Camping

I always imagine myself the outdoorsy type. However, I don't think Thanksgiving Day walks in Woodside and bike rides through Torrey Pines qualify me for this description. Two years ago when I went camping in Joshua Tree, CA, in freezing cold December, I brought a comforter, an extra sweatshirt, and a bottle of water. It is my friends' girl scout training that has kept me alive on occasions like this. Nevertheless, I do love camping. This past summer camping in Catalina, having learned my lesson, I came fully prepared with bags of food, a cooler, and several pieces of luggage, along with a large tip for the guy who drove my items from the dock up the hill to my cabin and restocked my firewood. Luxury camping at it's finest.

So on our camping trip this weekend, I was determined to be prepared and to tough it out, considering I was with some seasoned outdoorsmen, woman and dogs. We drove to an island (over a bridge) to a very secret little slice of heaven. Think coconuts, suntan lotion, swaying palm trees. And then add about 10,000 gallons of gushing rain. Here's a photo of what it looked like when we left town. Would you go camping on a day like this?


We got to the beach just as the sun was going down. Like McGyver trying to disassemble a ticking bomb, we got that tent set up in about 1.5 minutes. Unfortunately it was about .5 minutes too late, and it filled with water before we could get the rain shield on. It was a cold and shivery evening. Despite 2 quickfire logs, and a bag of easylite charcoal, we were unable to start a fire and burned through two lighters. All things considered, it was a pretty good trip, and I can't wait to return in the spring.







By the light of his flashlight, John saw this prehistoric bug cross his path. The picture doesn't do it justice. The body alone was 3 inches long.


Here is the beach where we camped. This one is worth clicking to see in it's full size: