting into the s l o w pace of the day somehow recharges you personal energy. I believe that in the QUIET we can FEEL the natural rhythms of life, we begin to SEE the details of natural things, and our mind becomes clear. Our bodies truly REST. With rest come renewal and recreation has happened.
A traveling vacation can be exhilarating. A rejuvenation vacation can strengthen you for challenges ahead. This year, you might want to consider what you want from your vacation.
Can you tell us about a vacation that changed your life?
Yep, someone slashed our banners. We work hard, Dimitri and I, to build our business into something we are proud of, a vacation place in the beautiful outdoors. We paid hard-earned money to buy these banners announcing Vacation Cottages for Sale.
A friend peeks through the gaping slashes left by an angry lowlife.
Who would do such a thing? Who is such an angry lowlife? May the fleas of ten thousand camels rest in their body hair! May they have no rest until they make restitution. May they lose every game they play. May they be brought to justice!
Another nearby sign that advertised property for sale, owned by a real estate company, was discovered destroyed and discarded in a ravine on the same day.
We and the other party would appreciate any information regarding the person or persons who committed these willful acts of destruction and vandalism. Please contact us at 619-766-4480 or toll free at 800-703-0009. Or the San Diego County Sheriff’s office at 858-565-5200.
Vacation Cottages banner before vandalism
The last weekend in January was absolutely perfect. Clear, blue skies, 74°F degrees, not a breath of wind, balmy on your skin. The photo is of a gorgeous manzanita tree in full bloom. See the tree in its glory. A wilted branch, green new leaves and thousands of flowers blooming. Made me think of all of the bad news and our economy and our country. Changing, ever changing. Some parts wilted, some parts with new growth, and some parts just now unfolding. I hope for a blooming time in our country in the near future. In the meantime, I delight in the unfolding of our beautiful Reserve.
If anyone who visits has photos of plants in bloom in the Reserve, we will be delighted to post them.
Southern California Manzanita Tree at RV Park near San Diego, CA
The Manzanita Tree in full bloom, and the sound of a million bees.
It is an acorn, one of millions produced by our beautiful oak trees. Sunday, I was walking along and thinking peaceful thoughts when THUMP, one of these fell right on the top of my head. From about 35 feet high. So this acorn is about 1.5 inches long. Ouch!
It made me think about life in general, I mean, I was just walking along my thoughts elsewhere when suddenly I was brought into the here and now. I started asking ‘is this a wake up call?’ ‘Am I supposed to be doing something else?’ Then I wonder if this has ever happened to you?
Water – Being a Southern California native, and a Greek Djibouti East Africa native, we are concerned about water. At Sacred Rocks Reserve, some water is found at 20 feet deep, and other places like our drinking well, the water comes from aquifers that are 370 feet underground. Every quarter we test for coliforms which as I understand it, are bacteria brought by insects and animals. Each year we test for nitrites, which comes from farming operations–and we are fortunate there are none nearby. Our water is pure!
We have been told from official sources that ‘your water is purer than bottled water from ‘springs’ sold in grocery stores. So we decided to put in an ice making machine in 2006. Many people do not know that the ice we provide to our guests comes from some of the best water in California. Our ice is made from our pure water!
When remodeling the restrooms and showers 4 years ago, we decided to install tankless hot water heaters. These ultra efficient gadgets heat water on demand, instead of trying to hold a 50 gallon reservoir full of hot water 24 hours a day. We have saved hundreds of KW hours of electricity as well as hundreds of dollars. Since we installed quarter-metered showers, the amount of water used cautioned. People seem to be more careful with their quarters than with our water! The hot water on demand AND metered showers reduce our carbon footprint while saving money!
We urge water conservation techniques for all who live here, knowing that water is a gift that we must carefully use. We encourage people to cultivate plants that are native to this area or are drought tolerant in order to avoid depleting our water supplies.
We purposefully have avoided planting grass on the common areas even though it is visually appealing. It just takes too much water and wastes it.
Our showers that are located in the tenting and clubhouse area are designed to use limited water and along with the metered showers, the toilets are low flush and use less water than normal toilets.
We cannot allow the washing of cars or motor homes or trailers because limited supplies. Our 35,000 gallon tank would be empty in short order.
If you think of any more ideas for water conservation that we might use, feel free to write a comment. We welcome all feedback.
In remembering the past 6 years of grueling work, I gave thought to the many ways we have brought our Southern California RV Park to be GREEN.
One long-time guest of the park said
“I have never seen a man that works harder and longer than Dimitri [the owner along with wife, Sharon]. Day after day he is out there working in all weather, working alongside Workampers and ranch workers and hired hands. He is in the ditch with a shovel, gluing pipes together, pulling wires, driving tractors and bulldozers and excavators and mowers.”
So here I am just thinking over the many ways we have both worked to create a place for families and future generations, for nature appreciation, for conservation of resources, for quiet enjoyment of all guests, for our own future, and for our children.
Some families do things out of the ordinary.
Grandmother & Grandaughter Explore Sacred Rocks Reserve
What do you like to do with your ‘grands’?
