Camp Caddel: 4 Days of Music, Nature & Family
The past four days have been incredibly rewarding, relaxing and inspirational.
The fun began on Thursday evening, when Steve and I went to The Glass House in Pomona to see The Dead Weather perform. I was intrigued by this band when I initially heard about them, having been a fan of both Jack White (The White Stripes) and Allison Mosshart (The Kills) for years. While I have really enjoyed the Horehound album since I got my paws on it a few months ago, I was completely unprepared for how blown away I would be with their live performance. Simply put, it was INCREDIBLE.
What a powerhouse of music potency those four are. The talent amongst this band is astounding and the fervor and intensity involved throughout the set just bowled me over. It was among one of the best live performances I have ever witnessed. I shot this video, however due to a discourteous couple standing in front of us (it's a long story, but let me just say that the details of it all would have made a hilarious Seinfeld episode), it was clear from the first try that filming would be lackluster; so I just put my little camera away and enjoyed the show. If you want to get a better gist of the night though, check out this video or this one from BatCountryx.
The next morning we took off on a long-awaited adventure. With Steve enjoying three full days off of work and me shutting down the computer for the same consecutive length of time, we loaded up the van with camping equipment and headed up to the beautiful San Bernardino National Forest, where the skies are blue, the air is clear and the possibilities are endless. There *we settled into our kick-ass camp site, set up our tents, built our cozy little campfire, prepared our delicious vegan meals and enjoyed the most magnificent time "away from it all."
*Unfortunately it was just four of us on this trip. At the instruction of our family doctor, Miss Brynn stayed near home with friends, due to a recurring ingrown toenail that is presenting itself once again after undergoing surgery for it earlier this year.
It's amazing how beautiful simplicity is. We enjoyed the most magnificent hikes (one being a nine-mile trek up pretty steep, rocky trails; of which we all felt a great sense of accomplishment and exhaustion once it was finished); the most hilarious and insightful conversations around the fire at night (I am so blown away by how intelligent and witty our kids are); the most peaceful moments just sitting and admiring the grandeur of nature; and an all-around reconnection with the most wonderful aspects of being a family and enjoying life together.
While it was nice to come home, especially since we couldn't wait to see Brynn; I sort of miss it already. Unplugging for a few days and enjoying such absence from complication was much needed and much appreciated. My hiking shoes are dusty, but my memories of this weekend are clear. What a treasure both nature and family are to me. I feel really lucky to get the opportunity to enjoy and love them both.
**You can view the full Caddel Camping photo collection here on Flickr**
I swear this was the ONLY time I touched technology: fixing last minute issues for the new book
Monday, August 31, 2009 at 11:39AM
Reader Comments (5)
It looks like a really fun weekend. I love your family.
Wow -- really beautiful area to camp at.
You guys are so lucky.
I'm so glad you had such a great time because you deserve it.
The pictures are wonderful!!! So glad that you were able to get away. It sounds like it was a perfect weekend -- minus Brynn. So sorry that she wasn't able to go. Is she okay now? It looked like the boys loved every minute of it. And I'm so glad that you and Steve were able to get away and just relax for a few days!
Looked like a great weekend, Jinxi! I'm drooling over the scenery!! It's so awesome to see you all enjoying a fantastic day out.
Love you guys so much!!! XXX
Beautiful place--beautiful family!