We rallied at the ARCO station in Costa Mesa around 7AM. The plan was to then ride up to Long Beach for some breakfast then scoot over to the coast and take in some scenery on our way up to Ventura. There was a chill and heavy fog in the air but I was bundled up. The Sunshine State doesn’t always live up to its name and with a sinus infection heading into its fourth week the long underwear wasn’t just a good choice it was a necessity.

After breakfast, hosted by a flirtatious middle-aged waitress we headed for the coast. We stopped into Neptune’s net so that some of the people in our group who had never made that pilgrimage could check it out. Next stop was gas in Camarillo before we blasted up the 101 to Summerland for lunch. A couple electrical hiccups and some slow ATM machines delayed our arrival into the Hazzard County campground in the Santa Ynez valley, but we arrived just in time for the festivities to kick off.

The classic balloon humping relay races, keg toss and beer chug events were a good site to see. Some all you can drink beer, a laundry list of bands, cool cars, bikes, tattoos, and fire is typically a winning recipe.

In its fifth year, Hazzard County has become a well-known event hosted by the guys of Gasser Lounge out of Redondo Beach. With each passing year, the acts appearing on the bill have gotten bigger and the production has matched. One can only imagine where it will go from here. Hazzard County usually marks the end of the big camping season (yes, there are seasons in Southern California) and people go full tilt making sure it’s memorable. -Loughridge

Be sure to follow @escapetohazzardcounty for updates on number 6.

Article and photographs by Ryan Loughridge / @_loughridge_