Cousin Campout Debrief

I have been microblogging this trip on Instagram, but I wanted to recap the budget.

$279.50 campsites 

$438 Disneyland tickets 

$176 Character Breakfast 

$37 photopass 

$544.22 glamping dining

$48 6/20 CSUN 5k walk, seed bombs craft

$312 6/21 cinnamon rolls, mint juleps, 10k shade walk, Gas and Groceries

$189 6/22 Disneyland food and parking

$106 6/23 dunkin + doctor, Target

$60 6/24 griffith park + zoo

$58.2 6/25 ikea + pool + Chick-fil-A

$267.46 6/26 Costco Gas and Groceries

$132.12 6/27 Zuma Beach, Neptune's Net

6/28 BuyNothing & Garage Party

$314.46 6/29 Groceries & Kidspace museum + McDonald's

$37.73 6/30 BuyNothing pickup, walk to Dearborn Park, 7-11, Manhattan Beach Aquarium

$151.52 7/1 Shell Gas, In-N-Out, Sierra Doughnuts, California Botanic Garden

$5 7/2 Short term parking Burbank airport

$101.15 Photo stuff 

$99.55 food & sunscreen for camping 

$690.84 car repairs

GRAND TOTAL

$4047.75

Now while this may seem like a large number, averaged on a per day basis it is 23 days of entertainment. That averages out to $176 per day for 3 kids and 3 adults. Or you could say LESS THAN $60 per kid per day.

Summer day camps cost between $40 and $178 per day, while sleepaway camps range from $150 to over $400 per day. So I guess it was a good value.

The camping was less than $100 per day. Or less than $34 per child per day.

Disneyland was $840 for one day, or $280 per child.

The in-town part (not including Disney) was $1491. That is about $150 per day, or $50 per child per day. 

I have already forgotten how much daycare costs. I want to say we paid about $63 per day for just one child. So I guess we could say that it was a bargain? Haha mom math.

We had a feeling that the camping was significantly cheaper than being in town, and these numbers definitely bear that out. It looks like staying in town is about twice as expensive as camping.

Instagram is just a highlight reel 🎬 📽 🎞 but...For real, who has been gatekeeping on Carpinteria? It is gorgeous, walkable, accessible by Amtrak. Kid approved. We saw dolphins 🐬 sand crabs 🦀 and pelicans. Surf 🏄‍♂️ and a farmer's market 🍓🍑🥗. Did the kids eat white bread and s'mores for dinner? Yes. And cookies for lunch. But it's summer, who cares? 🌞 Day 1

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZfGjNkOBDS/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Night 2 of tent camping ⛺️ 🏕 went better than night 1 for me at least. Morro Bay SP was super quiet but not near a sandy beach. Morro Strand has all the sand. Leftovers from Carpinteria farmer's market elevated our humble camp dinner. Humidity is the enemy of our clothesline. But the cool temps are so chill. Could not see Morro Rock due to fog 🌫 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZhwlWmF1CB/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Days 3 and 4 San Francisco

We took a tram to Mission Dolores and thrifted at the Salvation Army. A nearby playground was a godsend. Bookended by U-Pick strawberry farms, we feasted on fresh produce including potatoes, carrots, and sugar snap peas. Live Earth Farm's owner Tom gave us an unforgettable hayrack ride.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZlO6_SSLcF/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Day 5 Sunset SB - Pines Hollow and Dunes Camp 

The beach is a short hike away, up and over the dunes. We saw birds, bats, and a huge racoon raided our camp. The homemade sidewalk chalk worked a dream. Go Fish, Tic-Tac-Toe, and Nature Bingo were the camp activities. We stopped at Swanton Berry Farm to restock our strawberry feast. Just a sensible portion of monster cookies for a bedtime snack.

               https://www.instagram.com/p/DZpblzDG_Sj/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Hearst San Simeon SP - Creek Campground Lower Section Day 6 

