Written By: Liz Voosen
But Where Will You Park It ?
I’ve had oodles of fun over the years taking my Pleasure Way from the West Coast to the East Coast, up north and down south. We’ve been all over, and it’s been a wonderful adventure. But when I’m not traveling, my home base is Los Angeles, California.
And being in Los Angeles, of course, parking is always on my mind!
Most RVs aren’t equipped for city life—they’re big, bulky, and hard to park. But the Pleasure Way has a small footprint and can mostly fit in a regular parking space. It has a good turning radius and great cameras. I’m currently driving an Ontour 2.2, which is almost 22 feet long, similar in length to many larger pickup trucks, and a foot narrower than the standard 8 foot wide RV.
My family uses the Pleasure Way for day trips around Los Angeles and also as an extra daily driver vehicle.
So I thought it’d be fun to show you some of the things we like to do around town. It might give you some ideas next time you’re coming through Southern California, and it also might inspire you to be bold, drive deep into an urban area and feel confident in your parking abilities.
Iconic Sightseeing Adventure
What’s a trip to Los Angeles without seeing the Hollywood sign? We opted to see it not from the standard Griffith Observatory viewpoint, but instead from the smaller and, in my view, more fun Runyon Canyon Park. This 160 acre park in the Santa Monica Mountains includes a gorgeous hike in the Hollywood Hills, with views stretching from the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, sweeping across Los Angeles to downtown and to the Hollywood sign perched on the hills.
To get there, we drove down twisty, scenic Mulholland Drive with stunning views of the city, the San Fernando Valley, and multimillion-dollar homes.
There’s a small dirt parking lot at the top of the canyon hike. Although sometimes very busy, we were able to get a nice spot—just a short walk to the gate of the hiking trail, and we were on our way to one of the most scenic viewpoints in Los Angeles. The weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and there was a gentle breeze off the ocean. Runyon Canyon is also an off-leash dog area, so you can bring your dog on this excursion.
The scenic overlook provided great photo opportunities. For us, this was a quick hike—we spent maybe an hour total (including standing around looking at the view). But if you decide to explore more of the trails, or if this is one stop in a long day, having the van for a snack, a rest break, and a good drink of water afterwards is sure handy.
Beach Time
The Pacific Ocean is a quick side trip from just about anywhere in LA. Today we went to Will Rogers State Beach, just north of Santa Monica. Almost all LA beaches have ample parking for a Pleasure Way. We paid a $9.00 fee to get in. I find the fee can vary based on who’s at the gate—I usually say we’re a van conversion and we can pay the car rate, but sometimes they charge us a higher RV rate. We usually take bets on which we’ll get and just make a game out of it. Today we got the car rate! Either way, we get a great parking spot at the beach, steps from the sand.
It’s fall now, and the fishing is pretty good in the ocean—the water is warm and the fish are biting. Zach brought his fishing gear, hoping for surf perch, while I roamed the shoreline and took photos of pelicans. We even spotted dolphins! After splashing in the water, we cleaned up in the van. I love the convenience of having all the comforts of home just steps from the sand.
Urban Shopping
The next day: some urban shopping. As you can see in the photo, parking the Pleasure Way in a parallel parking spot on a main road is entirely doable. Here’s a tip: look for a parking space at the end of the row —it just makes it easier, although I do park mid-row when there’s enough space.
At this shop on Melrose, we were looking for a new chair. This area is well-known for its home goods and trendy clothing stores—it’s adjacent to Melrose Place (does anyone remember that soap opera show?). While we were here, we walked to nearby Urth Caffe for a sweet treat of hot matcha-espresso-cocoa and an iced coffee. It was boo-licious!
Surprising Parking Solutions
A lot of people come into town for a convention. If you’re in Los Angeles for one of these—and we have several convention centers in the area—you’ll likely be able to find parking for your Pleasure Way. The downtown LA Convention Center has convenient open-air, ground-level parking for vans and oversized vehicles. I’ve parked there for several events, and it offers safe, convenient parking.
The smaller convention centers also offer parking for a Pleasure Way. In addition to street parking, the Pasadena Convention Center offers underground garage parking for tall vehicles. This was not only super convenient for a health-related event I went to, but also meant I could take a midday break, go down to my van, make some lunch, and then head back into the convention refreshed for the rest of the day’s activities.
As an aside, other cities may offer garage parking options for tall vehicles too. When I was in Nashville, I found a Whole Foods with a parking garage with 12-foot ceilings. I had cargo boxes on the back of my Pleasure-Way, so my van was 24 feet long then and didn’t fit in a regular space, but we were there during non-peak hours and the lot had many open spaces. I was able to park crossways across several spaces in the back, and nobody complained.
Pro Parking Tips
When possible, I prefer to park at the back of a parking lot or at the far side. There are usually fewer vehicles, which makes getting in and out of a parking space easier. It also means if I decide to run my generator, people are unlikely to be bothered.
If I”m not sure about parking availability at my destination, I call ahead and talk to someone so that I get the information I need.
We really do use our Pleasure Way as an additional vehicle around town—it goes so many places, and there’s van-friendly parking almost everywhere. The places I find hardest to park (but still possible) are downtown Los Angeles and Hermosa Beach. Downtown LA does have open-air, ground-level parking lots—you just need to get there early or late when there’s enough space to maneuver. And the city of Hermosa Beach has a 20-foot vehicle length parking restriction throughout most of it for non-residents. Of course, if you have a Pleasure-Way Ascent or an Ontour 2.0 (both under 20’ in length), you may not have issues there. (Please check individual city websites for the most up-to-date information.)
Planning Your LA Adventure
Fall and spring are the best times to visit Los Angeles, although really, you can’t go wrong with winter or summer either. Summer is a little hotter and more crowded with tourists, as are major holidays. If you opt for more than a day trip, aside from the many hotels, quite a few state beaches along Los Angeles County offer camping, including with hookups. Plan in advance as these sell out fast, or plan at the very last minute and hope to pick up a cancellation.
The Pleasure Way offers urban versatility that a standard RV just doesn’t, and as you’re thinking about your travel destinations, think beyond the traditional ones. Don’t discount urban locations because of your travel vehicle—the Pleasure Way is extraordinarily versatile. Not every spot is accessible, of course, but the possibilities may surprise you.
