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August, 2019 - Issue #179

I took what might have sounded like a wishful comment from my wife as a request.

"I want to go camping at Jalama," April said in passing at some point last winter.

Jalama Beach is one of those places that draws you back. One trip inevitably leads to another. For many years, a three-day weekend stay for Memorial Day or Labor Day was always on our calendar. But life, as it often does, got busy and knocked us off our rhythm.

"While Jalama is known for its RUGGED BEAUTY, it is equally famous for its burgers served up at the campground's small store and grill. No visit is complete for us without Jalama Burgers for dinner one night."
So that simple statement conveyed a sincere desire to return to a place packed with memories and promising relaxation.

Fortunately, I picked up on her subtlety. I made reservations in December for a surprise summer weekend for the two of us. Because it had been years since our last visit, I took a day off work to extend our stay. And, by happenstance, it was the weekend after she finished teaching for the year. No kids and no work. It was promising to be a true escape.

The 107-site beachfront campground looks like any other along California's coast. The sites are basic - a picnic table and fire ring - and maybe hook-ups if you have an RV. But what Jalama lacks in luxury, it balances with location.

Sitting at the end of a winding 14-mile road south of Lompoc, it offers access to what is surely the most isolated coastal camping you'll find in Southern California. Gifted by Chevron to Santa Barbara County in the early 1940s, Jalama is surrounded by private ranchland and the undeveloped expanse of Vandenberg Air Force Base. And about half-way through that drive among rolling, oak-studded hills, you'll lose cell service.

Pristine stretches of undeveloped coastline stretch for miles away from the campground. The only way to see it is on foot, in the water, or from the Amtrak Surfliners that clack across the spindly steel bridge spanning Jalama Creek.

Walk in either direction and the beach is yours to explore. We headed south, toward Point Conception, which hooks into the horizon. Kids played in the foamy white water and damp sand near the beachfront campsites. We passed surf fisherman, surfers and dog walkers, their numbers dwindling the farther we went.

Our easy pace matched our aimless steps. No schedule or destination. Just walking to feel the sand underfoot and the mellow breeze that took the sting out of the sun. Our gaze alternated between watching for dolphins in the surf and scanning the ground hunting for interesting shells or bits of sea glass.

We wandered on until rounding a small point. We stood on the rocks and just savored the scene. The beach gently arced, forming a small bay. A line of pelicans overhead glided north. Their shadows raced along the face of the crumbling bluffs backing the beach, like fossils set in motion.

While Jalama is known for its rugged beauty, it is equally famous for its burgers served up at the campground's small store and grill. No visit is complete for us without Jalama Burgers for dinner one night.

I don't know what their secret is, but they're worth waiting for. This time it was an hour. No cause for stress, though. It was another excuse to relax at the campsite and simply anticipate the coming indulgence.

The burgers are a big, dripping mouthful, wrapped in a toasted bun and best matched with seasoned fries or house-made onion rings.

Lulled into a grease-induced coma after dinner, we lounged in our campsite. The setting sun dipped behind the headlands to the north, painting a lingering golden glow in the sky.

"We should make this a tradition every June," April said at one point.

You know what that means.
Eric Harnish lives in Castaic, which is better known for tacos than burgers.

Discover Jalama Beach
Campground
countyofsb.org/parks/reservations

Store & Grill
jalamabeachstore.com
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