Monday, May 26, 2008

The Almost Camping Trip

So Stef has been dying to go camping for about 4 years now, and after puting it off for as long as I could, we set a date... Memorial Day Weekend. This would be our first actual family vacation.

Of course we had a trial run in the backyard in which I failed after a mere 3 hours and ended up in my nice comfy bed while the boys snoozed in the wind tunnel known as our backyard. (A prediction of things to come???)

Stef made all the plans. We would stay at a campsite in Olema, so that we could take day trips to the various spots we love around Bodega Bay. The Trout Farm, Tide Pools, Hog Island Oyster Co., Cowgirl Creamery. Everything was planned and our much anticipated weekend finally arrived.

We stuffed our little Caliber with everything we thought we would need to our big 4 day, 3 night trip. According to all weather reports we would be in for a beautiful weekend. Life was great.

We arrived at the campsite, and found it to be less than spectacular. Our original site was amid tall grass, rotted picnic table, and no trees to speak of, so we went back to the office to complain. Being that it was Memorial Day weekend, things were tight, but Stef finally managed to get a somewhat better spot. This site actually had a tree!

Camp was set up in no time flat, so exploring we went! After a tip from Stef's friend Brad a work we found a beautiful secluded beach in Tomales. The water was the most fantastic blue, and even a bit warm! Swimming is welcome in this part, and as we found out, so is nude sun bathing! Of course, as usual, we weren't prepared for such a find, so we explored a little around the cove, and decided we needed to come back later.

We started back to the campsite only after a stop at the local grocery store where I inadvertently stole some mint. To my defense I was holding it in line, and the checker never said anything to me. It wasn't until I reached the car that I realized what I had done. We chalked it up to a great part of our camping story, jumped into the car and headed to the butcher where Stef threw down $28 for a huge hunk of steak what would turn into a great dinner.

After dinner, Kaleb and I walked down to the playground at the campsite, where he met a little girl named Mackenzie and played like a madman. Once it started to get dark, we went back to the campsite, roasted some marshmallows, and then turned our car into a little theatre, and watched his new movie "Meet the Robinsons." Then it was bedtime...

All was well in the land of camping. Although Kaleb was a little stuffed up, he was so happy to be sleeping in his tent, and he fell asleep with no effort at all. Stef soon came into the tent, and within minutes he was out like a light. That left only me.. I was tired, had a long day, but could I sleep? Of course not. I tossed and turned for a couple of hours. Listen to all the people around us, and right as I was about to fall asleep, then man in the campsite next to us began to snore. This was no ordinary snore. It was loud, obnoxious, and it would vary in tone and pitch. At times it would start to subside, and I would start to drift off...then he would turn and the volume would increase ten fold and awake I would be. While wishing a slow death the the man next to us, I began to hear rustling around the campsite. Raccoons. Stef woke up to pee, and scared them off when he opened the tent. It was only when he came back to the tent did he realize the hell he had escaped by being able to fall asleep so quickly. After 5 or so minutes we were debating on who should throw the pinecones at the mans tent, when he put his Ipod on and again left me to fend for myself. It was while I was cursing the man next to us, than I heard some odd drops on our tent... Weird, that is the loudest "mist" that I have ever heard. It was about 5:30 in the morning, and I finally fell asleep. ahhhhhh

By 6:30 Stef decided I had slept enough and woke me up. For those who know me, I am not a morning person, and am even worse when I have been uncomfortable all night and only slept for 1 hour.

Stef was standing in the "mist" saying that "this should burn off by noon or so, and then it will be nice." Which is great since I did not bring one thing for "misty" weather. After a pancake breakfast, and a few cups of coffee, we set out for the tide pools. Along the long twisty road, the mist turned into a downpour. Things were not looking so great.

We arrived at the tide pools, and the mist/rain has subsided. We started out along the beach. It was about a 1 and a half to 2 mile walk to the "tide pools."





When we finally reached the tide pools, Kaleb took a little coaxing, but finally touched a starfish, although he loved climbling all over the rocks, and running through the tunnel in the cliff. Next up would be the Trout Farm for some fishin..After a short trip to the trout farm, we had rented out poles, purchased some nighcrawlers, and found a spot at the pond. Kaleb, decided he would be the net boy, so Stef and I began with the fishin. Stef was the first to catch what one must assume was a fish, although it must not had been on the earth too long as it was tiny. We called it his sardine. Next up was me. I do not like killing animals for sport, nor do I like eating fish, but soon I was reeling in a big one. When I got my fish out of the water, I yelled for my net boy who proceeded to run over to me and attempt to beat the fish the death. I caught two more much the same way after that, and soon we were off.



After the Trout Farm, the weather did not hold for us and soon it was raining. Being not prepared for weather other than sunny goodness, we packed our camp and headed home heavy hearted. Our first vacation was foiled on account of bad weather and bad planning. While we ended up with some great memories, and a story that we will be telling for years to come, we still are without our family vacation that we so dearly desired. We only hope that our next trip goes a little better.... after all what could go wrong at Disneyland?

The silly Smile

I love you This much!

My 2 loves

3 comments:

David Prosser said...

Need bigger pictures! Sounds like you all had a lot of fun. You guys have to try and make it up to Sugar Pine in Auburn with us at the end of June. Keep up the good work on the blog and BIGGER PICTURES!

The Matulich Family said...

Dude, I am new at this! Gimme time and I will work on bigger pictures!

patrice clement said...

I love the pics....I would've loved to see Kalebs face when he touch the star fish. Too bad the trip had to be cut short. Never fails, you can't plan for everything..something will always surprise you