i willingly admit that i'm much more five-star than under the stars. i much prefer egyptian cotton to waterproof gore-tex.
but today, i'm patting myself on the back because i survived four nights camping with two two-year-olds, sleeping on dirt in a bag in startling proximity to a foraging black bear. and, i had fun!
how did this come about, one might ask.
well, we didn't have it in the budget for summer on cape cod this year, but i knew it would be necessary to get the family out of the fog to remember that summertime, everywhere else north of the equator, means sunshine and warmth, beaches and barefeet, ice cream and corn-on-the-cob.
so, when a friend offered us a campsite reservation at dl bliss state park, i jumped on it despite the fact that we own not one iota of camping gear. not even a tent. unless you count parker's ladybug tent. fortunately, we have good and generous friends and family, and after a few phone calls we were totally hooked up. plus, michael read was joining us with his adorable blonde girls, (malena-four, sylvia-two) and traveling kitchen. we were good to go.
the subaru packed to the gills, we left on father's day around noon. i had packed, shopped, and strategized gear acquistion for more than a week. the ride up was peaceful, the kids slept much of it and we arrived at a beautiful site just up a small hill from a sandy beach on the shore of the lake.
dl bliss state park is slightly north of emerald bay, one of the prettiest spots on lovely lake tahoe. the site had a grill, fire pit, food locker, running water nearby, and clean bathrooms with hot showers.
we enjoyed three nights of gorgeous sunsets, campfires, s'mores and jiffy pop, and celebrated michael's birthday with mojitos, champagne, chicken teriyaki, corn-on-the-cob, and a lemon cake. days were spent basking in the warm sun and plunging in the refreshingly chilly lake water, riding bikes or putzing and lounging around the campsite. or for roman, playing taxi cab in the front seat of the subaru. the girls got along famously–instant bffs. definite bliss.
but, the state park folks mean it when they warn you about the tenacity of the resident bear population – food needs to be locked away unless you are in the midst of preparing it lest you get slapped with a thousand dollar fine or worse, mauled by smokey. leave nothing with odors in your car, including toiletries and diapers, put away any garbage in locked bins.
and sure enough, just after twilight on our last night, we heard a screech for a nearby camper's whistle and others clanging pans. bear! i looked up to see the hulking silhouette of a magnificent black bear lumbering on the edge of camp.
ok, next time, maybe a resort...
