Would You Ever Car-Camp?

What is car-camping you ask? It’s camping, but instead of sleeping in a tent, you sleep in a car. It was a first for me this past weekend and will probably be my LAST time as well! Lol. It wasn’t my idea. But I do love adventure, road-trips, nature, and new experiences, so I was completely open to the idea. It was also my first time in the mountains of Idyllwild.

Idyllwild is a charming mountain town about a two and a half hour drive from Los Angeles. When we arrived, the first thing we did was stop at a gastropub for beer and a late lunch with a view. Then walked around town. There were lots of little shops with knick knacks. We picked up some groceries for dinner and then headed to the campsite only to find that the road to the campsite was closed. We had to park the car off the side of the road, on the slant of a hill near the road closure, and set up base there because we didn’t know where else to go. It was starting to get dark. And that’s when the adventure truly began.

We didn’t have lamps. Our phone flashlights were our only light. We used a propane burner stove that needed to be propped up on a rock for cooking, and we still needed to do cooking prep in the dark. It was a lot of work, cleaning the veggies, seasoning raw meat, chopping everything up and trying to prevent everything from sliding off the Yetti trunk, with very little work space. Surprisingly, dinner turned out pretty good considering it was done on the fly. But then we had to clean up, pack up the materials, and store them away before bed.

I have never peed in nature before. I know this may be hard to believe, but I’ve never peed outdoors in public. So I don’t have much squatting experience. It was my first time and it was not pleasant in the dark! As a result, I didn’t drink enough water and was pretty dehydrated.

Sleeping in the car with a blow up car mattress was pretty comfortable. I think I sleep pretty well in nature. I’ve camped in a tent one time before and I remember I slept pretty hard then, too. Maybe because there’s nothing else to do? There is little room to move around, sit up, or to search for your bags to grab things. And no personal space from whoever you’re sharing the car with. It was also really cold at night. I slept in sweatpants and a hoodie. I would never do this alone. In the middle of the night, we were woken up by what we imagined to be drunk drivers in a jeep, zooming up our way, back and forth. Nothing happened, but you never know with these things. I was scared and that kept me up for a bit.

The best part of any nature trip for me is waking up to the fresh, crisp mountain air. I love that smell and that feeling. There was morning dew on the car windows. We woke up early and then fell back asleep (I can never do that in LA). I love the tranquility of being in nature. We originally wanted to make eggs for breakfast, but since cooking was so much work the night before, we decided to drive into town to grab breakfast.

After breakfast, we did a 5.5 mile hike. I hadn’t hiked in two months because I fractured my foot back in July. The hike was harder than I expected because of the elevation, but we got some great pictures. It didn’t have a view at the top but it did have views along the way.

I still had a great experience, but I would never car-camp again. The juice was not worth the squeeze. I felt dirty. I slept with my make-up on. So much equipment to pack and bring. So much work cleaning everything up and putting everything away. That’s what Airbnbs are for. Renting a home can still give you exposure to nature with the added benefits of a proper bathroom and kitchen. You can still cook, be comfy, and be in nature. Car-camping is unnecessary, but I’m glad I got to try it! I returned home with at least seven mosquito bites and a large bruise on my butt and all over my legs. Oh, and a toenail popped off my foot this morning. I did enjoy the brief opportunity to unplug from my phone, social media, and the internet. But I am really happy to be home, sleeping in my own bed, using a toilet, and cooking in my kitchen!

Lost in Death Valley

I have been working a lot recently and feeling a little stressed and overwhelmed. I have been craving a little adventure. I love the desert and Death Valley had been on my list for awhile so I thought it would be the perfect little roadtrip that I needed to reset. And I am so grateful that I finally got the opportunity to visit!

Death Valley is a far drive (5 hrs from LA) and there’s even more driving once you get there, but it’s totally worth it. I advise staying within the park (we stayed at The Ranch at Death Valley) to limit the amount of driving you would need to do and packing lots of snacks and food (and wine or whiskey) for your day trips, hikes, and picnics. Death Valley is so unique in that it has many contrasting sites and terrain. We walked along the rim of Ubehebe crater, hiked through Mosaic slot canyons, walked over salt flats under the blazing sun, climbed up a giant rock along Golden Canyon to enjoy a little picnic with a view, trekked down a mountainside at Zabriskie Point to find the perfect isolated spot to enjoy whiskey and charcuterie while watching the sunset, stargazed in the middle of nowhere, drove through a long windy road to see the colorful mountains of Artist’s Palette, hiked to Darwin’s waterfall, attempted to sand surf (it didn’t work lol), and ran up and down the massive Mesquite sand dunes. There were so many more places in Death Valley that I would have loved to have seen or spent more time at but we couldn’t fit it all in with all the driving involved. But in the 2 nights and 3 days we spent there, we did manage to see a lot! I was definitely a little achy and exhausted by the end of the trip, but it was worth it. I had the best time!

Let's Hike!

It feels like the new year just started and somehow it’s March already and I haven’t submitted this post (it has been sitting in my drafts)! There’s so much stress and anxiety that not only comes with ending a year but also beginning a new one. There’s so much hope but also a lot of fear at the same time. I definitely felt it. Anyone else? What sometimes helps me with that pressure is going on little adventures and hikes, getting outside, being in nature, climbing a mountain.

You don't always have to go far for a little adventure. Beauty is sometimes just around the corner. I started the first weekend of the new year going on one of the most amazing hikes in SoCal called The Bridge to Nowhere in Asuza, CA. It kind of reminded me of The Narrows in Zion in Utah. The Bridge to Nowhere is also a popular spot for bungee jumpers. It’s a long hike but relatively flat. The drive there alone is magical with the view of the mountains and the reservoir. We must have gone after a rainfall because there was a pretty decent stream with a strong current running through the hiking trail. We packed lunch and snacks and we were hoping to have a little picnic at the bridge, but we ended up never making it to the bridge. Because the sun sets earlier in the winter, you really need to allot enough time to get there and back before dark and we, unfortunately, started too late in the day. Regardless, it was such a beautiful hike and journey! We climbed around precarious boulders, crossed strong currents at least 4 times, saw big horn sheep, and hiked for 5 hours.

I don’t know what this year will look like, but I’m definitely looking forward to more adventures this year.