The Backyard Campfire

Time for an update on the fire ring. I finally got the bench top installed and I’m pretty pleased with the results. I debated a lot about using redwood or the plastic/wood alternatives. Ultimately, the decision was in favor of redwood because of the sagging and heat absorption that can occur with the man-made stuff.

We’ll need to get a basket of seat cushions, and I’d like to fill the area between the ring and the benches with gravel, but Andy is convinced it is ready for a back yard bonfire. This project ought to top out at 0 with those extras, but it should last for years.

The blackout dates on our Disneyland passes are finally over, so we can get back to the Happiest Place on Earth. We love meeting up with family and friends for evenings in the park. Michael and Obed come down from LA often, and we always have a great time.

Today is the first of the month and that means hovering around the computer at 7:59 AM trying for the best reservations when they open at eight. I’ve tried unsuccessfully for years to get one of the cottages at Crystal Cove State Beach, but my luck changed! This morning I got reservations for this cottage a short walk from the Beach and Ruby’s Shake Shack. In March, we’ll leave La Rana in storage and spend the weekend in this quaint cottage, built in 1938. It’ll be a full moon, so midnight beach combing!

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September 1st, 2010 admin Funny Camping , 0

The car camping survival guide

A few years ago I had a conversation with a colleague about hiking. I was deep and happily into some aspect of how I masterfully mastered the elements, when he suddenly interjected…
“Oh, you are talking about automobile hiking.”
By the way he mentioned it, putting the emphasis on “,” he was obviously trying to suggest that automobile backpacking was something much less than the genuine article, like processed cheese, kosher-style pickles, or butter-like topping.
I never asked, but presumed he was into a kind of camping that entailed spearing fish, portaging across provinces, constructing a shelter from moose dung, and, most importantly, significantly hardship.
Having just returned from another family vehicle backpacking trip, l nonetheless wonder if this fellow ever truly understood the distinctive challenges facing the modern, car-camper enthusiast. Such as…
• Whenever you pack for or truck backpacking, you should take as very much as your vehicle will bear, and not a can of peaches less. This means you pack the big bags and boxes first, and if you will discover nevertheless massive bags and boxes left, you take the stuff out of them, and “fill in” as best you may, treating the rear cargo area like it was a single major suitcase.
¢ This makes it tough to find the flashlight 12 hours later when you’re setting up camp at midnight.
• And once you finally get the hatch to close, with a single of those body checks, you tend to stare in the hatch for couple of seconds, to see if will pop back open or if you’ve distorted some bodywork.
• After hiking for a number of days, you are going to also be required to stare at the water in the bottom of the food cooler. Some of this “cooler juice” will surely have come from melting ice, but what else is in there? You’ll must assess cooler safety on the fly, and without the aid of any laboratory equipment.
• Campgrounds frequented by or truck hiking sorts practically constantly have washroom and shower facilities. But if you will find females in your party you’ll need to be prepared to endure many thorough discussions about the cleanliness of mentioned facilities.

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September 1st, 2010 admin camping guide , 0