Red Rock Canyon January 2019

Rainbow Canyon

It's been a few years and many, many trips undocumented. We find ourselves coming to this space as an archive, a family journal, going through memory after memory. Now we are a family of five, THREE boys: Jackson 8, Arlo 5, and Townes 1 1/2. Time is going by so fast and we are having such a great time. I'm constantly trying to catch up on the documenting, or trying to find new ways to organize the memories. In December we hiked around Rainbow Canyon in Barstow. The wind was whipping and it was cold, but the views were out of this world. We even came across a tarantula! 

Table Mountain

The first time we visited this place I didn't think much of it. I didn't give it a fare chance, and we also didn't get to choose a very good campsite the first time around. I thought little of large campgrounds because they usually come with lots of people and lots of noise, two things we try and get away from when we go camping. Table Mountain has 111 sites in total, set up on the top of a sloping ridge that over looks the mojave desert and surrounding San Gabriel mountains. The sloping ridge causes most of the campsites to be spread out quite well (although not all). Some of the loops seem like small campgrounds unto themselves. I've come to appreciate large campgrounds like this one because with their greater number of sites comes a greater chance of getting a sweet spot to set up shop for a bit and enjoy the beauty that surrounds. We are a family of four with small kids and this place was perfect for us. Its hard to get out and explore like we did pre-little-ones but this campground has a lot to offer, and all within walking distance. The campground itself is clean and has a friendly staff who look after the place. Bathrooms are vault toilets, and there are plenty of water spigots, most with 5 gallon bucks to put out your fire (also work great for washing our dirty two year old). There's a really nice amphitheater that has programs for the kids on Saturday nights during the summer, I believe they played a movie the night we were there. There is a trail that loops around the whole campground, and a disc golf corse right next door to the campground. I hiked most of the trail with JW, we saw some great birds and the views over looking the desert below were phenomenal. I highly recommend reserving a spot here. Our second stay here was much more enjoyable because of this. We stayed in site #40 all out on it's own. Only bummer is that it didn't have a lot of shade, but it has a really nice view of the surrounding mountains! Most of the sites on the edge of the campground have great views, sites #54 and #55 looked amazing.

Lone Pine Camp ground :: Inyo National Forest - Eastern Sierras

How we have missed the Eastern Sierras for the last two years.  We finally made it back, and to a campground that we have not stayed at before. Lone Pine campground is right above the Alabama Hills at an elevation of 6,000 feet.  The Alabama Hills is one of our favorite spots in the Eastern Sierras, and a must visit if you love high desert Joshua-Tree-like-magic. One of the things I value most in a campground is the view it provides, and Lone Pine Campground has one of the best views I have ever seen.  The campground sits at the foot of Mount Whitney and holds a commanding view of her. Waking up early to see the sun's first rays hit the top of the peaks is a must when staying here. (Thanks for waking us up before the sun rise JW! )

The campground is tucked in a tiny little valley created by a stream that runs through it. It is full of life as the birds and bunnies flock to the cover of the trees and bushes in an otherwise sparse landscape. One of the many reasons I love the Eastern Sierra as apposed to the Western side is the lack of trees (I know this sounds blasphemous just hear me out!). Even at 6,000 feet the trees are few and far between allowing for mind blowing views of the gigantic gray granite that seems to explode out of the high desert beauty of the Owens Valley. 

The campground is well equipped and well taken care of. We visited in the early fall after the peak hiking season for Mount Whitney. We didn't need reservations and less then half the sites were occupied. The sites are small and some are quite close together, but there is decent privacy provided by other sites, I would recommend visiting here in the off season to avoid the crowds.   

Whitney at sun rise

This boy loves water! 

Whitney Portal

Alabama Hills

San Simeon State Park :: Central Coast

This trip took the family up to the central coast for a night under the stars at San Simeon State Park. We also visited some good friends in Morro Bay and took a little trip to SLO. Amanda's growing belly (she's pregnant, by the way!) has slowed us down a bit, but she is a super-trooper who still loves adventure.  The night we camped at San Simeon happened to be a "blue moon" night. The moon was huge and bright, and  beautiful. (We also learned that "blue moon" means the occasional appearance of a full moon twice in one month!)

San Simeon State Park consists of two campgrounds about a 5 minute drive from one another. One is "developed" and the other is "primitive"(primitive meaning no flush toilets or showers - in our opinion hot showers are not for camping). We stayed in the primitive campground, Washburn. Washburn has no problem accommodating a 30 foot trailer and is not primitive in our book, but thats just our opinion.
We actually prefer Washburn! Friendly people, great fire wood for cheap, beautiful surroundings.

There are beautiful hiking trails around the campground. 

Poor JW took a good fall and scrapped up his face.

There is so much to do along the Central Coast. Just north of San Simeon is the Hearst Castle. Just south is Cambria, Cayucus, Morro Boy, then San Luis Obispo - all beautiful areas.

Amanda wrote a little bit about the trip here.