Last year my one regret was not going on Ethan’s school camping trip. Max was only 2 at the time and I wasn’t sure it was a good idea since Max was so “busy.” However, after hearing about the great experience we had passed up, I vowed we were not going to miss out on the family fun again.

Mind you, the annual SMT camping trip is not REAL camping. It’s more like glamping. Glamour camping, camping-lite, whatever you call it, but it was perfect for our small tribe. As a school, we rent out El Capitan Canyon in beautiful Santa Barbara and for the weekend, you escape city life and the kids can pretty much run free with their friends.

There are tents, yurts and cabins of varying sizes equipped with running water, plumbing, electricity…fabulous things that we choose to not go without.

We roasted s’mores, walked to the beach, had a squirt gun battles and scavenger hunts … even made a best friend. Max and Walker have been living parallel lives and have met on several occasions, but never really made a solid connection despite their moms several attempts. Well, the awe of Super Soakers with the smell of burnt marshmallow in the air and the glow of flashlights all around, made for the perfect recipe for friendship and Max and Walker were inseparable all weekend. They woke up asking for each other – “I want to see my best friend!” They even look alike. My friend Beth and I were just as happy as they were.

Ethan was beyond excited about the trip, but he wasn’t so sure about having his bike as a mode of transportation, but through positive peer pressure, he learned to love riding with his buddies up and down the gravel roads. We had one major wipeout from a scooter incident, and now have an impressive scar to show off.

A great spot with a great group of people. Can’t wait to go back next year!