I thought our first time camping with the twins (camping debacle of 2015) would also be our last, but either due to my memory fading, or sheer insanity, we decided to give it another shot during the girls’ Spring Break.

We should have waited until the last minute to tell the girls about our plans to go beach camping in San Clemente, because it’s all they would talk about for a week (an eternity, in their minds). Apparently, the only things they associate with camping are s’mores and campfires because those were the main topics we heard them discussing with each other before our excursion.

We decided to take it slow and reserved just one night at these cute vintage trailers in San Clemente. We had all the fun of being outdoors, by the beach, with a campfire, and watching the stars, while being able to have a convenient place to play, cook and sleep inside the trailer.

All in all, we had a fabulous time (I can say that because Meredith and I left after dinner to sleep at home and, consequently, thought camping was amazing!)

Greetings from the 1950s!

Amelia lounging.

I just loved these adorable trailers!

Someone had to be on Meredith duty 24/7– she loved to wander near the road, next to the fire, inside other people’s campsites and had the time of her life in the dirt! Chasing her around and keeping her from getting burned was definitely the most exhausting part of our camping trip.

The trailer was stocked with board games (not that the girls knew how to play Monopoly or Scrabble, but they pretended like they did!) and had basic kitchen staples and bedding. It was nice not to have to worry about packing some of those essentials. We basically packed clothes, food and showed up, no assembly required, which made the whole experience that much easier.

The girls alternated between climbing trees, playing games, and complaining they were bored. When it was time to go the next day, they started whining and screaming that they wanted to stay because they were having so much fun… go figure.

The trailers also had horseshoes, bean bag tossing, soccer and footballs, and bocce ball to play with the other campers. Our neighbors were all nice and commended us for attempting to camp with young kids. We didn’t really consider this real camping, especially since both of us grew up camping in actual mountains in Utah/Idaho, but this was a good entry point into enjoying the outdoors with the young kids without having to sleep on the ground or pack as much gear.

Meredith’s favorite was the bean bag toss.

Snack break.

There was a nice ocean breeze blowing the entire time we were there, which made perfect conditions for kite flying.

Amelia was proud to keep her kite flying for a few minutes.

Meredith annoyed the twins by running around and tangling herself in the kite string.

The natives were getting restless and threatening to mutiny, so we quickly switched gears and prepared an early dinner. Whether at home or camping, getting HANGRY at the 4-5 p.m. hour is a thing!

Wrong side, Meredith!

The girls wolfed down dinner and rushed straight to their beloved s’mores making.

The best part of camping was the beach, of course!   

This was only Samantha’s third day wearing her new glasses (more on that later), and she did a great job keeping them on and safe.

Besties.

Love you, sis.

At dusk, Meredith and I packed up and made the twenty minute drive home as planned, while Jake stayed overnight with the twins. They were texting me random selfies, unicorn and smiley face emoticons, and pictures of the stars well past their normal bedtime! Jake reported that after gazing at the constellations, texting me, general silliness and non-stop chatting, they finally conked out at 9 p.m. I said a prayer for Jake’s sanity and then slumbered peacefully in my own cozy bed!

Unfortunately, the trailer did not have blackout shades or their white noise machine to help them sleep in, so the girls were the first campers up at the crack of dawn (and probably woke up the entire place). By the time Meredith and I arrived back at the campground at 7:30 a.m., they had already made and eaten scrambled eggs and pancakes and were down at the beach playing! Having had a wonderful night’s sleep, Meredith and I were in good spirits, while Jake was sore and grumpy, and the twins alternated from wild crazies to sleep-deprived meltdown maniacs the rest of the morning.

Meredith was happy to be reunited with everyone.

Too much love.

One of the neighbors had a slack line set up and we all took turns balancing on it. It was a great workout!

We spent the rest of the morning at the uncrowded beach.

We must have spent at least an hour burying each other in the sand. The girls requested that I make them into dolphins, whales, and mermaids.

Seaweed hair for Amelia.

Beach frisbee.

For some reason, Meredith was having some sensory issues with the sand. Get me outta here!

Happy in Daddy’s arms.

Digging herself into a hole.

We watched surfers, build sand castles and saw pods of dolphins swimming, all while lounging on the sand.

SO many rocks to choose from.  

Watching the Surfliner.

The whole morning felt so unhurried and unscheduled and we all enjoyed just hanging out together with the beautiful beach to ourselves. It was the perfect “slow living” day!

We regret not having booked another night 1. because it felt like we had just barely gotten there and then had to pack up and 2. the girls were positively livid when we started packing up to leave. We had to drag both angry/sleep-deprived girls into the car and rushed them straight into baths and bed for a long nap when we got home. It was definitely the highlight of their Spring Break and they were so excited to tell all their classmates and their teachers about beach camping when they returned. So far, our camping trajectory is on its way up from the last time, so by next time, I may even be brave enough to stay overnight with Meredith!

Our second camping experience with the girls was much more of a success than the last time, but looking back, some things never change… hangry meltdowns, sleep-deprivation and gorging on s’mores, to name a few!

Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Lots of love,