This past weekend, we went camping at Pinnacles National Monument. It was warm throughout the weekend with high’s in the high 70s and low 80s and night-time lows in the mid-50’s, but we also got a teensy bit of rain (in the middle of the night and Saturday morning) and it was a bit windy as well!
Our hope was that the kids would nap in the car (we were driving with Heather and Taliana) so that they’d be nice and refreshed once we got to camp! But, both kids were so excited, they had a tough, tough time falling asleep. Luckily, Taliana finally fell asleep which finally helped Dylan and they both got in about 45 minutes and 30 minutes of rest, respectively!
Since Assaf got in so late (about 8pm), it ended up being a very late night for all of us! We quickly had a dinner of curried lentils, carrots, and corn over cous cous (luckily, Tom and I had prepared this at home and it was a simple reheat operation at the camp) and then began the long night-time routine! We skipped the ice-cream making plans for that night and ended up sleeping only around 11pm.
On Saturday, we went for a hike along the Moses Spring Trail (so-named for a little ribbon of water that was let loose from the rocks by some intrepid explorers. It reminded them of Moses parting the waters and so the name stuck).
It was short — a 2.4 mile loop — but half of it was a fairly steep and consistent uphill! Along the way, we walked through some tunnels, smelled California Buckeye flowers, learned about lichen, toyon (or winterberry), learned a bit about the geography (Pinnacles is part of the remains of a volcano), and enjoyed a snack by the reservoir.
Dylan had a meltdown on the way back — he was really tired and it was really hot, the trail was very rocky and steep in some parts — but he wanted to walk it, all the while complaining that he was tired and hot! We had to struggle to load him into the backpack carrier where Poor Tom had to listen to him shrieking for a at least a good half mile!
Once back at camp, we tried to get the kids to nap, but it was so hot in the tent! But, after some effort (lots of cold towels, the existence of a nice breeze, and a short car-ride for Dylan), they both fell asleep….
Once they awoke, we had dinner and made a coconut-milk based chocolate mint chip ice cream, thoroughly enjoyed by all!
The next morning, we really only had time for breakfast (a southwest tofu scramble with sundried tomatoes, salsa, spinach and carrots; vegan sausage; and toast) before we had to pack things up and head out!
Our last stop before leaving was the Visitor’s Center. The kids finished some activities in their junior ranger books and we thought we’d get the ranger to sign the Certificate of Achievement at the back of their books! But, much to our surprise, they got more than just the ranger’s signature! They took an oath to keep the parks clean and safe and got a nice patch and a junior ranger button. It was very sweet and Dylan was so proud of his, he wanted to wear it to school the next day!
All in all, it was another great camping experience (meltdowns aside)! And, we’re looking forward to taking the kids again next year…!
