Tag: camping

forest view inside a yellow tent — Photo by Anastassiya Golovko on Pexels.com

Planning Your Next Trip to Green Valley Falls: What You Need to Know

August 17, 2023 / Sara Guenther

Camping season might be drawing to a close, but I just had to post about our most recent camping experience. The great thing about Southern California is that camping is really never off the list of things to do. We’re blessed with several different climates which makes for great year round camping.

This most recent trip we decided to try camping at Green Valley Falls, part of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. We’ve been to this park quite a few times and have enjoyed it in all of its open seasons, but this was our first time camping at this campground. Actually I had intentionally avoided camping here (you’ll notice I did not include it on my list of best San Diego family friendly campgrounds).

father and kids sitting beside a campfire — Photo by Serg Alesenko on Pexels.com

Why You Should Go Camping With Your Kids

May 30, 2023 / Sara Guenther

Camping With Your Kids – Yes You Can!

Why We Took up Camping

Exactly 5 years ago we took up camping as a family. I had actually surprised my husband and 4 kids (at the time… #5 was still baking) with camping gear for Christmas as a declaration that we were going to be outdoorsy now.

The truth is I was sick and tired of our life. My husband and I had recently (reluctantly) gotten smartphones and now it felt like we were on them all the time. Tim was stuck in a job with the Navy that was wearing him thin and as a result our marriage was suffering. I was exhausted from raising 4 boys and being pregnant with our 5th. We almost never had date nights, I didn’t get time alone (except to grocery shop), or really any breaks at all. Heck, I even only got haircuts about once a year. That was a real treat! And at that point I was 9 years into growing little humans with my body, unceasingly pregnant and/or breastfeeding and it was taking both a physical and emotional toll. I had already had one emotional breakdown about 2 years prior and had no intentions of going down that road again.

It was time for a change

We booked a tent site at a local campground, packed up the kids and what little gear we had and headed out for the weekend. We chose a spot only 40 minutes from home, and close to a grocery store in case of emergencies. And you know what? That first trip was wonderful. We had our tent and bedding, and that’s about it. We packed up our two beach chairs (the kids sat in the dirt) and a cooler full of food and drove off hoping for the best. I don’t even remember how we heated up water for coffee. I think maybe we brought a kitchen pot to use over the campfire.

But you know what? We had SUCH a good time. And we learned a LOT! In fact, we had so much fun that we decided to invest in more gear and book a few more trips for that summer.

How to Start Camping with Kids

Camping with children can be daunting, especially if you’ve never been camping before. But you CAN do it, and you absolutely should go for it. Camping with your children can be a huge blessing for your whole family and is hands down worth the effort. So to get you started…

Here’s a few tips:

–Test the waters. Borrow gear or buy used. And start with the bare basics.

–Go with friends. Camping with a friend is always more fun. Plus you can share some meals and gear.

–Keep it familiar. Kids will feel more comfortable away from home with some of their usual comforts. Consider bringing their usual pillow or stuffy.

–Keep em cozy. Make sure you’ve packed appropriately for the weather. Bring extra blankets for night time, or make a battery operated fan if it will be hot. Also consider a spare change of clothes.

–Treats. Our kids know there’s always a special treat on camping trips. S’mores (of course) but they usually also get a cold drink like a juice for Izze.

Just Go

Taking the leap into camping was one of the best things we ever did for our family, and I’m sure it will bless yours as well. Camping as a family is a great way to grow and nurture relationships. Even if your children are too young to remember the experience it will still give YOU lovely memories and will instill a more intentional and beautiful way of life into your little ones. Camping is a way to slow down and show your children that it’s healthy to relax and have fun. Spending time outside, under the stars in the fresh air is refreshing for both the mind and the body. And connecting with nature helps grow our appreciation for our Creator and His creation.

So grab a guitar and some good campfire stories. Don’t forget the marshmallows and smores sticks. Pack up the family, and go. Go and enjoy.

6 Best San Diego Campgrounds for Families

Guide: Hiking with Kids

photo of tent in forest — Photo by Todd Trapani on Pexels.com

6 Best San Diego Campgrounds for Families

May 15, 2023 / Sara Guenther

Camping season is upon us here in San Diego, as the school year draws to a close. While camping in San Diego is very doable all year, there is nothing better than summer nights under the stars, complete with campfire songs and sticky s’mores.

