Babalwa Brook: Camping in Santa Barbara

Thursday, February 02, 2017

Camping in Santa Barbara

Our campgrounds were about 20 minutes outside Santa Barbara City Limits. It was already dark outside and trying to find the grounds to be a bit tricky. I thought we could just follow the GPS and we'd be as good as gold. Nope! The address we had was for the offices. When you look out the campgrounds, the GPS takes you to the middle of nowhere and then says, 'you have arrived!'. No, lady! We haven't! Calvin told me he thought he may have seen an off ramp further back. I had to make a U-turn but we were in a hilly, windy road, so first driveway I saw, I turned into, to turn. Here's Calvin freaking out, 'OMG, babe! Babe! We'll get killed here! don't drive into this yard! What are you doing, babe?' I thought I was dreaming. What kinda co-pilot is this? You job is to keep me calm, not get more excited than me!
I obviously wasn't paying those strangers a visit. I was just turning. If you want me to make a U-Turn, and at the same time, don't really want me to turn the car around, what are we doing here? I try to stay calm when behind the wheel and one of my pet peeves are people who direct me from the passenger's seat. Don't do it! Or drive! Your own car. Or calm down and enjoy the music. We turned into this camping ground. There were a few tents up. There was an RV right by the entrance with someone outside. I told Calvin we should ask that guy if we're at the right place. Calvin never wants to ask for directions, nor use the GPS. I am the opposite. We drove around looking for out lot and the numbers were totally different to the one we had. Eventually, we went to the RV. Calvin asked for directions. We weren't at the right place! Calvin did buy some fire wood from that guy. Which I thought should have been the least of our concerns. Where are we going to make this fire, boo? We need to find out land first! To add insult to injury, he asked me to pay for the wood. Great!

santa barbara camping, paradise campgrounds

Looking for campground in the dark

Eventually, we made it! I had to keep using my bright lights to find out spot but there were people there, so I didn't want to be that a** hole blinding people. I parked the truck, so done with driving for the day! It was cold outside! Calvin hurried up and set up the tent. We had taken flashlights (torches) with us, so I used one to light up the place and car lights for a second. I didn't want to kill my battery and be stranded in the middle of nowhere! Calvin wanted to make a fire before we went to bed. Always a good idea because it heats up the tent. Good thing he bought that firewood after all! Here we are looking for a lighter all over the car. I'm like, the neighbors are hanging out outside their tent by the fire, why don't we ask them for a lighter? 'No, babe, I have several lighters, we're fine!' He finally got over himself and borrowed a lighter from neighbors.

Paradise Campgrounds video, California. Press Play!

We were sitting by the campfire when all of a sudden, Calvin took out a small box with a harmonica and started playing. That was the best part of the night! I didn't even know he could play! As far as I knew, his brother is the more musically inclined one, he writes his own songs, sings, and plays the guitar and he has the look too, long curly hair, the works. Calvin raps. He freestyles and is amazing at it. Well... I guess he plays the harmonica too! It was so beautiful, I went in and changed and asked and listened to it while I dozed off.