The Great Outdoors

Tai in the wild.

We recently spent three nights at the Berkeley Family Camp in Tuolumne by Yosemite. It was a relaxing weekend, free of the Internet, cell phones, and work email. The sounds of a river flowing near our cabin put us to sleep every night. Meals were prepared for us, and fun activities were planned.

Rocking on the big bench.

One day, we hiked Small Falls and reached a shallow pool, where everyone got to wade in the river, or for those who got ambitious, hike giant slabs of granite and slip and fall and get drenched in cold water. We also took a hike along the stone path by the Tuolumne River and went fishing in the river. Our new Toy Story pole got a nibble, but the big one got away.

Tai and his buddies, Oliver and Julian.

One of the funniest moments was at a nighttime campfire storytelling activity, where one of the high school workers was telling a story to the kids and adults sitting in a circle about nature and the land, when he asked, "Which people do you think lived here for thousands of years?" And who should raise his hand . . . and get called on? Did Tai have an answer?, the staffer wanted to know. