Trails to Trudge: Cachuma Lake Recreation Center

I can’t remember what my original plan was when I left Morro Bay State Park early in the morning. I just started driving.  I knew I had two more nights left on the road before I had to return to the real world and get back to work.  I didn’t have a plan for those two nights but I figured something would come up.  That’s when I remembered a friend recommending Cachuma Lake Recreation Center…

I gotta be honest, not much trudging went on while I was here.  It was early October and the whole place was empty.  I had my choice of any campsite.  I picked a large, beautiful campsite right in the middle of a cliff that looked out over the lake (see pic above). I explored the area around my campsite a little bit but mostly I was excited to read and to have the place all to myself…  …I established camp fairly quickly and posted up.  The drive to the lake was pretty long but I still had most of the afternoon left to relax and get ready for the evening. I even had a little visitor (see bluejay below)…

…Before the sun went down, I took a moment to examine my surroundings and take some pictures.  The sun was shining high in the sky and the water of Cachuma seemed bluer than any body of water I had ever seen…

… My little peninsula was like a small Oasis in the mountains above Santa Barbara.  Check out the numerous pics and shots I got from different viewpoints around my campsite……Even though I didn’t do much hiking at the lake, it felt good to relax and take a few moments to myself.  I was able to finish a book, I enjoyed a fire for a couple hours and the night sky was filled with stars.  I drifted off to sleep listening to music by to the fire with the stars and moon shining high above me.  Eventually I made my way into my camper shell to settle in for the night, perfectly comfortable and at ease…