mommy

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.

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.

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.

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!