I was raised with the understanding that Jews don’t camp. They just don’t. I camped as a kid, but I thought that was due to the fact that only one of my parents was Jewish. When I married my “nice, Jewish, boy” I figured that my camping days were over…and I was okay with that. Apparently, I was wrong.
A few weeks ago we went camping at Leo Carillo State Park. I was in the company of more Jews than I could count on my fingers and guess what…we had a BLAST!!! It was a perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, riddled with to-do lists and technology and just spend some time as a family. Here are some of the highlights of our adventure!
Leo Carrillo State Beach
Exploring the Spooky Cave!
Beach Bliss!
Exploring Tidepools!
Enjoying the Sand and the Surf at Leo Carrillo
Setting Up Our Tents!
Serious Weenie-Roasting Over the Fire!
Smores!
My Ridiculously Happy Camper
Campers Lighting Up the Night with their Handy Headlamps!
While I am not the most hard core camper, I learned a lot on my first camping trip with my kids. Here are some of my hottest tips:
- Don’t forget to pack your wine opener.
- Make sure to bring lots of smores-making ingredients. These are sure to be a HIT for campers off all ages.
- Keep the meals simple. Roasting hot dogs and sausages over the open flames of the fire was a fun and delicious way to make dinner.
- Bring LOTS of baby wipes. They are good for just about everything!
- Bring some type of pad to put underneath your sleeping bag. A yoga mat is better than nothing, but if you want to make things extra cozy, spring for an inflatable mattress!
- Nature critters have amazing senses of smell. Make sure that everything with a scent (from food to toothpaste) is in a SEALED container!!! If they can smell it, they will eat it…even if it means eating right through your tent!
- The headlamps were a HUGE hit! These were relatively inexpensive and were a whole lot of fun for the kids to use at night. No one was scared of the dark and I am pretty sure it was because they were so busy enjoying their nifty headlamps!
- Leave toys and technology at home! It’s amazing how much MORE fun kids have when allowed to explore the outdoors!
- While it’s one thing to spend the day outdoors, sitting in the dirt isn’t all that comfortable! Bring chairs for your campsite!
- If you are worried about how your kids will do on your first camping trip, go on a trial run by camping close by your home or even in your backyard!
What are your camping tips? Share them in a comment! We would love to hear your ideas!
Click here to make your reservation at Leo Carrillo State Park.
{This is not a sponsored article}.
About Kimberly