Now, before I dive into the best San Diego campgrounds, I think it needs to be mentioned that everyone has their own preferences, specifically when it comes to HOW to camp. If you’re a glamper or require a daily shower you probably won’t like at least half of my list. While some of these campgrounds aren’t high end, they also aren’t completely primitive (no amenities). But each of these campgrounds offers something special, and most will give your family a beautiful, quiet, nature immersed experience.

joshua trees on a national park — Photo by Kindel Media on Pexels.com

Camping in Joshua Tree Without a Reservation

April 26, 2023 / Sara Guenther

Call us crazy, but we made a last minute decision to camp in Joshua Tree over spring break. We were supposed to be heading into Arizona to spend a week in the woods, by a creek with a waterfall and excellent trout fishing. But wouldn’t you know, that exact week the temperatures were going to drop 20 degrees lower than the entire previous month and we just weren’t interested in 25 degree nights. Naturally the last day of our visit would have been back up into the mid 60s. Go figure.

Joshua Tree

We really didn’t want to head back to the desert, having just been there the previous week, but given some time and weather constraints, Joshua Tree ended up looking like our best bet. So two days before our trip I pulled out my phone and started researching. Just as I’d expected there were no reservations available, so I went with plan B, which was: find a plan B.

I am happy to say that it ended up working out perfectly and we got the best spot in Belle campground. That’s not something I would always expect to happen, but I figured this trip just had the Lord’s blessing on it. And from the way we came about getting our spot, I knew it had to be true.

We rolled up a little later than I had hoped. Check out time is noon, and ideally the earlier the arrival the better chance you have at catching someone on their way out. We didn’t arrive until about 2pm, so we were shocked that we were able to snag a spot in the first campground we came to. It wasn’t the best fit for our trailer and large crew, but we were ready to make do. We were also blocked from early sunlight by a large boulder, so I was concerned about our ability to last all week on our one solar panel. (We do not have a generator). But I had been eyeing up the site next to us, which was large, open, and had the best boulders for play and exploration. Well wouldn’t you know, the next morning that family rolled out at 8am. SCORE! We moved a few things over to claim that site, pulled in our slide, and got ready to hook up. But then…

The car wouldn’t start

Remember I mentioned the cold weather in Arizona? Yeah, well really most of the west coast was having a colder week, including Joshua Tree. Between the shade of the boulder, the near freezing early morning temperature, and the slight elevation (JT is the high desert) our big ‘ol diesel van was too cold to start. And the can of diesel starter was mysteriously missing. Ruh-roh.

The next few hours were quite the journey, as I sent my husband hitchhiking 12 miles into town. Thankfully he was offered a ride from a ranger to the edge of the park, leaving him only a mile to walk to the local AutoZone. He then spent the next 20 minutes waiting for a series of LYFTs that never showed up, and resigned himself to walking back to camp. A pit stop into the Joshua Tree visitors center, however, turned into another ride with a park ranger back to our site (but not before scaring a lone mother by asking her for a ride. I explained to him later that approaching a woman alone with her children, while holding a mysterious spray can probably wasn’t the best choice). Basically the morning was spent relying on strangers, while simultaneously having to remind ourselves that none of the strangers circling the campground knew that we were actually hogging two spots (with the park ranger’s blessing, of course). By lunch time we were finally able to get the car started and shift the trailer over, and all was well. WHEW!

Okay, so we got kind of lucky, huh? Perhaps. But we had plenty of other options in mind as far as how we would stay in Joshua Tree if we weren’t able to get a spot at a first-come-first-served campground. So the next time you decide to make a last minute camping trip to Joshua Tree (or any other park) you can use these tips to help you find a place to stay.

How to Camp Without a Reservation

First come First served (FF) campsites. There are actually 3 FF campgrounds inside of Joshua Tree National Park. The best part about FF campsites? If you decide you want to stay an extra day, you can! No one has a reservation to kick you out.
Keep checking online for last minute cancellations. Yes, they really do happen.
Check with other campgrounds outside of the national park. The first time we ever camped at Joshua Tree we were only able to get a spot outside of the park. It turned out to be a great campground and had bathrooms, running water, and a junior ranger program.
Harvest Host/Boondockers membership. While this won’t get you into the park itself, it can get you close. Plus you get the bonus of a unique experience.
Boondocking. We use the Campendium app to search for local boondocking locations and there are two just outside of the Joshua Tree National Park.

Happy camping, happy adventuring!

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