Ralphie Rough Road

The beach camping continues. In case you missed Part I, click here.

A short two day stopover at Brazoria Beach proved that not all days at the beach are perfect weather. Both days were foggy, overcast, and cooler. But they were also uneventful, which was fine with us.

Ralphie’s First Ferry Ride

After our quick stop over, we proceeded onward through Galveston where Ralphie’s first ferry ride awaited. The ferry crossing from Galveston to the Bolivar Peninsula was pretty cool. This ferry is completely free. Yes you heard right. Free! Lucky for us after two overcast days at the beach, the day of the ferry crossing was sunny and beautiful.

Bolivar Beach

Now you can get jealous because this was a true gem. This is what beach camping should be like. With a wide expansive beach and plenty of room between your rig and the Gulf. It was quite spectacular. We chose the very end spot and had a ton of room all to ourselves.

When the tide went out a much larger portion of the beach was exposed. I loved how this inlet of water would narrow with the outgoing tide and become wide and fill in with high tide. I also enjoyed watching the birds as they searched for food. This is the kind of beach camping we were looking for. Not to mention the sand here was hard packed with no concern of getting stuck.

I practiced yoga on the beach overlooking the Gulf and felt connected with all that was around me. Along with recording a few yoga classes to share on my YouTube channel. They were some of my favorite backdrops thus far.

Then one morning I woke up before sunrise and took advantage of the early morning light. It was pure magic to watch the sunrise over the water.

Even the sun setting over the dunes was beautiful. Plus we were treated to a full moon over the water. I could have stayed here forever.

I quite literally had the perfect day here.

This place was a pile of awesomeness! I felt such gratitude for the opportunity to truly enjoy it.

Rutherford Beach

As if Bolivar Beach wasn’t awesome enough, our first stay in Louisiana proved to be truly special as well. Another gem for beach camping.

This place was amazing with jetty rocks set up to separate some of the camping spots from the Gulf of Mexico. After our first beach camping experience of being so close to the water, it was nice to have that separation. Yet you could still hear the waves crashing on shore in the distance. The best of both worlds. Here we spent some time cleaning out the rig. During which Josie thought she was getting a new bed.

To top things off, I celebrated my birthday here with absolutely perfect weather. This January birthday girl from the Midwest was very happy to be celebrating on the beach with warm weather. We went for walks on the beach and sat outside truly enjoying this special place.

If you are playing the flip side of the beach camping bingo card you can mark off the following. Beautiful weather day(s), stunning sunrises & sunsets, yoga on the beach, hammock time, the perfect day, and a fabulous birthday on the beach.

Tips For Beach Camping

After spending five weeks camping on the beach for the first time, we walked away with additional knowledge under our belt. Here are a few tips to make your beach camping experience the best possible.

• Lower tire pressures for really loose sand.
• Know your tide levels.
• Keep an eye on the weather.
• Select beaches that are wider, giving you plenty of room between the dunes and the water.
• Wind and salt water will wreak havoc on your rig and vehicle. Rust is a real issue and it happens quite fast.
• Expect less than ideal conditions that may force you inside at times. Wind, rain, and cooler temperatures are all possible. As well as storms.
• Most of all, enjoy your time. The sound of waves, a light breeze, sunrises &/or sunsets, the wildlife, and the absolute serenity of being at the beach.

In case you are wondering, yes we would most certainly camp at the beach again despite the challenges that we faced. The wonderful days more than made up for the challenging ones.