In an attempt to eke out the last camping of the season we reserved as spot just south of us in Pescadero near Half Moon Bay at Butano State Park.

The sun set pretty quickly so even though we got there about 5 p.m. in the red woods it was pitch black. We set up the tent and made of a fire.

While we were cooking we heard a rustling, turned the headlamps to the table and saw a raccoon stealing Sunchips not three feet from us. We shooed it off but we’re pretty sure it hung around right outside the firelight waiting for another chance to attack.

Raccoons are bastards.

In the morning we confirmed that it was very red-woody.

With plenty of newts and banana slugs.

We drove into the village a few times to get firewood and coffee. Some of these little off-the-beaten-track places can be sort of weird but this one had good vibe. The gas station was also a taqueria but we’d brought food to cook and took a pass.

We passed this roadside shrine as we drove in and out of the park. It was early November so I couldn't tell if is was a memorial for car accident or a dia de los muertos alter or both.

Sunday we went into town for awhile, ate at the Half Moon Brewery and checked out the crab pots that were qued up for the season.

While it was a full house over the weekend by Sunday night we were alone in the campground. And boy did it get really dark, really fast. What made it truly spooky was the screaming call of some terrible night bird that would break the silence just about the time we’d start to relax.

Eventually we went to sleep, just about dawn I’d woken up to the sound of rain on the tent. I slept in hoping it might stop but around 8 a.m. we decided to get up and pack the tent and head for home.

Camping in November is about as far into fall as you can push it without really starting to deal with weather and taking on horrible night screeching by yourself I guess.