Our Summer Escape: California Camping
We *love* camping. We stuff the minivan full of gear and food and
head out of town, every chance we get during the warm weather months.
It's a way to trap the kids. No playdates, no electricity, no sports,
no work, no homework. Get far enough away, and even my iPhone wont get
signal.
The natural beauty of California is astounding. The coast is breathtaking, the mountains are beautiful. The lakes and bays are accessible and fun. The rocks, trees, blue sky, dirt and sand call our names. As do the coyote, deer and bears.
Thank goodness for the California State Parks.
I can almost taste it now. I unzip the tent and climb out as quietly as possible into the crisp morning air. I leave the rest of my family in the tent for another hour to sleep (or fight or whatever. I don't care. I'm not there.) Almost everywhere we go, it's a perfect place for an early morning run to start the day. Then, I come back as everyone is waking and we start our jetboil to make coffee, hot chocolate and oatmeal.
I swore off complex cooking when I camp a while ago. If it can't be made with hot water, or flame broiled over the fire, I'm not interested. We're not a full kitchen on wheels kind of family - to me, that's too much work. But you'd be amazed how many things can be made with hot water, or just eaten raw or out of the package. Apples, peanut butter, bread. And over the fire, that would be steak. Or maybe hot dogs.
This year, I'm really looking forward to getting away. So, I've made the effort about four separate mornings to call in during those first few minutes when reservations opened for each summer month. Good and bad, the system for reservations for the California State Parks is something you have to game. If you want a sought after site, during a peak demand window (like a weekend, in the summer) you have to be online, or on the phone, at 8am sharp.
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