Author: Jennifer Fontaine

My husband and I discovered camping together, 11 years ago. Neither of us had ever really been camping before, so when we got a wild hair up our @#! to go, I did a quick search online, found a campsite that looked pretty and we jumped on the 101 and headed north. Little did we know, the place we were headed would make a deep and everlasting impression on our lives.

If you’ve never been to Big Sur, do yourself a favor. Go! It is a sleepy little town where majestic mountains, coastal prairies and the magnificent force of the Pacific Ocean meet to create a continual energy of renewal and peace.

We have gone back almost every single year since that first visit. We have introduced our closest friends to its luscious rivers. When we lost one of our best friends, Katie Kitty a little over two years ago, we knew that was where we would set her (ashes) free to run about the clover beds.

So it goes without saying that when we found out we were adding a new member to our family, we immediately started planning our trip to Big Sur. So many things to consider! I mean, we were tent camping pros by this point, but we had never done it with a newborn baby! I jumped on the World Wide Web and started reading! (A little too much)

Mommy Went Crazy, Mistake #1: I bought the biggest tent I could find under $200. One that my 6’1″ husband could fully stand up in! A tent so large we were able to create a bedroom, dining room and storage room! It comfortably fit a queen size air mattress, a pack and play, a large cooler (our dining table), 3 camping chairs (our dining chairs) and all of our gear with room leftover!! Ok, yes, I went a bit overboard. (we have since sold that one and got a mid-size tent that fits us perfectly…for now).

Mommy Went Crazy, Mistake #2: I brought the pack and play. This may sound sane to most, but we didn’t end up using the pack and play… because Mommy Went Crazy! When the temperature started dipping in the early evening, I knew she would not be warm enough there and so I took the cushion part of the bassinet attachment off and made a nest out of it, bundled her up excessively and put her between us in the bed. On this one, trust me, that a picture is worth a thousand words and let’s just say that not only did I not sleep at all that night, but the visual of me aiming a red headlamp into the face of the baby every 5 minutes with a crazed look on my face is forever etched into the memory of my husband’s brain!

I remember, during those many months on bedrest, sitting there, the excitement bringing tears to my eyes, thinking soon we’ll be able to show her the streams, the rocks, the waterfalls, the birds, the mist and the bed of clovers where Katie Kitty plays. What a gift to watch her soaking it all in.