Camping with Covid

I was a bit late making summer plans this year. We started hearing about passport delays and knew we wouldn't be able to do anything in the States, then I looked into places closer to home and found that everything was booked until late into the fall. So ... camping? 

Two years ago we'd camped in Mount Robson, which was beautiful but very cold. My girls had only one objective: swimming, but swimming in the icy mountain water was not enjoyable--or possible to do for very long.

So ... camping somewhere warmer?

With most sites already taken in the coastal and interior regions of B.C., we settled on the last spot in an Okanagan Lake campgrounds. It was actually a double spot, but we took it anyway, thinking it would give us the option to bring two tents.

Plus, the town was called Peachland, and our cat is named Peaches :)

The week before our trip was unbearably hot. Temperatures were getting up to 35+ degrees C, and our house was not dropping below 30 degrees, even late at night. We were spending as much time as possible away from home--at the library, at the mall, in public swimming pools or restaurants, on long drives in the van, anywhere that had air conditioning.

I started to feel unwell, which wasn't surprising considering the heat. My throat was sore, and I started to lose my voice--then I developed a bit of a cough. 

And that weekend I had my first positive Covid test. The house was still 35 degrees, and we were scheduled for camping. How was I going to make this happen? Should I even try? 

In the end, we decided to go ahead. I'd wear a mask in the van and sleep in my own tent. Plus, we'd be out in the open air most of the time, where I was unlikely to infect anyone.

So, I got the food organized, Jason packed up all the gear, and we drove up to Peachland--where it was even hotter than home!

We set up in our double spot, which was very nice and spacious.

(You can see my little quarantine tent below. It was kind of scary to sleep alone in a tent, but I survived!)

And then we headed down to the lake, where we would spend most of our time over then next couple of days.

The water was much warmer than I'd ever experienced in B.C. lakes--it didn't take long to get in, and once we were in, the water kept us cool and comfortable.

The scenery was unique and beautiful, too, with the nice, clear lake, the dry Okanagan mountains, and Ponderosa Pine trees everywhere.

We were surprised to learn that there wasn't a fire ban, so we were able to roast marshmallows and hot dogs, make foil dinners and sit by the fire in the evenings.

On Tuesday we drove into the little town of Peachland, but of course we couldn't go into anywhere because of my Covid. Still, it was nice to see some of the attractions, even from the outside. 

And oddly enough, we couldn't find any peaches in Peachland! We had to drive into West Kelowna to find an orchard and a place to buy fruit, which we did on our way home.

When we finally made it home Wednesday afternoon, it was much cooler, and I felt quite a bit better. Still, I don't think I'll be up for another camping trip anytime soon!