Camping

We had our first family camping trip over Memorial Day weekend. After several Memorial Days in a row with zero plans or hastily thrown together last minute plans, I had booked this camping spot at Lake Piru last year for us and another family, and I’m so glad I did. 

We had to buy pretty much all of the gear other than a camping stove from scratch and there was a steep learning curve as far as set up/tear down and the basic management of daily activities, but now that we’ve done it once I feel like it’s going to be smooth sailing. The BF said I was the best person he’d ever camped with, for how prepared and organized I was. That was a huge compliment. 

The only downside was the one full day we were there, Sunday, it poured rain and was bitter cold. It made for miserable muddy conditions and a lot of unpleasantness - many of the other campers packed up and left. But I took the opportunity to knit a dish scrubbie, read, drink liberal cups of cocoa filled with marshmallows, and nap. The BF took the boys fishing, and the next day as we left we went on a wonderful boat ride in which we took a baby duck on board who was all alone and kept following us; it was the cutest thing that ever happened to me.

The next day I ran out and bought all of the efficient devices that would have made my life easier - a camping spice container set, a bin to keep bread from being crushed, a collapsible grey water bin, a collapsible dish rack for clean dishes, a multi-compartment foldable sink. I also got the boys their own tent. Having two rambunctious boys treat your tent as a giant bouncy house/wrestling stadium - tracking in mud and crushing your reading glasses with their unbridled enthusiasm - was no bueno. 

We camp again Father’s Day weekend and I’m looking for a spot in August. There is so much to explore in California - especially now that the drought is over and the lakes are no longer depressing dust bowls. My goal going forward is to try to camp five-six times a year over the warm months. I want to make this a regular thing. There’s just something so zen about having your entire existence reduced to a toothbrush and a saucepan.