Every summer the fiancé and I plan a weekend camping trip with our golden kids, Lady, Moet & Chandon. Well by the time I realized we needed to reserve something all of our favorite spots were already booked. As some of you may know, you need to book all the great camping sites – including Big Sur – six months in advance. Well, early planning doesn’t work that well for Frank and I. We plan, but we can’t commit to something that far in advance. That’s when I started doing some research. There had to be other resources available online for amateur campers like Frank and I. After a million chrome windows open, that’s when I came across our new best camping site, Hipcamp.
What is Hipcamp
Hipcamp is a booking website where any type of camper could easily find a campsite of their dreams. Its really easy to use, you basically enter the location of where you would like to travel, include dates, and search. All of a sudden you discover many campsites you would’ve never known about unless someone told you about them. It really is that easy.
With Hipcamp, now you can easily discover the nation’s public parks and campgrounds as well as book spots on ranches, farms, vineyards and land preserves. Camping on private land is an entirely new way to experience the outdoors called, “Land Sharing” and Hipcamp is at the forefront of the movement.
After adding a few locations to our favorites, Frank and I selected a location that was close to home, had access to swimming, included hot showers, bathroom and most important, dog friendly! You would be surprised, many campsites have strict policies against dogs. The location took us both by surprise when we realized it was in the desert by Barstow. Keep in mind Frank and I are still learning about outdoor camping. We’ve never camped out in the desert, especially in the middle of summer. Do we dare go through a rough experience in a unknown area? After many friends and family warning us not to go because it was going to be uncomfortable and hot, we did.
The Campsite
Knowing there was a big chance that we may not make it through the weekend because we were expecting a three digit heat wave, we planned the best we could by communicating with our host. After booking the campsite, Hipcamp connects you with your host in case you have questions. I took advantage of the service and immediately reached out to Allen, our host. I informed him that I was concerned about the heat and if he had any recommendations or tips for us. He immediately replied and gave us great tips as far as what to bring with us to make sure we had a wonderful experience.
Once we arrived to the campsite, not only was Allen patient and answered all of our questions, but he also made sure to greet us at the gate. He directed us to the best location with shade and easiest access to the restroom and shower. I mentioned that it was our first time camping in the desert, so he turned on water misters for us so we can remain cool during our visit.
The campsite was gorgeous. Our golden kids ran into the lake as soon as we let them out of the car. Splashing, running and swimming. They were just like children, having the best times of their lives. But they weren’t the only ones, as soon as we set camp, we couldn’t wait to jump in the lake ourselves. The water was delicious, warm and cool at the same time. It was clean and clear blue, like the waters you would see in tropical islands.
Alen’s recommendations to bring an easy-up to set over the water and sit on the chairs to keep cool was genius. That’s pretty much where we spent most of the weekend, just swimming and enjoying nature.
Overall Experience
Our overall experience with using Hipcamp was excellent. Not only is it an easy platform to use, it also has given us an opportunity to discover new locations for our future adventures. This website is not only for tent campers, but even for glampers, who want to experience the outdoors but not get too dirty. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. Even I can enjoy a few of those travels. But nothing beats being able to see the moon and stars at night as you lay in your tent.
Would I use it again, most definitely. We’re actually planning to go back to Serenity Lake to visit Alen again in the fall. He shared that best times to visit is late September and October. Just around the time to celebrate my birthday!
If you would like check out Alen’s location in Serenity Lake and get $20 for booking, reserve your next adventure here. You get $20 for using my link and I get $20 for sharing my experience. Win, win for both.
Oh, and thank you Hipcamp. You have a new loyal fan over here that’s now addicted to nature.
What did the kids think about the whole experience? See below and you tell me.
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