Day 1
Got out of town last weekend to partake in our first camping trip of the warm season. Nothing like packing five people into an aging Volvo wagon.
Koperski never seems to mind.
Got there just in time to set up camp, crack a few bottles of wine and wait for the sun to go down. So nice not to have to set up in the dark, hopefully we've started a new trend, though we never quite manage to get out of the house as early as I'd like.
Every year til this one we've started the warm weather camping season (as I like to call it) with a trip to China Camp for Curt's birthday. Though we've had fun every time, its always seemed colder than April ought to be and this year the executive decision was made to go somewhere where it'd at least be warmer than the city. Thus, Lake Del Valle was discovered and I don't think we'll ever go back to Marin camping again. Who knew that only 45 minutes out of the city you could hang out next to a gigantic lake and have the air around you hover at a lovely 85 degrees?
Even the camping area was next to a creek perfect for wading and all the sites were far enough apart that no one cared if we blasted Sabbath all day. Plus, we had at least 10 tents total and with our two sites combined we could spread out almost ten feet away from each other, always a plus if someone decides to puke in and around their tent at two in the morning.
Poor Machu Pichu was brought along as a sacrifice, but in the end he managed to keep quiet and observe the goings on and was completely forgotten in his perch.
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Day 2
Two-day camping is the best because you get to wake up (usually partially hungover) and do whatever you feel like without thinking about the drive home. We opted to make good use of our time by heading down to the lake.
Frankie and I brought along our inflatable boat (aka The Tub) and went out for a row.
I like the way water reflects under bridges.
Someone went fishing for socks.
Nothing like spending all day drinking beers in the sun with people you love.
Extreme badminton, probably the most misspelled game in history.
Galen never forgets the jam box.
Nobody caught fish for dinner, but we managed to bring just about every other type of snack. Group camping is always a bit interesting when it comes to making dinner, usually due to the grill space vs. hungry campers holding uncooked steaks dilemma, but this time someone though ahead and brought two little barbeques as well.
Yum.
No matter what, there's always too much food and never enough beer. Half the time it gets forgotten about once the first wave's been consumed (of food, that is) and its on to skillet drum jam bands and dogs named Bob. I guess thats just part of what makes camping so fun.
Fingers crossed there'll be more like times like this yet to come.
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Ready for fun? Time to get out into the warm, warm sun. Del Valle Regional Park is only 10 miles south of Livermore and under an hour's drive from the city. The easiest way to get there is on the 580 east and if you get off in Livermore you can stop by the Trader Joe's on E. Stanley before heading out S. Livermore Rd towards the park. The park itself has a small store where you can get ice and firewood and whatnot, but its best to stock up beforehand since you have to drive quite a ways for anything else. Our campsites were $18 a night and held up to 8 people and I think we'll definitely be back for more before the summer's out.