Cali has been to Dulverton for Easter

We booked into the Exmoor House Caravan Club Site at Dulverton for Easter.  This is one of our favourite local sites as it's only about an hour's drive from home and there's so much walking from the site.  Steve met me from work on Thursday for our long weekend on Exmoor.

The weather was fabulous on Friday so we did a 14 mile circular walk.  After walking alongside the River Barle we headed across the edge of the heathland to Tarr Steps. The scenery was beautiful and we didn't see anyone else on the walk until we reached Tarr Steps - which was very busy.

Tarr Steps

The weather on Saturday was even hotter, with an amazing blue sky.  We did a 12 mile circular walk, again starting along the River Barle and walking across East Anstey Common.  On the way back we made a small diversion to the Hinam Farm Tearoom where we had the best cream tea ever!  They actually had a menu of cream teas - I chose apple and Steve chose apricot and ginger.  Definitely a tearoom to visit on future walks.

East Anstey Common

After two long walks we had an easier day on Sunday and did the shorter (six mile) Dulverton circular walk before heading back to Cali for a lazy Sunday afternoon with the papers.

Heading back into Dulverton

Pitch 66 Exmouth House

A lovely Easter holiday - fabulous weather in one of our favourite areas.

18-22 April 2019

Cali is two today!

Cali is two today and is celebrating her birthday at Dulverton (post and pictures to follow on our return).  Over the last year we've driven 6,161 miles, had several day trips, spent 61 nights at sites in Carmarthanshire, Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Gower, Somerset, Wiltshire and the Yorkshire Dales as well as journeys to visit friends and family.

We're still learning a lot and have become more creative with storage to make small space living a lot easier.  We already have many sites booked for the forthcoming year and hope to have many more Cali adventures.

19 April 2019

Cali has been to Bridport

We've been to Bridport Bingham Grange Club Site for the weekend - a new site on the Caravan Club network.  The site is still awaiting an upgrade so pitches were allocated as they are all different shapes and sizes.  The pitch we were allocated wasn't very deep but was lovely and wide with a small garden area too.  After setting up on a very cold and wet Friday afternoon, we popped to the onsite bar for a couple of drinks to dry out and warm up.

Pitch 25 Bridport Bingham Grange

We woke to a lovely sunny morning on Saturday and walked to Bridport.  After all the rain we'd had it was quite muddy walking across fields, but it was an easy walk.  We weren't sure how much walking we would be able to do from the site, so we also checked out the footpaths in the area.  There's plenty of walks to keep us busy.

Walking towards Pymore

We had another lovely morning on Sunday and spent it reading the papers and having a walk around the woodlands adjacent to the site.  We packed up just before midday and as Steve was driving off the levelling ramps I noticed something in the tyre.  It looked like the head off a bolt, but after removing it from the tyre we had a flat within about a minute!  A quick call to VW Assist and the AA came to change the tyre for us.

The site is in a lovely location, but we didn't like the layout of the toilet blocks which were quite old and dated.  We spoke to the wardens who said the site is due a major upgrade next winter when all the facilities will be improved.  With this in mind, we're going to return, but not until next year after the upgrade..

5-7 April 2019

Cali has been to Minehead

After several wet and windy weekends, we finally managed to get to the Minehead Caravan Club site for the weekend.  It's only a small site and although it's on a busy road (and our pitch backed onto the Fire Station!) it was quiet overnight.

Pitch 42 - SB enjoying Friday evening G&T

On Saturday we decided to have a look around the area to see how much walking we could do from the site - and the answer is loads.  From the site it was a 15 minute walk to the seafront and we turned left to walk to North Hill in the morning, passing the start of the South West Coast Path and the harbour.

 Start of the SW Coast Path

Minehead Harbour

After walking to North Hill we returned along the seafront towards Dunster Marshes for lunch.  After popping into town to get some fresh bread for tea we headed back to Cali for the evening.

We had a lazy Sunday morning reading the papers before heading home.  We liked the site and as it's only about an hour and a half from home, it's another good weekend site - although we would avoid the summer holidays when it would be far too busy in Minehead for us.

29-31 March 2019

Cali has been to Dawlish Warren

We had hoped to go away for the weekend again but as more storms were forecast over the weekend we stayed at home and had a day out on Monday as Steve was off work.  We decided to go to Dawlish Warren - not too far to travel and perfect at this time of year as it's not too busy (it's a place we avoid in the summer!).

In the morning we walked into Dawlish and found a new cafe, Le Cygne, which stood out amongst all the other eating places in Dawlish and had fabulous hot chocolate and cakes.

The Dawlish black swans

After a walk around Dawlish we headed back to Cali at Dawlish Warren for lunch.

Just packing away after lunch

In the afternoon we had a walk along the beach but as the sky started to look very dark, we cut short our walk and came back via the dunes path to Cali.  It was a good call as we had only been back at Cali about ten minutes when it started to pour with rain - again!

From the dunes path looking back towards Exmouth

A lovely Cali day out making the most of a (mostly) fine day.

18 March 2019

Cali has been to Wareham - again!

We wanted a weekend away so having checked the weather forecast decided that we would head east.  The Hunter's Moon Caravan Club Site is only a couple of hours from home, so Steve met me when I finished work on Friday and we drove across to Dorset.

Pitch 65 Hunter's Moon

Friday evening was blustery with showers, but Saturday was dry so we walked into Wareham for lunch.  The path through Wareham Forest wasn't too muddy although it was a bit grim walking through a couple of farm fields.  After lunch at The Old Granary we walked back to the site on a different route to avoid the fields.

Wareham Forest

The forecast for Saturday night was winds up to 65mph so we put the roof down before going to bed.  Even so, the strong winds and torrential rain woke us a few times in the night but at least we avoided any damage to the roof.  By morning it was a little calmer so after a lazy couple of hours on site we headed home, stopping off at Lyme Regis on the way back for a walk along the front.

Lyme Regis

Another lovely Cali weekend away.

8-10 March 2019

Cali has been to Stourhead and Stonehenge Campsite

It seems ages since we've been away in Cali, so were pleased to hear the forecast for the weekend was good.  It was a challenge to find a site at such short notice - not many open for the winter and also it's the start of half term but we managed to book a pitch at Stonehenge Campite which had been recommended to us.

We had an early start and visited Stourhead, a National Trust site we had wanted to visit since seeing photographs of the beautiful gardens and woodlands.  It didn't disappoint and it one of the best NT places we've visited - the gardens were beautiful (even on a grey winter day) with so many viewpoints and cute grottos.  The house was closed for the winter but there was one room open where the volunteers explained about the renovation and cleaning process for the house - they have 150 volunteers working over the winter to get the house ready for opening in the spring.

Stourhead Lake

Stourhead Lake

The Grotto

After leaving Stourhead we went to the Stongehenge site - which wasn't what we were expecting.  The pitch we had booked wasn't available so they gave us another small pitch next to the Camp Kitchen.  It was probably in a better location than the original pitch, but not one that we would have chosen as the pitches were all so close and our pitch was also used as a short cut for people using the kitchen.  The toilet blocks were basic, which is fine, but they were grubby, which isn't fine.  

Pitch 11 Stonehenge Campsite

Although the site wasn't great, it did give us a change to try the new Rainbow Screens pop-up cover, windscreen and rear window covers.  They worked really well and kept us warm whilst also reducing condensation.

16-17 February 2019