Gray Skies Don’t Leave Beach-Goers Feeling Blue

Overcast skies and unseasonably cool weather haven’t kept Ventura’s campgrounds from filling this Memorial Day weekend.

By Saturday morning, the campgrounds were jammed with people looking for a little holiday relaxation.

“The weather doesn’t stop a lot of people,” said state park ranger James Grennan. “If it’s pouring rain, they’ll sit out here and camp.”

No major rainstorms are forecast for the rest of the weekend but the National Weather Service reported that showers are possible this morning. Clouds will burn off by the afternoon and temperatures will hit a high of 70. Monday’s weather will be similar.

Dara Song of Lakewood said he didn’t care about the weather when he arrived at Emma Wood State Beach on Saturday with a group of 50 from his church. The group set out early in the morning, determined to spend a weekend at the beach relaxing, fishing and worshiping the Lord.

“We do this every year but this is our first time here,” said Song. “Our pastor thought this was a good idea because we all like to fish.”

Just a few miles south at McGrath State Beach, Leonard Totta reeled in his first catch of the weekend, a 1-foot corbina. The Sylmar resident revealed his fishing secret: blood worms from Maine.

“We’ve got the bait the fish like,” said Totta. “They’re killer.”

Totta has been bringing his family to the Ventura campground for 10 years. The “clean living” appeals to Totta and his three sons.

“You get to fish, swim and hang out at camp,” said Sean Totta, 13.

But the family was disappointed to arrive at their favorite campground and find that nearly 40 sites had been closed for the weekend due to flooding from the Santa Clara River. To relieve the overflow, the state park system opened the parking lot of San Buenaventura State Park to RV campers.

Randy Munson of Sylmar was also upset when he found out earlier in the week that his reservation for a campsite at McGrath had been canceled because of the flooding. After all, said Munson, he had secured the spot for his and four other families in January.

But Munson was still able to claim a good site, with plenty of room for the three RVs the group needed. Although they brought the motor homes to the site Thursday, the families didn’t arrive until the following day.

By lunch Saturday, everyone was in full holiday swing. Even the cloudy skies didn’t bring Munson down.

“I like the weather up here because it’s not brutally hot,” he said. “I’d rather have it like this than be in 105 heat.”

In fact, Munson had plenty planned for his clan.

“We’re going to the beach today. Tomorrow, we’re going to the harbor,” said Munson. “And Monday, we’ll just take it easy.”

His daughter, Tessa, 7, spent the moments before digging into salami sandwiches drawing pictures. She and best friend Vanessa Lanuza had spent the morning playing in their makeshift treehouse and were ready for an afternoon at the beach.

Besides boogie-boarding and marshmallow roasting, Tessa said the duo have been looking forward to spending their second Memorial Day weekend at McGrath because they get to “play with each other.”

Indeed, playing seemed to be the top priority for all campers.

“There’s not that many states that have oceanfront property but we do,” said Grennan, a ranger for the Ventura area. “It gives people an opportunity to get away. It’s their backyard and they come out and use it.”