Camping Adventure

I’d been whining about our lack of family camping trips for a while. We used to go every Labor Day Weekend –my son and his family, my youngest daughter and her family, and me. Most of the time we chose Salt Point with its rocky promontories, panoramic views, kelp-dotted coves, and the dramatic sounds of pounding surf. We pitched our tents in Woodside, located on the east side of Hwy 1, where our forested campsite was tucked away from constant ocean winds. Our tribe of rambunctious little rascals played hide-and-seek, built forts, and gathered to listen to fantastical, made-up stories by their oldest sibling/cousin. Now several of them have graduated from high school and are attending college. All of them are taller than me.

My daughter’s two boys live ½ mile from me. They’ve grown up going back-and-forth between our homes, helping make my life joyously satisfying. I miss their little selves even as I adore the young men they’re becoming. The oldest of the two is now 6’2” and has held down a job for a year during high school and summers. He laughingly quips, “I haven’t been fired for a year!” (In fact, he’s been promoted.) He’s also the one who told me in April when again I was whining, “Grams, let’s you and me go camping even if the family doesn’t.”

And so, we made lists, meal plans, gathered supplies, practiced setting up my two-side-rooms tent, wagering if we could fit everything he wanted to take (picnic umbrella and stand for shade??) into my Subaru. It was going to be an adventure, just the two of us. Neither of us particularly proficient in campfire-making, but both ecstatic about spending this time together. After all, he was the grandson that always slept in my tent with me all through our years of family camping. It was our tent.

This past weekend we finally did it. We camped in Schoolhouse Canyon Park for two glorious days, cradled in a lovely gully forest with golden leaves blanketing the ground. My grandson set up our tent (with only a little help from me) on a small knoll set apart from our campsite. He cooked all the meals, built and tended the campfire, and organized our supplies. We did fit the picnic umbrella into my car, which he moved around to make sure we had shade where needed. Unobtrusively, he made sure I was okay, anticipating my needs, walking with me up and down the long hill to the restrooms when I became fatigued in the afternoon, reminding me to drink enough water. I was enchanted by my surroundings and felt cared for and safe.

During our stay we played four games of Bananagrams and one long game of Phase10. We slept soundly and woke each morning rested and free from any demands other than those of our own choosing. We talked and laughed roasting marshmallows over our campfire. Relaxed and happy, we were often entertained by various dogs and ravens amusing themselves nearby. Our time was deliberately slow and peaceful. When someone asks us what we did on our adventure, we’ll smile and say,“Nothing.”