No Vacancy at Most Campsites

Most of the RVs parked bumper to bumper along the Rincon Parkway north of Ventura had slipped in Wednesday, but--miracle of miracles--Burton and Betty Johnson rolled up Friday morning and found a newly vacated space.

This time, the late bird got the worm.

Across the county in RV parks and campsites, high gas prices, coastal gloom and energy crises were mere speed bumps on the road to relaxation on Friday as the Memorial Day weekend arrived.

“We didn’t think we had a chance, but we crossed our fingers,” said Betty Johnson of Valencia as their German shepherd, Lexzee, pulled at her leash with clear designs on a dip in the ocean. “We’re really surprised.”

Elsewhere, though, there seemed to be few surprises, down to the weather forecast--warm with some coastal fog.

“Everything from points south of the Mexican border is pretty much full-up this weekend,” said Wes Chapin, a spokesman for the California State Parks’ Channel Coast District. He said the only chance for most of those heading to a state park now is a day trip.

It’s a similar situation in Los Padres National Forest, said spokeswoman Kathy Good.

“There are two classes of people: those who book months and months in advance, and people like me, who say ‘Hey, let’s go camping’ and get shut out.”

But one bright spot may be Camp Comfort.

Lori Shouten and Inez Robles were happy to find that the campground near Ojai has reopened as a publicly-operated campground after getting a quickie face-lift from county parks workers. The Ventura mothers were even more thrilled when park host Bob Welch showed them two oak-shaded sites that were still available at noon Friday.

“We struck out at the beach campsites and we were going to go to Lake Casitas,” Shouten said. “But on the way, Inez said we should check out Camp Comfort. We really lucked out.”

County supervisors severed a 30-year contract with the park’s private leaseholder earlier this year, saying he had allowed the grounds to fall into disrepair, an allegation the former operator disputes.

The private operator did not vacate the park until May 1, so county workers had less than a month to prepare for the holiday weekend, said Pam Gallo, park operations supervisor.

Crews trimmed trees, removed crumbling asphalt, repaired toilets and repaved the parking area.

Future plans include renovating barbecue pits, upgrading showers and bathrooms and restoring a clubhouse for dances, weddings and family gatherings, Gallo said.

John Gorham, 38, of Thousand Oaks, was first in line when the park reopened Thursday.

Bulldozers were still pushing dirt around and picnic tables were not delivered until Friday, he said.

“There’s still some work to do,” said Gorham, who brought his extended family for tent-camping through the weekend. “But the rangers have all been very helpful.”

Few camping out this weekend seemed to be particularly concerned by gasoline prices, and according to a study by the Automobile Club of Southern California, residents are hitting the road in greater numbers than last year.

The California Highway Patrol was bracing for their arrival on the freeways.

In Ventura County, a “maximum force”--75% or more of the county’s officers--was assigned weekend duty, keeping an eye out for speeders, tailgaters and drunk drivers, Officer Dave Webb said.

There will be a sobriety checkpoint somewhere in the county this weekend, but Webb would not say where. Webb also said that drivers should be prepared for power blackouts, reminding drivers that when traffic signals go out, all stops are four-way.

Over in the “low-rent district” of the Rincon, with ocean views partly blocked by a wall, latecomers--that is, those who got in later than Wednesday morning--expounded on gas prices.

Fred Fisher had come in from Florida to visit friends and attend a retirement party. As gas prices bumped up as he headed west, he began to get nervous.

“I got here and I almost cried,” he said. “I almost turned around and went back.”

But gas prices were the last thing on Barbara Bright’s mind. Getting out of the Lancaster heat was her No. 1 priority.

“It’s a lot cooler,” she said. “We’ll take the breeze.”