camp-a-roo ers

we went camping!!!

let's just say my first experience at it was much fun. it was terribly windy - but we couldn't give up the view of the water.

according to one park ranger - we caught the tail end of the "sundowner" winds. 30mph winds whipping thru your tent in the middle of the night is scary stuff. our tent made it thru with nary a scratch. but other families we were with didn't fair so well. many ended up moving their tents (and at least one - a couple of times) and half of our group left a day early, just unable to stand the winds any longer.

the kids had a blast - getting up early, having friends to play with first thing in the morning, the (very) nearby train that passed thru multiple times per day, and just generally being able to play from sun up to sundown, and beyond. i'd say that for most of them, the sight of dolphins, sea lions and even whales was just a thrilling experience that will be talked about for weeks to come.

the moms/dads really got to hang out and get to know each other or just reconnect. i did miss my daily political news fix (we were out there when obama finally clinched the nomination) but, strangely enough didn't otherwise miss the computer or television. i guess this would have been the time for me to learn how to use the 'mobile web' feature on my cell phone. but then again - i survived. i guess i can save the money.

i still haven't packed equipment away - it needs to get done soon. and it will. but i'm still tired!

our first camping trip was a great success. looking forward to others in the near future...