As a Los Angeles resident I have fallen into the traps that many LA residents find themselves in, the comfort zone. I have become accustomed to my cappuccino in the morning and the fear of “outdoors”. I decided to take a vacation from my Los Angeles life and go camping. The thought of getting back to nature seemed like the best way to relieve stress and get back some of my lost creativity. The perfect way for me to pull that off was to find a place that gave me all the wonder of being back in nature and free from civilization but without the creepy living things.

El Capitan Canyon provided the perfect opportunity to get back to nature. In the beautiful El Capitan Canyon there is a campground built just the way I had dreamed. In canvas tents built on wooden platforms with electrical outlets and lights I could stay in a tent and watch a DVD at the same time. There are fire pits out in front of each tent and so I could sit in front of a fire I had built while munching on my Whole Foods sandwich and make s'mores to go with my wine. In the morning a short walk down through the campground along a peaceful stream took me to the general store where freshly made to order breakfast and more importantly cappuccino were being prepared.

The bed I had slept in left me nicely rested for either a hike in the surrounding hills or on the beach or horseback riding at the nearby ranch. I opted for horseback and enjoyed a nice long ride along the ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean. That night my date and I opted to stay in one of the cabins offered by the campground. In a wooden cabin with a big beautiful bed and a working shower and bathroom, we enjoyed a wonderful night looking out the glass doors onto the river flowing just fifteen feet from our bed.

It was everything I had hoped for in my camping experience and being surrounded by that kind of beauty without losing some comforts was wonderful.