Back from Camping

My getaway.....we have been back for about a week and a half now and just really havent had time to get on the computer and blog. 

First of all for those of you that don't really know me, I love camping, especially where we go.  We go to a place that has NO CELLPHONE SERVICE!!!! YES!!!! that is a true vacation.  No work!  There is nothing out there but dirt, bushes and water...oh and bears and snakes...but thank God those didnt bug us.  Nor have they since we have been camping in the same spot.  Driving up, you definately see some snakes on the road, and rattlers at that. 

There is nothing but you and nature. No benches, no running water.  YES!  I camp there...some of you may be surprised, but then again, if you really know me, you know that this would be right up my alley.  I love to be out in the sun (when I'm not getting migranes) and just explore.  Funny thing, I was "exploring" away from our camp and found 3 bundles of firewood.  Out where we camp, that is like finding gold, because it gets COLD at night!!

Kennedy Meadows is where we go and its more like dessert mountains.  The days are hot this time of year and the nights are cold no matter when you go.  So much so that you need to have a really good sleeping bag and a nice warm body to cuddle up to is always nice.  Once the shade hits, its cold in like 5 minutes.  Days are so super hot, although, this year, they are having a late summer so it was pretty much perfect, 75 degrees out. But the air is so clean and unfiltered up there, it felt more like 88.  The sun is dangerous up there and we all came back a little burnt.  That was my first tan of the summer.

There is a stream up there, which, the water is cold no matter what time of the year.  Mid summer, the temperature of the water is bearable, but this month, it was just way too cold to get into.  Still beautiful to just watch.  And perfect sound of nature to fall asleep to at night.  I did take my bikini, but didnt actually get to show it off.  Although I did wear it for a little bit to get some sun.  If we were any closer to the water, we would have put the grapes and sodas and beer in the water to keep cold, but this time, we werent as close as we wanted to be.  The sites arent pay sites and they are first come first serve.

We invited a few friends from the dojo and quite frankly, I think that they have probably never really camped at a place that has nothing provided for you.  I know that before I started camping, I didnt know what to expect.  Now that I know, our family is very prepared.  But it took us years to know what we needed and how much food and water to really bring without having too much or too little.

Nights are nice up there.  Cold none the less, and turn in time is early for me up there, about 9:30.  You would be amazed at how dark it actually is up there without any lights from a big city in in the background.  And the amount of stars that you see out there is unbelievable.  There is so much stripped away from our vision living in a big city and it reminds me of how big of a world we really live in and how much of our daily hustle and bustle lives keep us away from real beauty in the world. 

For some of us, we never get to truly experience anything other than our "little world that we live in".  And thankfully, I have a husband that takes me away from my busy world for a vacation.  (Next year....HAWAII)  LOL

Its amazing that you are up in these mountains, but still reminded that you are in a desert.  On our little

hiking excursion, I took my camera and decided to take a few pictures.  I took this picture to the right only because, it was strange to me that a cactus can actually grow out a rock.  Funny!  And then, I decided to take the one to the left of a crazy ant hole, these ants werent small either, they were actually kinda scary looking.  Look closely, you can see them.  And the most amazing one that caught my eye was this huge tree that had millions of ants moving their home.  I was so close to this tree that even Stan was getting the heebie jeebies.  Look closely......do you see them?

Even though I do love camping, I have to say that nothing beats the comforts of home...Running water and electricity.  4 days is just about perfect for me to appreciate mother nature and everything that we really have on a regular basis.

But we always have great memories of camping.........