>By TR Robertson
Camp Store, at South Carlsbad State Beach, is the home, until May 5th, of a step back in time to the Age of Dinosaurs, as Camp Store owner Anthony Marcotti has brought eight animatronic dinosaurs and other related dinosaur items to the popular site. On a recent visit, my wife and I joined our son, Brian, and his girlfriend, along with her son, at a table reserved for us. We enjoyed several of the Camp Store pizzas while watching the sights and sounds of a variety of almost life-sized dinosaurs. Arriving in the early afternoon, we were greeted at the entrance to Jurassic Beach by a smaller version of a Plesiosaurus, the aquatic dinosaur many feel still resides in Loch Ness, Scotland. Other dinosaurs were scattered around the Camp Store area, each with a placard listing the species and providing general information about the dinosaur. The dinosaurs moved heads, jaws, and arms roughly every 15 minutes and sounded off with sounds that might have been the sounds a dinosaur might have made. The other dinosaurs on exhibit were a Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Dracorex, Velociraptor, and a smaller version of perhaps the most popular dinosaur made famous in the movie, “Jurassic Park”, a Tyrannosaurus Rex. There were two large dinosaur eggs, one with a dinosaur bursting through and one with a photo opportunity for visitors. Close to the start of the camping area of the State Beach is a small building that houses some interesting items that Park Rangers use to educate visitors about the beach and coastline, and now has items related to dinosaurs and what animals today might be descendants of dinosaurs. A young Park Ranger spoke with several children about birds and animals, like pelicans, with a dinosaur-like look, related to some dinosaurs that once had bird-like qualities.
The Camp Store has become an extremely popular spot in Carlsbad to relax, watch the sunset, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy great ocean views. Carlsbad State Beach opened in 1933 and now contains 220 campsites on 44 acres. The original Camp Store opened in 1964 at 7201 Carlsbad Blvd. before moving to its present location at the north end of Carlsbad State Beach. Anthony Marcotti purchased the Camp Store business in 2020, turning it from a small store providing a variety of goods purchased by campers, to a store still offering these services and a small restaurant offering 13 pizza choices, 2 sandwich choices, Caesar salad, Parmesan Truffle Fries, Wisconsin Cheese Bites, Chicken Wings, Sweet Potato Waffle Fries, a selection of beers on tap as well as a variety of canned beers, sodas, seltzers and other drinks in a large cooler. For this day, we enjoyed the Woodstone pizzas, Surfsquatch Pizza, and the Camp Store Signature Pizza, all tasty pizzas. At this time, lunch and dinner are offered 7 days a week, 11 am-3:30 pm and 4 pm to 7 pm. The store is open from 10 am to 8 pm. Parking is off-site, but you can drop off passengers and park outside of the State Park area. One popular activity is to take advantage of the limited fire pit and table reservations to ensure you have seating. Otherwise, you have to grab seating where available.
This extremely popular afternoon and evening experience is definitely a “must do” and many return again and again. The dinosaur experience is a fun addition to Camp Store, but will only be here until May 5th, so don’t miss it. Your kids will love it. For more information go to www.thecampstore.com or call 760-478-2487.
