John and I went camping last Monday down in Big Sur. Is it just me, or do all the beaches around here look the same? Seriously, I felt like we could have been in Mendocino or Half Moon Bay or down in Santa Cruz. Yeah, it was beautiful, but I’m not convinced camping is all it’s cracked up to be. I’m cool to go hiking, but at the end of the day, what beats a long soak in the hot tub and a cozy sleep in my own bed?
Yeah, yeah, it’s the experience of getting away from it all. Must the escape be so extreme? I mean, no cell reception AND no wifi? Why isn’t it sufficient to just sunbathe on your patio, or lie out in the park? I just don’t get it. And what exactly are you escaping? Is life so bad that you need to head out to the quasi-wilderness only to recreate the creature comforts of your abode? If it’s just a vacation, fine. I get it. I get the desire to change your scenery, to see new things. But in my own defense, I get a lot of fucking enjoyment from being connected, from reading blogs and twitter feeds and whatever. I don’t find a need to pretend like I’m a settler moving west for Manifest Destiny. Ah well, as my coworker explained, camping’s not for everyone.
I should mention a few things too about our campgrounds. Most public campgrounds do not allow dogs, so thank goodness we found a private campground with luxurious amenities like hot water, shower facilities, and toilets. Yes, it was pretty much car camping at Big Sur Campgrounds, but hey if you’re not an uber purist, this place is very clean, their staff is nice, and location is convenient, just north of Pfeiffer Beach.
That said, sleeping in a sleeping bag on the ground is not comfy, and when the temps dip around 40, it’s pretty damn chilly. The dogs did not rest well at all. Certainly by morning, we had four crankpots in the tent.
As for the tent itself, I was glad to benefit from the latest innovations in camping equipment. Tents now are surprisingly easy to assemble and so light to lug around. Years ago, we had overnighted in a tent on a whitewater rafting trip in West Virginia. I don’t really acknowledge that trip as our first camping experience because we totally ended up raiding the WalMart for all sorts crap to make ourselves comfortable, but point is, back then, I had borrowed camping gear from my friend Andrea, and let’s just say, pitching her tent took way longer than 5 minutes. This time, it was so simple. We were done so fast, we were on to the next to do (yes, I have a todo even on vacation).
Interestingly, a couple of lots over, I watched in disbelief (and horror) as a small family unloaded their SUV chock full of shit. Jesus, there were only three people (2 adults, 1 child), but the amount of crap they had packed could have supported an entire summer camp. They had this monster-ass tent with multiple rooms, they had carpet for outside, chairs, a table-top grill, a tablecloth, for crissakes! I mean, I dunno where they live, but is it really necessary to recreate the comforts of suburban life in the middle of a forest? I just don’t understand the appeal. Why not just BBQ at home? If nature is what you seek, go be in nature without all the junk. Totally bizarre.
As for my relationship with nature, for me, I’m drawn to just exercising outdoors. But I don’t have to be in a remote or undeveloped area. In fact, I am probably more of a city parks kind of gal. I like paved trails, sidewalks, picnic tables, basketball courts, tennis courts, swimming pools, etc.
Maybe that’s why I was bored. Yeah, we took the dogs hiking along the beach, the drive down was very scenic, we pitched the tent, built the campfire, etc. But by the time we finished dinner, there was nothing else to do. And when I’m idle, I get extremely sleepy. I hit the sack around 8pm! John said we’re supposed to tell stories around the campfire, but I had spent the entire day with him already… what more was there to talk about? What stories? He knows all the stories of my life. Oh well. He admitted he was bored with me too.
Next time I suppose we’ll try camping with a group. I dunno. I’ll give it another try. Sigh. I’d so much rather go rollerblading or swimming or biking in the neighborhood though…