So last weekend was our annual KOA “Kleerup Organized Activity” (vs Kampgrounds Of America) camp-out back in California. We ate, we drank, we slept in tents, and we overall had a great time …<\/p>\n
Weather<\/strong>: \u00a0We’ve been camping up at Lake San Antonio in Monterey Co. (on the inland side, above Paso Robles) for several years now. \u00a0The general rule is, it’s hot. \u00a0As in gasping \/ sweating \/ ennervating hot. \u00a0As in Paso is usually high 90s, making the campsite in the low 100s.<\/p>\n Now, despite that totally awful thing, there are fine reasons for us to be where we are. The site is a very nice one (capable of handling our numbers, with electricity and water at each pad, plus a bathroom complex with flush toilets and showers), the lake provides water skiing, there are some fine opportunities for biking, and Paso is a great, young wine region.<\/p>\n But that first afternoon, setting up camp, can be brutal.<\/p>\n This year — well, mildly bullying, but hardly brutal. \u00a0Temps in Paso in the high 80s. \u00a0Temps in camp probably low 90s. \u00a0Not great, but there’s a huge <\/em>difference both during the setup and just hanging out in camp. \u00a0We eschewed misters, and had a tolerably clement time.<\/p>\n Food\/Theme<\/strong>: \u00a0So this is camping, but it’s not your Scoutmaster’s camping. \u00a0We eat like kings. \u00a0We drink like … well, kings. \u00a0It’s “camping” because we sleep in tents (usually with air matresses and the like), but even a hedonist like I am finds very little to complain about.<\/p>\n This year’s theme was Italy (in honor of our recent trip). \u00a0Saturday dinner, especially, was Italy-themed, and we had dueling -cellos and plenty of pasta and salad and the like. \u00a0There was also costuming, from folks in Italian racing garb, to competing Mario\/Luigi\/Peach groups, to some poor shlub who was doing the Statue of David …<\/p>\n There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the food versus other years, but any camp-out where you have full salad bars, or BBQed steak, or chicken piccata, etc., plus wine and hors d’oevres and open bars and the like \u00a0… well, nobody went away hungry, save by choice.<\/p>\n Wine<\/strong>: \u00a0We did one field trip down to the wine country (about 45 minutes downhill) this year. \u00a0A couple of noteworthy stops were Chronic (the offspring from Peachy Canyon doing some very nice blends) and Linne Calodo (who have won back our customer service spirits with a tasting-by-appointment that actually showed a decent amount of attention and involvement, vs. the past several years of sample-buy-gettouttahere at their old tasting room).<\/p>\n We didn’t do a winemaker dinner this year. \u00a0Maybe next.<\/p>\n People<\/strong>: \u00a0This was one of the bigger groups we’ve had. \u00a0We’ve been averaging 40-50 the past few years, but this year we were up around 75, dropping down to 57 or so for Sunday dinner (the camp runs from Friday afternoon through Monday morning; there’s usually some drop-off Sunday for those who have to go back to work).<\/p>\n Along with that 75 were about 20 young’uns from 6 months to 16. That was a fine number — there was no pack behavior, but everyone could find someone(s) to hang with and do stuff.<\/p>\n One of the neat things about the group — true every year to some extent, but particularly this year — was everyone pitched in. \u00a0Yeah, there are some core leaders (Jim and Ginger are tireless in this, with some trusted lieutenants to help organized stuff), but when all it takes is a shout that it’s time to clean up dishes from dinner and instantly a dozen folks coalesce around the wash line — well, that’s what makes all this possible.<\/p>\n Change is Inevitable<\/strong>: \u00a0So we’ve been in the lower loop of the group campsite since we started going here. \u00a0Through some diabolical scheme, though,the group that’s been in the upper loop managed to ace us out for reservations next year.<\/p>\n So next year we’ll be in the upper loop — a bit less breeze, a bit closer to the road, views more scattered and less panoramic, closer to the boat dock (and thus subject to some foot traffic to it), a bit further from the bathroom, less obvious a central area, but more flat (and shaded) land to pitch tents. \u00a0I think it will be fine, shaking things up a bit.<\/p>\n Good time, with good times to come in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"