Happy Campers

Back to back camping trips - unexpected, but highly efficient. There was just enough time in between trips to get the laundry done, and all the gear was still piled in the garage and easy to throw back in our rig. Plus, we still had graham crackers and marshmallows left over from Tahoe.

"Camping at the beach" has been crossed off my summer to-do list.

After camping in two such different environments, I can say this: my children are about as different from each other as the mountains are to the beach. I live smack dab in between the two extremes. After all, I am a valley girl. Someone into positive B.S., such as myself, might argue that this dynamic creates balance in our family. It can also be a challenge.

Aidan was as happy as a loon running across the dunes gathering driftwood to add to the makeshift structure we found on the beach. Back at camp, he climbed trees, discovered nests, dissected owl pellets, and rolled down sandy slopes. At the end of the day he crashed in his sleeping bag, sand and found treasures spilling out of his pockets.

Avery, on the other hand, just wanted to know if there was a Starbucks nearby and if we'd be driving by any malls on the way home. Last child in the woods she is not. But I do not fret. Growing up, I was not that into nature either. Valley girls are usually most comfortable in highly populated and commercialized environments. And Avery, my little foothill home companion, is a valley girl at heart. The only treasure in her pocket is her iPod.

One day, she might find a latent naturalist growing within her. It is genetically possible. She might even hug a tree. And if not, that's OK. There's always a mall or two on the way home from just about every campground in California.

But my nature loving son and mall hugging daughter do have one thing in common: they both love the Iced Passion Tea Lemonade from Starbucks. And I love that the homemade version tastes just as good as the corporate one.

Tazo Passion Fruit tea + lemonade = a perfectly refreshing drink to sip while unpacking.

We still have marshmallows and graham crackers left, so we might not be done camping this summer. We'll keep our sleeping bags and fishing poles in easy reach just in case the river calls to us.