We just returned from a long weekend camping on Catalina Island with some friends. It’s an hour’s ferry ride from LA, and for us it’s the perfect place to escape the city for a few nights.

We like to return to a little campground on the far side of the island called Little Harbor. It feels secluded and quiet even if it’s full.  And it still feels pretty and dramatic despite the effects of the ongoing drought. There are literally buffalo roaming on the cliffs, along with wild foxes and cats. It’s a place where the kids can kayak, hike and explore all on their own and embrace the often elusive independence that comes with city living . This trip, all seven of them would go off for what seemed like hours looking for animals, rocks, the perfect walking stick, the highest peak they could reach.

And at the end of each day, there were s’mores of course. How could there not? Here’s to digging more into summer while it lasts.