Camp out
June 12th, 2008 by CarynSome of my favorite memories are of camping here in Ko’olauloa…no, not da kine backpack in the mountains, sleep on the ground camping, but the cushy camp on the beach with an EZ corner, air matress/cot, and full kitchen set up. You know, the kind where you live so close to the campgrounds that you go home to use the bathroom and shower, and you bring the T.V. and hook it up to a generator for the kids to watch movies at night. =)
I’ve camped with family and friends at most of the beaches out here on our side, and I say that nothing beats camping on the beach. Which one is the best, though?
I used to prefer Hukilau Beach in La’ie, because it’s within walking distance of my house, and I grew up swimming in La’ie Bay. The drawback is that the ground is dirt, so you get extremely muddy on your way back to the tent after swimming. Besides, who likes using port-a-potties?
I have also camped at Kahana, but I remember it being hard to get cell phone reception, and you have to double, sometimes triple park. There’s also a lot of runoff from all the rain in the valley, so it’s rare that you get a day with clear ocean water for swimming.
Malaekahana is fun, and there are even a bunch of cute cabins and campsites set up on the Kahuku end of the park that you can rent for a weekend. We rented out the big house once for a family reunion–the adults got to sleep inside, and we kids spent the night in tents in the yard.
Now, we usually go to Kekela (Kokololio Beach Park) in Hau’ula because it has lots of grass, open space, and REAL bathrooms. Not to mention plenty parking!
My aunt recently wrote the following about camping at Kekela as a child in our monthly family newsletter about “The Best Summer Ever”:
From the time we set up the excitement would build. Getting the right spot, and everything set up, and then having the freedom to go and swim, play and life just didn’t get any better…I would be so tired by the time I hit whatever spot there was in the tent, I would just crash…sunburned, sandy and all….passing out from total exhaustion. And then to awake to another fun filled day… (That’s if you didn’t get egged or shaving cream put on you during the night). Those summers were the greatest. The only sad thing was that they came to an end, only to build up our hopes and anticipation for the next summer.
It’s funny how I share the exact same feelings about camping–an entire generation later! Late nights talking story over pani keke (Samoan pancake) and koko rice (the Samoan version of hot chocolate), swimming all day long, eating all day long, and going to bed happily exhausted. I can’t wait for this year’s camp, which will take place in mid-July.
Where do you like to camp out in Ko’olauloa? Any good memories from camp you’d like to share?
Tags: camping, Hukilau, Kekela, Malaekahana
June 13th, 2008 at 10:53 am
[…] Camp out Some of my favorite memories are of camping here in Ko’olauloa…no, not da kine backpack in the mountains, sleep on the ground camping, but the cushy camp on the beach with an EZ corner, air matress/cot, and full kitchen set up. … […]
June 13th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Camping. I remember when I was younger how enjoyable the few times I went and camped out were. The games we kids used to play of hide and go seek, tag, and other creative games that suited the moment. Also gathering in a tent to play a game of cards. Unlike you Caryn, we HAD to sleep on the ground in sleeping bags or on a cot. And we never got to take our TV only a radio.
Recently I’ve created an aversion to dirt and germs… so camping is WAY out of the question now. I agree though that the talking story and eating pani keke and coco rice were great times… although my family still does that outside of our house under the EZ Corner… it’s just that this time we don’t have to worry about rain and mud cause the tent is in the front yard.
June 13th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
That’s the kind of camping we do. I mentioned in the pass that a friend of mine has a house on the beach near Hukilau beach. We setup tents in the back yard which is the beach side, just about on the beach and sleep in the tents but have all the comforts of home at the same time. This way we don’t dirty up the whole house with sand. We just use the kitchen, bathroom, shower and watch TV.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:37 am
Funny you have pickled mangoes and camping blogs back to back. When I think of either of these things I remember a scout camp at Kekela where one of the kids spilled his pickle mango the first day. The tent smelled the whole week!
We backpacked up to Laie falls to camp once. Only once. I have to agree - Kekela and Malaekahana camping is best.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
When I was really little, we used to camp out at Mokuleia. The whole family would go and we would have tents all around. Early in the morning it would rain, our tents would leak and we would all wake up wet. On Sunday we would pack up and head to the Mokuleia Polo field to watch the matches. After the Polo match finished we would go up to Kemoo Farms and listen to Charles K.L. Davis play the piano and sing.
Now that I am living on Malaekahana Bay, I rarely camp, except when my friends come from town and camp at Kekelas. Last time I camped I got bit by a centipede. My really good friend pee’d in a cup, but I was too grossed out to put it on the bite. So I just suffered.