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?

Disclosure: I have received a Toyota Prius V to drive for one year. No monetary compensation has been received. All opinions are my own. Read more here: bitly.com/gplegal

Last Sunday I got a very, very rare treat: a day all to myself in my own city. I seriously can’t remember the last time it happened that both my daughter and my husband were gone and it wasn’t because they were giving me alone time to work on our book or some other pending deadline. This time, my good friend Yolanda, and founder of Sassy Mama in L.A., invited Camila to spend the day with her daughter at the brand new Soak City in Orange County. Since the two girls are inseparable now, I was happy to have her go spend time with her. My husband had a motorcycle ride planned out with friends as well and that left me with absolutely no plans, no ballet classes to rush to in the mornings, and no hardcore deadlines to meet on a beautiful Sunday.

Oh, the joy!

And the best part is that the Toyota Prius had been delivered to us just 5 days before and since I had been traveling I hadn’t had a chance to really drive it at leisure and discover all its fabulousness. So I decided my big plan for the day would be that my Prius would take me to a place that I adore, that sets me “free,” that’s only 16 miles away, but I don’t visit enough: the Pacific Ocean.

As soon as Camila left, I packed up the ample trunk of the Prius V with a small beach chair and my beach bag and I headed out towards the PCH to meet my good, and way-too-neglected-by-me friend Andrea at her surfing spot where the PCH and Sunset Blvd. meet.

Parking was a hassle, but it all melted away once I sat on the beach to catch up with mi amiga. When she left to catch some waves, I just sat there on the sand clicking away pictures of her on the board because I know she loves to see them. I also did something I rarely ever get to do anymore: read a book!

I then headed out to catch up with another good friend, Maura of The Other Side of the Tortilla. She and her husband recently moved to L.A. and since my life has been crazy lately, I haven’t had real time to spend with her. I invited her to the Annenberg Beach House in Santa Monica for some lunch on the beach. It’s one of my favorite spots on the beach because it’s so easy and beautiful.

The day ended quicker than I imagined, but the truth is that as much as I enjoyed this “Me” time and really needed it, I rushed home to go to the store to get some blueberries to make my girl a batch of banana-blueberry mini muffins to snack on when she got home.

Moms should not feel guilty of hitting the road by ourselves every once in a while and making what we want of our no-obligations day.

Share: What do you do when you get some “Me” time? What do you fantasize about doing with some “Me” time?