Our First Camping Trip - Sequoia National Park July 2020

Our Great Escape

Camping. It’s not my favorite hobby but something the boys had been asking to do for a long time.

We headed out to Sequoia National Park, where a limited number of reservations are available in certain campgrounds. We stayed at the Sunset Campground located on the Kings Canyon side of the park near the General Grant Sequoia Tree (second largest tree in the world).

The campground area was quiet and serene.

There weren’t many people around, which was perfect for social distancing purposes. There was a bathroom available a short walk away but no showers. We had our own bear box, fire pit and picnic table. We also improvised our own shower using a water bag that hung from a tree and a blue tarp served as a shower curtain.

The kids played all day long.

Benny and Toby were super happy playing hide and seek, pretending to be huntsmen, building their own cabins out of sticks, painting rocks, blowing bubbles and collecting pine cones. There was no cell phone connection, no internet, no screens or tablets, no news alerts constantly making us aware of more bad news. It was just me and the boys at our campsite with the silent breeze from the trees, a few table games and plenty of ingredients to enthusiastically make S’mores…

We hiked up to see the General Grant tree.

We swam in a fresh water river (with actual trout swimming around us) and we cooked all our meals every single day. No Doordash deliveries or Uber Eats, just simple meals that made us look forward to sitting together three times a day.

It was inspiring to be in the middle of nowhere.

I can’t describe how pleasant it felt to experience the slow progression of an entire day with nothing to feel rushed or stressed about. It was also refreshing to see the kids connect with nature. The stars were bright and plentiful. The smell of fresh trees and clean air was really a thing.

After a couple of nights, however, sleeping inside a tent made me miss my bed.

That’s not to say I wouldn’t return. I’m actually very glad we went camping. A visit to the neighboring Giant Forest is a must-do for families. Being surrounded by such immense trees grounded me and reminded me that humans are but tiny creatures in a planet of fantastic and grandiose life forms. We are no more valuable than the majestic sequoias and no more important than the elements that have kept them alive and flourishing for hundreds of years.

Thanks for reading, friends!

Xo,

-Anabel M.