Camping…on the beach, of course!

This weekend, my family is on our yearly camping trip at Kekela Beach Park in Hau’ula. YAHOO! I have many lovely memories of camping out here, including the time that I was bit on the hand by a 6-inch centipede as I flung it across the tent at 3 a.m. (after waking up to it crawling up my neck and onto my face!).

First off, I need to show you the set up. We are camping with my uncle and his family, so we set up 2 EZ Corner tarps–one for eating and sleeping, and one for socializing.

Here is the ‘kitchen’ in the back corner:

And the pantry:

Take a few steps back and you can see the entire back tent, which covers our individual tents and the kitchen area:

Under the adjoining tent, we have the ‘living room,’ where we hang out, play mah jong by lamplight, and hang all of our wet beach towels and clothing:

My dad says hi while cruising on an air mattress. We even have carpet…hmm, is this really camping, or just a really fancy, extended beach BBQ?

We set up camp on Friday and will break down early tomorrow. Because it is a State park, Kekela is closed to campers on Thursdays. It’s been great–lots of food, fun, and most especially, family:

My sisters and cousins eating dinner last night

My brother Evan playing ‘Portugese Horseshoes’ with some neighboring campers. My mom has decided that she wants a set for Christmas–basically, you toss thin metal disks into a hole cut out of the top of a box. Everyone got really into this game.

Two other exciting events took place while we camped out: my parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, and my little sister Auri turned 11. Congrats!

So do you like our ‘cushy’ camping style, or do you prefer to rough it?

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. 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?