The word “charger” kept flashing in my mind like a red emergency light. The campsite had no electrical hook-up, so I didn’t need it, I kept telling myself.
I had promised my 7-year-old daughter I would stay away from Facebook and all social media while we were at the beach. I wouldn’t need my phone charger. In the end, I didn’t need my phone.
This was our first camping trip, and we had chosen Refugio State Beach in Goleta, Calif. My daughter had been asking to go camping for several years, so when I had the opportunity to be coached by a colleague, I figured we should give it a try.
Camping is foreign to me. My idea of a short getaway involves room service, not bear-proof containers. I knew nothing about packing a tent or the 300 other things I was supposed to take on our first family camping trip.
The first thing I learned was that if you want to go camping on a weekend, book as soon as the idea pops into your head, because some campgrounds accept reservations up to a year in advance.
Booking a campsite is laborious and much harder than booking a hotel room, but then camping is much cheaper. Since 2014, a million households have started camping each year, according to the 2017 North American Camping Report. That could explain why I had so much trouble reserving a site.
We woke up at 4 a.m. on Saturday we left, with most of our things packed, but we still had to look in the garage for sleeping bags, put the snacks and food in the cooler and gas up the car. We were on the freeway by 6 a.m.
We arrived about 9 a.m. and immediately tackled the tent. It took about 20 minutes, but when we were finished, there were spare parts, so we started again. In all, it took about an hour.
My apprehension about not having my phone in my hand dissipated — I locked it in the car and didn’t feel the urge to check the news.
We walked to the beach, then to buy towels, which I had forgotten.
We set out to explore the water and sand. As my daughter and I waded at the edge of the beach, I felt a strange sensation, as if creatures were crawling on my feet. What on Earth were they? Later, (My daughter) called me to see the creatures in a makeshift lagoon that she and some new friends had created — sand crabs, harmless but creepy. I spent the remaining time sitting by my husband, enjoying the view.
I had packed paper-wrapped cold cuts in the cooler without any plastic protection, so after the ice melted, we discovered the meats were a little soggy. Luckily, the bread was dry and thick, so it ended up soaking most of the moisture.
After lunch we hiked the Aniso Trail, a paved trail from Refugio Beach to El Capitan Beach. We didn’t make it all the way — it’s about a 5-mile round trip — but we saw bunnies and lizards and the ocean views were soothing.
That evening we enjoyed hot dogs and marshmallows by the fire.
The chirp of crickets and other insects made it hard to sleep, but the crash of the waves offset everything.
At 4 a.m. nature called, so I grabbed the flashlight. I was a bit apprehensive, but the bathroom was only 150 feet from our campsite.
I felt rested the next morning, and thought a pot of tea would help me greet the day, but realized I had brought the tea and pot, but had forgotten cups.
Camping was a good experience overall. I learned a few lessons, like packing cold cuts in plastic bags. I was able to relax and enjoy the time away.
My husband and daughter were more into it than I was, but if it means traveling, I’m in.
In fact, we’re already planning our next camping adventure in Sequoia National Park.