We're home from our camping trip to the beach. Beautiful sites to please the eye. But not a lot of sun. Notice the jackets everyone is wearing? This is the California coast in summer time. Marine layer in the morning and if you're fortunate, a little sunshine in the afternoon before the fog and clouds creep back in. And that Pacific water? Chilly isn't quite the word. Try cold! But then again, we knew this when we planned our trip.
Other highlights of our trip included some antiquing, a few quilt shops, a local zoo, a hometown aquarium, buying clams on the pier and making my first TRUE clam chowder, golf for my husband, and of course, walking the beach and kayaking. I actually packed my sourdough starter and made sourdough pancakes! I wanted my starter to visit another climate and acquire some different goodies from the air there.
Next camping trip? Near the head of the Kern River in the Sequoia Mountains. And we'll be roughing it; more so than on this trip. But it should be fun. I plan to break out the dutch ovens for some good food!
Where are you camping this summer?
Oh my goodness, I'm so jealous! Our family used to get together every summer at Morro Bay. We usually stayed at the Inn at Morro Bay, though. Most of the family are sooo not campers. Did you go to the big shell shop? Not even sure if it's still there, but it was very cool.
ReplyDeleteGoodness I've been reading you for months and didn't know you were so close to me! (We're in Kern County.) Morro Bay is our favorite vacation spot and we'll be there in two weeks! Mmm... those pictures make me long for it even more. Have you eaten at Giovanni's on the pier? Our very favorite place for fish n' chips!
ReplyDeleteYep, we visited the shell shop - can't miss it since it's HUGE! And we not only ate at Giovanni's but saw a seagull snatch a meal right out of the hand of a young boy! Guard your food there!
ReplyDeleteFun! I am really missing camping. We go in the RV though. I really hope to sqeeze in at least a short trip before cold weather sets in. Love the Sequioa's, your next trip sounds great :-)
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in So. California we camped every summer...I haven't camped in years. I would like to get back to it. So fun. I love Sequoia! And Yosemite!
ReplyDeleteDeanna
OOOO.
ReplyDeleteI'm camping in my bedroom with the AC blowing, fan turning, TV entertaining and my feet up.
Good luck up on the Kern. Please be careful and don't become a statistic.
Where did you camp? We wimp out and tent camp at an RV park, because it is usually just us girls (granddaughters) We go to Morro Dunes.
ReplyDeleteKrisSimplyLiving
Kris, we were new to the area, so we went to Morro Dunes as well. Used a pop up camper. It was nice having showers!
ReplyDeleteMaybelline, LOL!! I'm already nervous and not sure about the river. I grew up swimming in them all the time, but this is not an ordinary river! We'll definitely be cautious! Enjoy the AC - Kernville is HOT.
I must be the only person on the planet who has never been camping! Sounds like fun though.
ReplyDeleteWell heck where do you live? I am a transplanted Fresberg being held hostage in Mendocino County due to real estate economics!
ReplyDelete51 years in the Berg and we just sold the last piece of my inlaws estate in Cayucos. A sweet little house that they bought in 1974 the year our son was born.
Shall we sing a chorus of "it's a small world"?
goatldi, Cayucos! That's right around the corner from Morro Bay! Unfortunately, you may be hostage in Mendocino a while. This economy is the pits!
ReplyDeleteKelly, did you survive the wedding? You really need to go camping so you can experience the joys and trials of it all.
How fun! You need to head to Ventura for a little real heat and some killer antiquing and thrifting. =0)
ReplyDeleteLooks like your family had a fabulous time at the coast! We're off to the Oregon Coast this Sunday for five days of camping at a state park on the beach with our church family. Thanks for sharing AND thanks for the idea of bringing my sourdough starter with me! I hadn't thought of it, but we're planning on pancakes for b'fast one morning and sourdough sounds absolutely perfect. Blessings to you and yours, ~Lisa
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog and am loving it! How funny. You were just about 20 min from me!
ReplyDeleteRural Girl, Ventura is one of my favorite spots! Have you ever been to Mussel Shoals? The Cliff House is the best kept secret on the coast. Not new, very vintage, but killer views!!! Great for a husband/wife getaway in the winter when the weather is dreary everywhere else! And fairly reasonable.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Tessa Diane! Glad to have you here.
ReplyDeleteBeachside camping is something that I have not done for a while and it sounds wonderful to do with kids. I am from California originally and I know those waters well. They are COLD!... We went camping in the Catskills this summer and we are looking forward to more camping in the fall.
ReplyDeleteAmy,
ReplyDeleteI DID survive the wedding! It was beautiful indeed.
Perhaps we'll camp on our property sometime, that would prove to be interesting in and of itself. At least I could run home if needed! :)
No camping this summer, I am not much of a camping type, but I do know what you are talking about with the California coast as that is where I live so the clouds are pretty common, but mostly in May and June and not usually so much in August...
ReplyDeleteI love the pics that you took and that was a great idea on the sourdough starter!
Amy, what a small world! I also live near Morro Bay...about 30 minutes inland...
ReplyDeleteWe should have a homesteaders get-together since it seems there are so many nearby!
Sarah
www.beewenchfarm.com
That's a great idea, Sarah Jean! Thanks for including your email...
ReplyDeletehey all you Central Pacific Coast gals, email Sarah Jean and get to know each other!!
Amy - thanks for the howdy. Let's hope not for longer we have finally (after 3.5 years) a "serious" interest. Prayers, good energies whatever anyone subscribes to are welcome.
ReplyDeleteThe blue tarp I never thought of. I was thinking moisture off the tent top. I will log that in my list of to dos when camping.
Oh, yay! Hope it sells, goatldi!
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog! I found it just blog hopping one day on the computer a few months back.
ReplyDeleteMy grandparents started the tradition of camping on the Kern when their girls were little. Then My mother and her sister, with all of their kids kept the tradition alive. So, I have many wonderful memories of camping! My mom used to tell me that she wanted to teach us to "rough it" just in case we ever had to. As a child learning those skills, it didn't seem hard, it was just fun! Of course I know now that my mother had all the work! But it makes me love and appreciate her more that she would do that every year for a week, so we could have those good memories.
I hope you have a wonderful time on the Kern. The dutch ovens will be so fun!
From, Lisa C.
Lisa, what wonderful memories you have! Thanks for sharing an encouraging word to all the moms out there working hard... I hope my girls have great memories, too!
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