the. best. camping. trip. ever.

And I didn’t think last year’s camping trip could be topped! We had such fun at Cape Disappointment, but this year at Cape Lookout, the weather was beautiful and the beach was stunning.

We camped with two families this time, which only added to the fun. The group site was grassy and fenced with no trees, but it backed up to the dune–the only thing separating us from the mighty Pacific. The site was private from the rest of the campground, so the kids could spread out, explore, and be as loud as they wanted. I think they even spotted some living dinosaurs on some of their explorations. At least that’s what I heard.

The warm sun and cool breeze gave us the perfect beach weather. Camping next to the beach cut down on the number of things we had to drag onto the sand. The bigger boys collected jellyfish and built a “blob hospital” out of sand.

The littles dug with shovels along the dune–each one busy with her own imagination. Just north of us were some dramatic sea stacks, and one evening we three families hiked down towards the cape to discover a small cave in the cliff.

I especially loved walking for miles down the beach, deep in discussion with my friends.

The sunsets over the ocean were romantically gorgeous. At midnight one night Stephen and sneaked down to the water’s edge to see high tide in the moonlight.

 

Of course the best part of the camping experience is the campfire, so I was happy the Oregon burn ban didn’t apply to coastal campgrounds. We made s’mores, tacos, foil packet dinners, and these breakfast burritos (which I highly recommend), and of course bacon. I tried this Pound Cake & Berry dessert (who can resist a dessert made with Rolos?) but forgot to bring butter. It’s worth another try for sure–only with butter.

When I wake up in the tent each morning–freezing, stiff, still-tired, and uncomfortable–I think to myself, “WHAT have I gotten myself into?” But as soon as I’m up and have had some coffee by the fire, I’m back to my happy camping self. {I actually like camping–not something I would have ever predicted in my teens.}

A group picture in front of a lighthouse is getting to be a tradition. This time it was Cape Meares light that we visited and even climbed up inside.

We walked to the nearby Octopus Tree–“where all your dreams come true”–we decided. It’s a mystifying Sitka spruce that has no central trunk, but sprouts many trunks right from the ground. It’s about 300 years old.

Camping with friends is definitely the way to go. I treasure the life-giving conversations, the deep meandering kind. The extended time we invested in one another, the laughter we shared, and the memories we made are irreplaceable.