Camping at El Capitan: Day Two

By the next morning, we had come to two pivotal realizations.

1. Two out of the four camping chairs we brought were not only broken, but really uncomfortable.

2. Our propane-powered stove was barely working. We still managed to cook our eggs and boil hot water for coffee/tea/cocoa, but the stove was clearly on its last leg.


A fresh look at El Capitan State Beach that afternoon. (04/30/05)

So we revised our plans for the day to include a mid-morning shopping break. So back we went to the shopping plaza where we found Bed Bath and Beyond the day prior. I had remembered that there was an Osh Hardware in the same facility, so that's where we went to get two more chairs and a new propane stove. While we were at it, we also picked up a folding camping table that they had.

The other issue we were having was Amy's hair. She forgot to bring her hair dryer, and therefore decided to skip her morning shower (otherwise it would take too long to dry). So rather than having to deal with janky hair for the next two days, we decided to get her a wash and blowdry at the salon next to the hardware store.


Here's a shot of Amy roughing it during our camping trip. (04/30/05)

After a pitstop at Starbucks, we decided to do a little sightseeing since we were in town. First stop was the Santa Barbara Mission, which was founded in 1786. The church that stands there was built in 1820, then destroyed by earthquake 100 years later, and then restored in 1927 and 1953.


The world famous Santa Barbara Mission. (04/30/05)

While there we saw them doing some sort of excavation. At first I just assumed they were excavating for pieces of broken pottery, arrowheads, etc. Then Everett pointed out that it looks like a graveyard. SCARY!


Excavating who knows what on the grounds of the mission. (04/30/05)

Afterward we stopped by a martial arts temple that a friend of Amy's runs, just to say hello. Afterward, we headed back to camp where we took a hike, played card games and took a nap.


Watch where you walk with all the poison oak in the way. (04/30/05)

Amy made us an awesome Dinner consisting of a dish she calls Mock Tacos (we have since renamed the dish "Macos"). What you do is brown 1 lb. of ground turkey (you can use ground beef, but we used ground turkey), add taco seasoning, then serve it in bowls over a layer of crushed Fritos chips. Then you top it off with beans, salsa, guacamole dip, lettuce and chopped tomatoes, and then mix it all together into one big bowl of tasty goodness. It was deeeeelicious!


There were some really cool old train tracks (still functioning) that ran adjacent to the campsite. (04/30/05)

The night ended much like the one before did ... campfire, smores, campfire games, etc. It was a great way to close our second day camping.