Camping - it does the body good

Last weekend my family made our annual camping trip to the coast. The trip was up in the air all the previous week due to rain in the forecast, but come Tuesday morning we got the all clear and packed up our stuff.

This trip means the world to me. I've been going on it every year, to the same place, since I was 5 months old. My parents camped here years before I was even born. It started as a work thing - a group of people my Dad worked with began going to Van Damme State Park, just outside Mendocino, for fun, friends, tasty adult beverages and a big Abalone cook off. (More on abalone later.) When I came along, I just got to join in the fun.

So, this camping trip holds many memories for me. Memories that I've really looked forward to sharing with my own children. Unfortunately we were unable to go last year - just WAY too much going on between my brother's wedding, me in a new job and the fact that Allyson was so little (even though we totally could have managed). I was pretty devastated those few times we had to cancel. Imagine my disappointment when I kept seeing rain in the forecast for last weekend's trip.

But we were ultimately successful and on our way. We packed up our stuff and headed out for the four hour drive to Mendocino.

I'll admit I was a bit nervous about a four hour drive with a toddler. Would she get car sick like her father is notorious for? Would she scream after the first two hours? Would it take us twice as long because we had to let the kiddo out to run around? We just had to wait and see.

We timed our departure with Allyson's nap time figuring we could get on the road and let her sleep. Here's a shot of what she looked like for about the first two hours.

She was pretty good for the rest of the way too. At about hour 3.5 she got pretty restless. We had to stop, change her and feed her lunch before we finished those last few miles to the campsite.

Here's a pic of Steve and my father-in-law Bruce setting up our tent. We bought a new tent this year because there was no way we could have added the pack'n'play into our old one and have any room for the pups and all our stuff. Tents these days are pretty awesome. These two had the tent up in no time.

Next item on the agenda was really just setting up the bar and food for dinner and commencing the hanging out that would take place over the course of the next three days. We arrived on a Thursday and had the group site at Van Damme until Sunday morning.

Here's a few shots of Allyson in the kiddo size camping chair my grandparents got for her. There must have been high speed cameras used here because the child would only sit in this thing for seconds.

Now let me take a moment to explain, for those of you who don't know, what the heck abalone is and why we make this trip up north every year just to have it.

Abalone is a large sea snail essentially. The meat of the abalone is considered a delicacy and has led to many years of over-farming. Due to this, abalone harvesting is strictly monitored in the US by the Department of Fish and Game. To "fish" for abalone you must have a fishing license and abalone stamp card. Each abalone picked must be larger than seven inches across the shell and each diver has a limit of three abalone per day or 24 per year max. Abalone must also be picked using a snorkel and breath-holding techniques or from the shore. Scuba diving for abalone is strictly prohibited.

My dad and brother are the abalone divers. I've been meaning to get out there and dive with them but I wasn't real interested in braving the frigid ocean when I was younger and these last few times I was either pregnant or chasing around a toddler. Maybe next year I'll join them out in the water.

Here's a shot of Dad and Matt heading out for their abalone dive. It was a gorgeous day last Friday. This beach is literally across the street (okay Highway 1's two lanes) from the campground.

This is what a fresh picked abalone looks like. (Caution - you could think this a little gross).

First things first. You've got to pry the abalone from it's shell. They're using special ab-irons. They also use these under water to pry the abalone's off the rocks they're suctioned too. For years my Dad told me he had a whistle he would blow (under water - yes - I was little and naive) and all the abalone would un-suck themselves from the rocks. I know now it's hard work to get these suckers off the rocks - all while holding your breath 15 to 20 feet beneath the surface in frigid Northern California waters.

This is what the abalone shell looks like once the mussel has been taken out. You can find tons of abalone jewelry in little shops in Mendocino. The stuff is really beautiful.

Then you have to whack the stuff out of them to loosen up the mussel. If not, when you slice and serve them it's just like eating tire rubber. Should you ever have the opportunity to have abalone - try it. The stuff is awesome!

Enough of the ab-talk. here are some more shots from the weekend.

Steve and Allyson sticking their tongues. Steve's really going to regret ever teaching her this one.

Allyson, Matt, Kirby and I goofing off around the campfire one evening.

Here's a sweet picture of Allyson and her Poppa G (my grandpa) blowing bubbles. I love that he calls her his "little buddy."

Kiddo sitting in the flowers. I can't believe Steve actually got a picture with a smile on this kids face.

More shots around the campfire...

This one is from Saturday night after a few margaritas and with Dad playing Irish drinking songs off his iPod. Kirby, Dad and I were singing, dancing and taking shots out of about a $60 bottle of aged Scotch. HA! Fun times.

All in all we had a fantastic time. We played Yahtzee, Scrabble, Cornhole...ate...drank...napped around the fire.

This last picture means a lot to me. There's a picture of me and my Dad in front of this sign from about - oh - 27 years ago. Now we have one of all three of us. I love it!

Hope you enjoyed.

~Becky