Camping Means Sometimes Sleeping in Curious Spaces

“Have you ever been camping?”

Yes, I have!

I went camping for the first time during my first year of college. I had gone on a team building retreat with a campus organization to Feather River Camp in Quincy, California (located about 240 miles/386 km northeast of San Francisco), where we went on a short hike and completed a ropes course. I remember sharing a large tent cabin with several fellow students. We each slept on mattress pads on beds with really squeaky springs!

My first impressions of camping

Considering I grew up with the notion that camping was uncomfortable and dangerous, I was pleasantly surprised that that wasn’t my experience at all!

I learned that I liked waking up surrounded by towering trees. I learned that walking outside to the campsite bathrooms first thing in the morning wasn’t as inconvenient as I had imagined. I recall how the fresh air filled my lungs as I cut through the wispy early morning mist, making me feel like I was still asleep and dreaming.

I loved hearing the crunch of dried leaves under my footsteps as our group hiked along a short trail beside a burbling river. I’d never seen so many stars so clearly with my bare eyes before!

Years later, I went to Yosemite National Park with friends and I got a big confidence boost when I learned how to pitch a tent and start a campfire. Unlike my first camping trip in Quincy, we had just the basics: tent, sleeping bag, and easy-to-make meals. Having fewer amenities helped me be more present. It helped me bond with my group.

Camping means sometimes sleeping in curious spaces

When one thinks of camping, images of sleeping in tents, cabins, camper vans, caravans, or recreational vehicles (RVs) come to mind.

But what about camping in unconventional places, like a nursery school cafeteria, chapel in a forest, bunker on a beach, or a former jail cell?

Say what?

When I did volunteer work in France one summer (many, many years ago), my group and I slept on cots or mats in a nursery school (école maternelle) cafeteria for nearly a month. It was like one giant bedroom and every night was a fun sleepover! One weekend, we’d completed only half of a hike through Tronçais Forest when night fell. We decided to resume the hike first thing in the morning, so we respectfully rolled out our sleeping bags onto the smooth floor of a stone chapel located in the middle of the forest.

>> Read more of my experience volunteering in Hérisson, France

The following summer, I got to stay in my own dormitory in a former military barracks for almost a month when I led an international volunteer project at the Presidio of San Francisco. Each room in the building was sparsely furnished with a twin bed, chair, and a sink.

As National Park Service volunteers, our group was invited to spend a night on Alcatraz, the former high-security prison located in the San Francisco Bay. We each got to sleep in a jail cell in D-Block, which once housed the most notorious inmates, like Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Stroud, aka the “Birdman of Alcatraz.” It was so dark and quiet in there! I recall zipping my sleeping bag as far up as it would go so I wouldn’t see any ghosts. (Thankfully, I didn’t.)

To celebrate the end of the project, we brought our sleeping bags and spent the night in a bunker at Battery Chamberlin on Baker Beach after a particularly boisterous barbecue.

>> Read more of my experience volunteering at the Presidio of San Francisco

Glamping

More recently, my dear cousin organized a family glamping trip to Manchester, California (located about 150 miles/240 km north of San Francisco), near Manchester State Park and beaches on the Mendocino Coast.

Talk about glamorous camping!

The campsite we went to had two playgrounds, a pool, and courts to play bocce, basketball, and volleyball. Organized activities included a group campfire, an ice cream social, and an outdoor movie screening. It was more like a resort than a campground!

The deluxe loft cabin we stayed in had two bedrooms, plus the loft sleeping area; a sofa bed, and a full bathroom with tub and shower. It also came with a TV, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, pots, pans, dishes, and utensils. Towels and beddings were not provided, so we brought our own.

As for food, we took turns preparing meals. We grilled some thick-cut smoked bacon, lean beef burger patties, sweet corn on the cob, and chocolate banana boats (my favorite camping snack). My sister-in-law brought an air fryer and she made delicious garlic seasoned chicken wings!

I enjoyed the comfy cabin, which had everything we needed to feel at home, but I refused to get spoiled!

Simply being in nature – that’s what we came for. Instead of multi-story buildings, seeing sky-scraping trees was visually refreshing! Going outside with unkempt hair and no makeup? Sweet, low-maintenance dreams are made of this!

My favorite moments were the times we did simple activities, like roasting marshmallows in the fire pit and playing music trivia games. 🎶

Camping tips

I’ve learned from previous camping trips to remember the following:

Essential gear: hat, menstrual hygiene products, water shoes, extra batteries for lanterns, thermal underwear, small garbage bags, reusable water bottle, eye drops

Camping etiquette: keep pets close, drink alcohol in moderation, dispose of all trash, play music at a low volume and turn it off when it’s dark outside

Safety precautions: walk with a partner when venturing out after dark, bring a paper map and a compass (in case your mobile device loses power or cell service/internet is spotty or unavailable); wait for charcoal to cool completely before discarding

Let’s go camping

Whether glamping or roughing it, camping affords some of life’s true luxuries, like precious time to nurture interpersonal relationships, a restorative respite from the hurried pace of daily life, and an improved sense of well-being from exploring new surroundings!

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Answers to the “Name that tune” trivia game above:

1. “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter
2. “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane
3. “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison

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Thanks for reading Bonjour: A Francophile Blog!