by Jane Winstead

Created on: August 26, 2009

My First Camping Trip: Camping in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

Camping just isn't my thing, I told my husband when we married. I love being outside and doing outdoor activities, but my idea of camping is a Holiday Inn. He was disappointed as he had spent many of his summers camping with his grandparents along the Mokelumne River.

I stuck to my guns about going camping and we were married many years before I agreed to give it a try. One summer I agreed to take a week and go camping with him in Calaveras Big Trees State Park. I was assured the bathrooms there were clean and well kept and there would be hot showers. I was a little perturbed when I found out there were no street lights or telephones. But I adapted. I didn't complain and had a very good time.

Some evenings we went to the Campfire Center in Big Trees to enjoy whatever event or program was taking place. Those evenings, without any street lights and no moon, the path back to our camp site was really dark. I couldn't see anything but just held on to Bill so I wouldn't fall or step on a snake. Although, I never saw a snake while camping and I didn't fall down.

At the Campfire Center in Big Trees on Sunday morning a worship service was held by a local pastor. Since we attended church regularly on Sunday at home, we didn't feel we could opt out of church just because we were camping. There was a brief message by the minister and lots of singing. I love lots of singing in church. I have sometimes wished we could sing longer at church and shorten the minister's sermon (no offense to any former pastor). As the larger part of the gathering at the Campfire Center was kids the song leader chose to sing choruses that are generally sung in Sunday School. He threw in a few hymns to keep the adults happy. It was a delightful service.

There is nothing quite as wonderful as the fragrance of coffee perking on the camp fire early in the morning. It was easy to wake up to birds singing and the smell of breakfast cooking. After breakfast we went fishing, sight seeing or just hung out. My husband showed me all the streams, rivers and lakes where he camped and fished as a boy.

We scouted the whole area and I saw beauty up close that I had only seen from afar. It was wonderful. There are no words to describe the way I feel when I see the beauty of God's glorious creation. I sense His presence a little more and ask myself, How can anyone look at the majesty that surrounds us and not believe

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