Camping trip California - Tent only

San Francisco is a very beautiful city. And even though it has fewer inhabitants than Cologne, it is very lively and after a few days in the city, it demands a bit of tranquility.

However, there are a few rules to consider for camping:

1. When choosing a campsite, choose it based on the surroundings and the possibility of getting one. Only after that, take a look at the sanitary facilities. If you choose one based on the cleanliness of the toilets/showers, it's not a good choice.

And remember: It can always be worse. The smart moms and dads wait for the cleaning to be done and then do their business. If you have to go early, tough luck!

2. Your new best friend is hand sanitizer. It ensures comfortable business transactions. You can even close your eyes and imagine a luxury bath. Then the environment isn't that unpleasant anymore.

3. Your second new friend is your flip flops. Remember the game "The floor is lava"? Here, it's "The floor is contaminated and your flip flops are your only way to survive without harm." It's even better if you can float like an elf.

4. You don't want to become part of the wildlife food chain. Raccoons are cute, but there's someone who eats raccoons. Like mountain lions or bears. By the way, it's easy to spot who doesn't care about cleanliness. They are the ones being visited by raccoons at night or crows in the morning. It's really funny to watch.

5. Never underestimate the mom when it comes to camping and nature. Besides the fancy mode, there's also the nature boys function, hammering pegs into the ground with a frying pan and listening to animals in the undergrowth at night.

6. And how wonderful is it to lie in a soft bed and to use the bathroom extensively after a camping trip.

But now, let's talk about our camping trip:

We went on a trip by car, which, thanks to a free upgrade on site, was an SUV and thus a rolling living room/makeup room, and with a rental camping equipment.

Our route was as follows:

Yosemite National Park - Monterey - Big Basin National Park - Pescadero Memorial National Park - San Francisco

The only fixed points were Yosemite National Park and Monterey.

At this point, I'd rather let the pictures speak and only give a few key points about each location.

Yosemite National Park

Accommodation: Reserve a campsite in the park well in advance before your trip, otherwise, you have to line up with other campers at 7 a.m. for available spots. Tip: Stay a bit outside at private campsites, where you won't be eaten by mosquitoes in the evening and the place can be reserved online and spontaneously.

Things to experience: Mountains, rock formations, hiking, waterfalls, climbing, wildlife, lots of people

Monterey

Accommodation: Veterans Memorial Park and Campground. Attention: First come, first served. If the place is full, you're out of luck. During the week, the situation is relaxed. On Fridays, Americans come for camping and it gets crowded.

You will sleep among old oaks and in the eerie fog that often rolls in in the evening.

Monterey downtown and wharf. Very touristy but worth seeing.

Whale watching and birding - an absolute must with a whale guarantee

Big Sur National Park. Along route 1 along the coast heading south - wildlife, Pacific Ocean, beach, mountains, hiking

Big Basin National Park

Accommodation: It's best to reserve here well in advance or arrive early and hope to get a spot through the waiting list for one night. We made it!!!

Things to experience: Mother and Father of Redwood trees, Redwood trees, hiking

Pescadero Memorial National Park

Accommodation: Definitely campsite D4 ;-)

Things to experience: Redwood trees, wildlife

We returned to San Francisco via route 1 with a stopover at Año Nuevo State Park. It not only impresses with its beautiful landscape and huge sand dunes, but also with the elephant seals that can be found there.

A camping trip through California is definitely worth it and a real adventure.

And don't forget: Every mom has a bit of a man in her :-p

Well then, let's move on to the next adventures.

Have Fun & Be Proud!

Your Jan/Mom