Day 109 – We were up before 8 a.m. & got that final load of laundry done. 33 degrees and clear out. The chores are just about done, so we’re checking out today and going a short distance to Brannan Island State Recreation Area/State Park near Rio Vista. Before we leave, we’re getting the RV (and car) washed at a drive-thru truck wash – both are pretty dirty from being on the road. (One of the rules at all the Parks we’ve been to is that you cannot use Park water to wash your vehicles. Understandable.)
22 miles
Flag City RV Resort, 6120 W. Banner Road, Lodi, CA 95242, (209) 339-8300 or (866) 371-4855, www.flagcityrvresort.com. Check-in time after 12 noon or before (when reserved site is available). Check-out time is 11 a.m. This was our first large-scale, independent resort, parking lot style, RV Park. It was much better than expected. If we do happen to stay at an independent, we always look for something with privacy, in the woods, or something more resembling a State Park. In no way did this Park appear to be that kind of campground. Yet, the experience was good overall. Yes, there were row after row of medium to extremely large RVs, 5th-Wheel Trailers, Travel Trailers, and Class C Motor Homes parked all in a line near the quite noisy Interstate 5 Freeway. But they were not crowded in there; sites were large and wide and there was a tree in between each RV – an obligatory tree without leaves because it was winter, LOL, but a tree, nonetheless. The diesel engines from the trucks and/or the larger RVs were running non-stop quite often. But the people were quiet & polite and people cleaned up after their dogs, (sometimes at the public parks, people are jerks & don’t do that). The amenities were excellent and even without the 50% discount we got thru Passport America, they were less expensive than other Parks in the area. There were 3 laundry facilities; the one we used was spotless. The staff at the front office and around the Park were extremely nice. Trash is picked up at each site daily if you leave it out by the curb before 10 a.m. Full hook-ups, and again, everything is spotless. We had site E19, assigned by Park personnel – they listened to the size of the RV and the kind of vehicle you towed, then assigned a space based on your size. Ours was 65 feet long. Plenty of room for us but would’ve been too small for one of the larger Motor Homes. A good experience. We would definitely stay here again, especially when passing through for 1 to 3 days. Located near Lodi, 35 miles south of Sacramento, and in the middle of excellent birding.
We left Flag City at 11 a.m., but it was 11:30 before we got gas & had the RV & car washed. They are shiny & clean once again. We drove a short distance to Brannon Island State Recreation Area/State Park (SRA), arriving at 11:55 a.m., 55 degrees & sunny. They don’t take reservations this time of year, so we just drove through, and the site we’d picked out when previously here scouting out campgrounds was still available. Site #32, an excellent campsite, was overlooking a tributary of the Sacramento River, with a large “back yard” (lots of room to spread out between us and the River). We set up the chairs for later, unpacked, and walked to the Campground Manager’s site to pay for three nights. We don’t know how long we’ll be here, but that’s a start. $29 per night which includes $2 senior discount. No hook-ups. Water available next to our site at a spigot. Dump station. No one camping anywhere near us (only three others camping in this campground) but the campground with water & electric hook-ups was about 2/3 full when we were here 2 days ago. Full sun on the dashboard; the girls immediately settled in once Rob found them all. (It appeared that they got a bit freaked out when we drove through the RV wash and two cats were hiding under the covers on the bed & didn’t want to come out. We found that fresh dry food solved that problem!)
We had lunch & spent a couple of hours outside overlooking the River. Very nice. We do like it here so far. The cats are unsure. It appears there’s a stray cat problem here. Or maybe someone owns them all and allows them to roam free. They certainly look healthy and well-fed. But the girls are unsure why they see cats outside sometimes when they look outside the windows. We are so glad we don’t let them outside. Cat fights would not be good.
A beautiful sunset tonight. 61 degrees and sunny today. And since there’s no one around us, we can leave the shades & drapes open and enjoy the outdoors. Another reason we prefer non-busy Parks. Tomorrow should be a day of exploring the area & birdwatching. Oh boy.