[quote=innerSpaceman;216578
Thanks again, NirvanaMan. :cheers:[/quote]

Happy to help. I remember playing around with Google Maps before leaving between meetings on Thursday. I was dragging around the route to see what made sense. Knowing that 198 wasn't a good route, I was seeing what I could do. Then I discovered the 63 which looked pretty solid. I texted Chris but he was unaware of the route. When we were on the way, Lisa called from one of the last pay phones in existence and we had a long and barely audible conversation. Clearly they must not maintain these quaint antiquities anymore.

After we disconnected, Aud asked me, "What did Lisa say?" "Well, I think she told me that I definitely shouldn't go the 63 and that it was a terrible route, despite cutting 30 miles off the trip." "You were on for a while" noted Aud. "What else did she say?" Well, she went on about how bad the route was, gave some helpful advice about where the campsite was and the like, then at the end, asked me again what road I was thinking of taking. I told her it was the 63. Lisa asked 'What's that?'"

"So what are you going to do?"

"Umm, I'm going to take the 63."

:)

My stuff is in a pile in the living room. I did take the martini glasses out of the portable martini set traveling pimp case. But I have yet to wash them.

My everything's everywhere. I have no intention of putting things away till the weekend. My tent and related crap is still in the truck, since I have to lay it out on the roof of the parking garage to clean it.


Other than that, it's just been laundry (another two loads this morning) and some general unpacking (but not much).


Camping is a process.

My stuff's still in the car. Just took the cooler out today. Probably throwing out everything in it at this point.

Damn that trip was fun :)

We unpacked same day. I think all I have left is to wipe down the chairs.

I did unpack a last thing or two from my toiletries bag this morning - still plenty of smoky camp smell in that bag. :)

Kevy the bbq tongs are mine.

The weird thing about this item is that I have a memory of someone claiming those at the end as theirs - I was surprised to find them loose.

Since I don't have any plans to be in the San Diego area any time soon, are you planning on being up here (OC) in the near future?

It's no rush - I've got two sets.

I can pick them up at the Chino Park Swank Camp right :D

I cannot overstress how vital it was to my bliss (and I expect the bliss of others) that we snagged the coveted and perfect camp sites, likely among the best sites on earth.



Though some had no doubt we'd get them, relying on what I call the Bonita Effect (which works like a magic charm), I think that obsessive planning and, naturally, crafty execution were key to obtaining the sites (hey, if only to provide the absolute confidence needed for the proper Bonita Effect).

A competitor for the sites showed up within the hour of Kevy & Gus Gus arriving from Fresno, Not Afraid and Gemini Cricket arriving from Oakhurst, and Ghoulish Delight & Cadaverous Pallor arriving from Orange County by leaving at 2:30 in the morning.

I daresay that if these precautions were not taken, the sites would have been.


And let me tell you, camping by the banks of a wild and roaring river was simply amazing and inimitable. And because riverside sites can't be subdivided so easily, the acreage of our combined campsites was nothing short of huge. (In fact, we lived on only 3 of the 5 campsites we took over ... using the others only for parking and bear boxes.)

The location of Camp Swank was, in fact, an attraction in and of itself ... and you did not have to leave camp to experience the grandeur and majesty, harmony and peace, beauty and loveliness of King's Canyon in all its glory.


And so, the King's Canyon experience was with us 24/7 for the entire length of Swank Camp. It was fantastic!



Thanks to N.A. and €uro for turning us on to one of their favorite places. Kudos to the three duos mentioned above for arriving early enough to claim those campsites in the name of Swank Camp!!

The thing is, there are more beautiful site just like the ones we had just down (or up) the river. So, no need to wax so poetic. It wasn't is make or break deal and we know that going in (or, at least I tried to convey that.)