You know how we all have these things we want to do and places we want to see that we love to obsess about, but have such a hard time actually getting to cross them off our bucket lists? Well, my husband and I promise each other every single year that we’re going to invest in camping gear, learn all about the camping life and venture out to the many idyllic places that surround us in California and are just a short drive away.

Truth is we never quite get around it. With all my work-related travel, Camila’s social life on weekends, international trips to visit family and just a busy lifestyle, camping always seems like too much work and we never quite get around to doing it.

Until a few weeks ago when I said ¡Basta!, enough is enough, and I found a wide-open weekend in our calendar and immediately went online to search for a place to drive to in our Prius V that would be no more than a few hours away. That’s when I found El Capitán Canyon, two hours north of Los Angeles. Since all the planets seem to have been aligned that weekend, I also found an available safari tent waiting for us! Not only was it available, but it turns out it’s meant for people like us that aren’t really campers, but have a need to commune with nature and escape city life. So the term is “glamping,” as in new “glamorous camping” and I love it so!

All we had to do was pack the trunk of our Prius V with food, clothes, dishes, towels for the pool (yes, there’s a pool!), and basic necessities. Everything else was provided, including a private fire pit, picnic table, beds, linens, electricity, towels, and more. So perfect for a last-minute planner like me!

We arrived at night and were greeted by the most star-filled night you can imagine. Camila got her first glimpse of la via galaxia (milky way) and was in total awe. We cuddled next to the fireplace and then got into our comfy beds. Life was perfect right then and there.

We spent two nights just being at El Capitan Canyon and promised to go back with a group of friends next time. The beach is a mile away, so we stopped by to build sand castles before heading back to L.A. through the scenic route that passes by Los Olivos and the picturesque city of Solvang with it’s Danish influence.

My husband loves making videos of our trips and he went the extra mile with this one. That’s just how happy this last-minute glamping mini-road trip made us.

How do you escape from the “everyday” and unwind with your family?