We collected so many gorgeous rocks, and found a tiny shrimp. There were so many birds and squirrels in our campsite. We had an amazing dinner with salad, beans, and tamales. Camp breakfast and lunch were burritos, quesadillas, and pancakes. Weather has been great. Lotería, Crazy 8's, and keepy uppy with a beach ball were our camp games. We saw a swallowtail butterfly near our tents.

              https://www.instagram.com/p/DZs6H7myz26/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Day 7 Pismo SB - Oceano Camp

We had a quick stop in Cambria to mail 📫 postcards and pick up some baked goods. Beautiful drive to Grover Beach. Fun in the sun and soft sand. The campground has an accessible path around the lagoon. We heard frogs all night 🐸. We saw a duck swimming. We flew kites on the beach ⛱️ 🪁. Camp game was decorating the totes with stickers. W

              https://www.instagram.com/p/DZutPSXG7z2/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Point Mugu Day 9 

I wouldn't have wanted to do this trip with anyone else. Driving the CA-1, living the SLO life.

               https://www.instagram.com/p/DZx6WGtSktO/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Every day was a strawberry feast 🍓 we hit a roadside stand for avocados, figs. 

We had another run-in with raccoons. A mama spider sheltered on our tent. We crossed the CA-1 like surfers. We ate wood-fired grilled zucchini and curried chicken. S'mores were toasted. It was awesome.

               https://www.instagram.com/p/DZx6-kiScNp/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Expectation vs Reality 🤯 

I thought I would miss stuff like ice. Like a nice cold ice water. I really didn't.

After 2 nights of camping, I wasn't ready to return to a city. After 6 nights of camping, I was done.

The two things I missed most were soap and moisturizer.

I woke up this morning and wished I was still outside.

#summersolstice☀️

               https://www.instagram.com/p/DZzrLFUStMP/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

What are you doing for the summer? Camps?

This is a common question among working parents trying to piece together care. 🧩

I feel extremely grateful for family @hamer5588 @annehamersky for being brave enough to go out into the unknown with 3 kiddos ❄️

I am thankful for my communities @laroadrunners @fit4mom_west_sfv and my Buy Nothing group for planning events (whether we are able to attend them or not) 🏃‍♀️

Kudos to @lapubliclibrary and @lacountylibrary for the Discover & Go program to help us keep our costs down 📖

I have had the time of my life parenting with you. Thank you for bringing Nebraska out to California. ✈️

               https://www.instagram.com/p/DaK_eB6parG/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

When can we do this again? The soundtrack to Disneyland's "Paint the Night" parade.

Of all the things we did on this trip (Disneyland, LA Zoo) the thing I want to do again is camp 🏕

               https://www.instagram.com/p/DaLZ3EuuhPe/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

So fun recreating Disneyland recipes at home #disneymagicalmoments 

Juniper juice aka Mint Julep, Main St Cinnamon Rolls, and Grand Californian Peanut Butter Blondie. Made with love during #cousincampout2026

               https://www.instagram.com/p/DaQSSz3lBSn/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

FREE visit to @californiabotanicgarden thanks to @lacountylibrary Discover & Go

My favorite part was lounging in the hammock with Albert. It felt like the wind and the trees were caring for us. The weather was perfect ☁️🌬 cool, cloudy, and a slight breeze.

We had a cute picnic at the Tongva Village. It is an absolutely massive park, we probably saw about 20% of it. Toodling at the speed of a 1-year-old is highly recommended.

Honestly, it felt like the perfect bookend to our camping adventure. Native plants, birds, habitat.

#cousincampout2026 #outsideisfree 

#youngandwild

#Faerieswelcome

               https://www.instagram.com/p/DaRDPy6geN7/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

To all those trying to recreate 90s summer ☀️

5 parts sunscreen

6 parts watergun

4 parts towel

5 pool noodles

2 life jackets

1 pair of goggles

Combine all ingredients in a wagon, walk to the community pool

Sprinkle in pool toys, some sink, some float, and that's okay

Dilute with pool water

Mix thoroughly

Simmer 50 minutes

               https://www.instagram.com/p/DaT9WwWGgt9/?img_index=4&igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==