Every summer, for the past 10 years, we’ve been camping for 3 or 4 nights at the South Carlsbad State Beach. It’s our ‘end of summer’ tradition of sorts. Last year we skipTypically, you have to book your stay 7 months in advance… so, if you want to stay in August, you call on February 1st at 8am to get your spot. This is a very popular campground and the sites for the summer months usually sell out within 10-15 minutes. Somehow, we’ve always been lucky enough to get some dates booked. A few years ago, they started taking reservations online through the ReserveAmerica.com web site. We’ve had good luck with that method of booking for the past 3 years… until this year. Let me entertain you with our 2009 camping nightmare. This is a long read, but if you like feeling someone else’s pain, please take the time. Sit back, grab a beverage, and have a chuckle at my expense.

If you’re looking for photos, sit tight please. I haven’t had any time to process what shots I had a chance to take. You’ll have to check back later for those.

Day 0: Sunday

Check-in day… we’re all excited and have everything packed into the RV. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that. We usually just throw up some tents in our campsite and “rough it” when we camp there. I use the term “rough it” very loosely as there are restrooms and showers on premises, but for us, this is camping. This year, since we have Brody with us, we decided to rent an RV for the trip to make it a little more bearable for a 14-month-old. We got a great deal on a private rental from a friend-of-a-friend. We picked it up the previous night and spent the morning getting it all ready. So, back to the story: all packed up now, we’re rolling down Interstate 5 South to our destination.

Melanie’s sister is already there and calls us up to mention that someone is already in our reserved spot. What? How can this be? Her sister must have been looking at the wrong site. Mel asks her to go to the entrance and find out what’s going on. A few minutes later, she calls us back and relays the message from the campground staff that our name is nowhere to be found on their list of reservations. Worry starts to set in at this point. Melanie calls up Reserve America and gets someone on the line. Apparently, our reservation was canceled due to “non payment”. AHHHHH!!! Panic ensues now.

That’s impossible!! I was just logged into their web site a few days ago looking for a possibly better spot to open up. I saw the “Current Reservations” section, and it was listed right there: Check-in 8-16, check-out 8-19. Something had to be wrong.

After the final 15 miles of stressful driving, we arrived at the camp check-in booth. No use in complaining to them about the problem with Reserve America, the campground staff doesn’t have anything to do with that. I explained our predicament, and luckily they had one site available for us but we could only have it for one night. The way it works when you want to extend your stay, you have to wait in line in the morning for a “walk up” reservation. They suggested that I get in line at 6am, and wait for the booth to open at 8am, and my 9am you’ll know for sure if you get a spot.

We then found our spot, and set up our camp. Here is what was involved for me to “set up our camp”:
Back in the RV and get it level using wood blocks. Set up the tent for Lauren. Put out the awning on the RV. Put out area rug. Put out folding tables. Put up ez-up sun shade. Put out play pen for Brody. Clear off sleeping areas in the RV (used for storing gear while driving).

Combined, this took about 2 hours or more to complete. Once the set up was done, we started cooking dinner. By the time we finished eating, I was beat and it was time to crash. That’s about when Brody was all cranky and whiny. Did I mention that he’s teething with some mean molars coming in? Yeah, that’s loads of fun at home, let alone on a camping trip. He did not sleep very well that night, waking up every couple of hours probably freaking out from being in an unfamiliar place. When he woke up at 5:30am, I figured I would just head down to the check-in booth to get in line since I was up anyway.

Day 1: Monday

5:45am I ride my bike to the check-in booth to find that I am the first one there. I set up my chair and bust out the iPhone to catch up on emails and read some news to pass the time. 6:20am this older guy rolls up on his bike and gets in line next to me. He was a cool guy, and kept me entertained with all of his stories of RV trips, including one where he drove to Fairbanks, AK and back in a 3 month, 10,000 mile trip… engine replacement and all. I even let him use my chair since he was tired of standing and I was tired of sitting. I’m bummed that I never go this name or camp number.

While I waited, I used my iPhone to log into the ReserveAmerica.com site and checked the “Current Reservations” page. Up, there was my reservation… right there for me to see. Wait, there is a word just below the reservation ID… ‘Canceled’. I don’t think they could have made it less obvious. I never received any notice or warning from them that we were going to lose the reservation. But, more on that at the end of my story.

At 8:05am, the line of campers grew to about 10 or so… the booth worker opens up shop and announces that there are only two sites available. I approach since I’m first in line and he changes his tune to say that there is only one site available. Since there is already someone in it, I would have to wait for that person to possibly renew for another night. They have until 9am to do so. Seated back in my chair, the worker announced that there was actually only one site available and that I would be waiting for it until 9am. The crowd slowly dispersed, the old guy gets onto his bike looking depressed. I tell him I’m sorry and that it’s a bummer he couldn’t get a site. He agreed and rode off.

