Cuyamaca hiking and camping

We decided to go camping at the last minute today. Planning might have been better but it worked out pretty well. Rented equipment at REI and drove over to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. This is a (still) beautiful park that was wiped out by forest fires in 2003. What remains is a ghost forest of still standing dead trees and an understory of mountain laurel, wildflowers and meadows. We went on a super long 4 mile hike in perfect weather. Afterwards we grilled hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire – the best dinner ever! Sleeping in the tent with the kids was not “the best ever” but still fun. Drew slept like a rock, Alex was a little worried about another fire, Molly tucked her feet under and over me and generally flopped around for the entire night but it was cuddly.

After waking up with the sun, we headed over for a short stop in Julian, Calif. It is an old mining town that seems to be somewhat of a tourist destination. We ate at the Julian Café and had the hugest pancakes ever and headed home to chill.