This past weekend we spent a few days at the Wheeler Gorge Campground in Ojai. It was such a great trip. There were 6 of us, plus Rusty our Chocolate Lab. Rusty loves to go camping!
http://www.rockymountainrec.com/camp/padres-wheeler-gorge.htm
We spent one day in downtown Ojai checking out all the shops. In addition, we went to the newly opened Ojai Vineyard Tasting Room. Just so happened it opened the day before we arrived. Great wine and of course we could not resist sharing a purchase of a handful of bottles with Carolyn. I can't wait to open one of those puppies up again so we all can enjoy it.
http://www.ojaivineyard.com/Tasting%20room.htm
On the next day, we decided to stay at camp. Brandon found us all a nice part along the creek where we could put our chairs. Nothing like sitting there, with your feet in the water and sipping on a cold one. We played games down there for a couple of hours or so. It was very nice and relaxing.
Each day we had a themed dinner, along with a wine tasting. Each of us brought a bottle of wine, priced from $20-$50 and in addition, Brandon and I purchased a ringer. Now you may be asking yourself, what is a ringer? It is an everyday bottle of wine that can be purchased just about anywhere at around $10-$13 or so. We narrowed the options down by keeping it in the general area, Santa Barbara County. We ate like royalty and we actually got Scott to join in on the red wine tastings. He did an excellent job and it was great to have him enjoy some of the wine with us.
Dinner 1 - Mexican Fiesta paired with Chardonnay
Chips, Salsa, Guacamole and Taquitos
Carne Asada and Shrimp Tacos
Black, Corn and Red Pepper Salad
Chateau St Jean came in 1st place and was priced at about $28
Kendal Jackson came in 2nd place and was priced at about $13 (Ringer from Costco)
Au Bon Climat came in 3rd place and was priced at about $20
Tower Brook came in 4th place and was priced at about $25
Dinner 2 - Fire Up The Grill paired with Pinot Noir
Potato Skins with Cheddar Cheese and Bacon
Grilled Steaks
Potato and Broccoli Medley
Byron came in 1st place and was priced at about $28
Taz came in 2nd place and was priced at about $25
Iron Horse came in 3rd place and was priced at about $11 (Ringer from Costco)
Hitching Post came in 4th place and was priced at about $28
Dinner 3 - Viva Italia paired with Syrah
Grilled Shrimp and Caramelized Onion Pizza
Cheese Ravioli with Spicy Sausage Sauce
Freshly Tossed Italian Garden Green Salad
Herman Story came in 1st place and was priced at about $35
Zaca Mesa came in 2nd place and was priced at about $20
Cameron Hughes Lot 135 came in 3rd place and was priced at about $10 (Ringer from Costco)
La Fenetre came in 4th place and was priced at about $20
I have not done group camping in quite a while. It brought back many memories of the old "Wagon Master" days that Brandon and I shared with my dad. I miss those times, but know that we can always start a new tradition and get back on the road sharing great experiences with each other.
This trip was a huge success. Awesome company, fabulous food and delicious wine in a beautiful environment. Next stop Table Mountain in August. I am looking forward to another successful trip and this time we will have a larger group, which is sure to add to the whole experience.
Get out and go camping!!!
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