9am rolls around, and I start writing my check out. The worker tells me he had misread his notes and says there is another site available… site #2, it’s on the beach side, and it’s already open and ready for us to move our gear to. Sweet… check signed and handed over. To make it even sweeter, he then tells me that it’s available for a second night, all I need to do is renew by 9am the next day.

Now I’m riding back to our camp on a cloud. We can move today and not have to worry about moving again until we are ready to leave. When I get back to camp, we are presented with a choice: either keep site #2 that we just got, or take #26 for the next two nights. #26 became available after Mel’s sister was booted from camp for having been too loud and annoying the previous night. Mel and I decide to keep #2 since it’s close to the camp store and to stairs down to the beach. I thought of the old guy that chatted it up with me in line waiting for open camp sites… I kicked myself for not getting his name or site number. He could have had a site, if it weren’t for the foolish staff.

After breakfast, I do the camp tear-down. To simplify the explanation, just reverse the “camp set up” list above.

We arrive at site #2, and I begin camp set up, again. This time I stake down and tie down Lauren’s tent so it’s nice and secure. Since her and her cousin will be in it for two nights, I figured it would be worth it. We were able to enjoy some time at the beach while Brody napped in the RV and Mel’s mom babysat for us. She was a huge help with Brody since Mel and I were always occupied with something. We had a great grilled tri-tip roast for dinner that night and hit the sack.

Brody didn’t do well that night, even worse than the night before. This night, he vomited all over his portable crib… I mean a lot! He was up every few hours again, but I didn’t worry too much since I didn’t need to be up early the next morning.

Day 2: Tuesday

Made some coffee in the morning, and at 8:40am I walked over to the check-in booth and said I was there to renew site #2. Different worker this morning… she said “No, sorry. You cannot do that since we have a reservation coming in today for #2″.

My jaw hit the floor. I explained what I was told the previous day, and the worker said that I should not have been told that and I should have been in-line early for the chance at a “walk up” reservation. I was so pissed at this point that I didn’t know what to say. They had a site opening up that we could move to, oddly enough, it was site #26. I guess the group that was in that site was too noisy the previous night and were not allowed to renew. Trying hard, I asked if the incoming campers for our site could instead take site #26 and let us stay in #2. No deal… they could not let us do that. We could wait and ask that person, but we could not stay in the site.

After I walked back to the RV and explained the situation to Mel and her mom, we considered just packing up and going home. It’s funny, we should have just taken site #26 the when it was offered and we wouldn’t be in this situation. I guess we couldn’t cry over spilled milk at this point.

We decided to stay and stick it out. I know the girls were dying to have more fun down and the beach, and I went to get a rental surf board for Lauren that I’d promised them. I started to tear-down the camp, once again. Then drove everything over to site #26. This time I was only  going to set up the minimal stuff at the next site. Lauren and her cousin agreed to sleep in the two-person tent, without the air mattress. This saved a lot of time. No ez-up sun shade this time.

Again, I told Mel to take the girls down to the beach so that they could get into the water and do some surfing. Mel’s mom stayed behind with me and handled Brody while I set up the minimal camp. After that was done, I helped Brody get to sleep for his nap. When he was out, I grabbed my surf board and went down to the beach. This is the 3rd day we were there, and the first time I touched the water. The surf sucked, but I didn’t care. The water was warm and it was relaxing to get out there.

We spent a few hours down at the beach. This was the only time I can safely say that I had fun on the whole trip.

Day 3: Wednesday

Time to tear down camp and pack up to go home. After dropping off Lauren and her cousin at home, we got to our place and started unloading the RV, then cleaned it up and returned it.

Moving every day to a new site, toddler barfing and teething, and a wicked sunburn. I felt like I needed a vacation after my vacation!!

Some suggestions for the folks that run the ReserveAmerica.com web site

If my reservation is not confirmed:

• Consider perhaps sending an email to me after a certain amount of time has elapsed so that I am aware that if I don’t pay the fees within the next X hours, my site will be returned to inventory.
• Consider making it more apparent on the web site when I log in.
  • Maybe an alert on the main page after login?
  • Definitely a bright orange or yellow background color on the ‘unconfirmed’ reservation that is listed under the “Current Reservations” page.

If my reservation has been canceled:

• Consider perhaps sending an email to me to notify me of said cancellation.
• Consider making it more apparent on the web site when I log in.
  • Maybe an alert on the main page after login?
  • Definitely a bright red background color on the ‘canceled’ reservation that is listed under the “Current Reservations” page.

Moral of this story… if you use ReserveAmerica.com to book your campsites for a family vacation that includes money spent on renting an RV: check the fine print when you make your reservation and call afterward to make sure that it is confirmed. Don’t trust their web site as it appears they have no automated notification system to alert you when you’re about to lose your reservation.