The Joys of Urban Campin'

We spent the weekend camping at a campground about 25 miles from our house. Lake Chabot is a park nestled in the hills between the inner bay and east bay. If you haven't been there, it's a gorgeous park with spectacular views of the bay and surrounding coastal hills. The campground is an area set in a stand of eucalyptus trees surrounded by trails for hiking and biking. The Lake is visible from parts of the camp grounds, but not accessible and that is good when you have little kids.

Camping in an urban setting had some advantages. There were very few bugs, no pesky varmints and grocery stores nearby. However, there are a few interesting twists to urban camping that I want to point out.

1.) While crickets could be heard at night, BART, the Oakland Airport, 580 and the Union Pacific Rail Lines were also audible from time to time.

2.) The kids kept asking if we were really camping because there was no bumpy road.

3.) Night time potty runs meant you hoofed it to the potty as there were too many people around to risk using a nearby tree.

All in all, we had a great time. Both kids came home dirty and exhausted: A sure sign they had fun. While we are sorry to see camping season end, we look forward to more adventures in the wild next year!