family adventure travel

It’s finally here!!! Well, almost…

We’ve been counting down the days for months and now we only have to endure a few more hours until we hit the road on our latest family adventure! Big Sur, California here we come!!!

Our favorite campground has been through its fair share of trials and tribulations over the past several years, from wildfires to state budgets cuts, which has left us looking for alternative campgrounds in the Big Sur area.

Kirk Creek Vista in Big Sur, California

Don’t get me wrong, with a view like this, you really can’t go wrong with accommodations in this gorgeous part of the world, but if you’ve been following this blog for some time, you know that Limekiln State Park holds a very special place in our hearts.

Sunset at Limekiln State Park, Big Sur, California

Limekiln was the very first place my husband and I ever camped together some 12 years ago. It’s where we have shared countless inspired conversations and broke bread with our dearest friends. Here, you can find the bed of clovers where we spread the ashes of our best friend of 15 years, Katie Kitty and, as I’m sure you can guess, it was the divine destination of our baby girl’s first camping trip almost 2 years ago.

The family that camps together, stays together!

This past few weeks, I’ve been in preparation mode, making lists and buying gear since our little peanut has outgrown all of last year’s gear. Being right on the central coastline, nestled under a thick canopy of redwoods, the temperature drops fairly low as the sun begins to set, even in the heart of the summer, so keeping her warm is my focus. It’s easy to peel off layers when it gets hot during the day, but as temps dip low in the night, making sure she is comfortable, but still snugly is my top priority.

I’ve been swimming (read: drowning) in the outdoor gear pool, reading reviews and researching everything from hiking shoes to base layers, wool socks, hats, gloves and sleeping bags. It’s all a bit overwhelming and prices can get downright outrageous, so I did my best (with LOTS of help from my mom) to get the best gear for the most reasonable price, taking in to account tried and true materials that work best at keeping little toes, fingers and noses warm.

I am by no means a gear whore myself. (My hubby and I just bought headlamps a few years ago! Ha ha!) One of the things I look forward to most about going out in to the woods is the ability to adopt what I lovingly refer to as the “Thoreau Effect”. But, when you’ve got a toddler explorer to consider, the more gear I have for her, the less worried (I hope) I will be.

We’ll be back next week and I’m looking forward to sharing our adventure with you!

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.

Big Sur, California. Photo by Kerem Hanci

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.

Katie’s Place in the Clovers. Photo by Kerem Hanci

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).

camping with an infant in big sur california

Our Big @#! tent! Photo by Kerem Hanci

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!

Our little bundle of joy! Photo by Kerem Hanci

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.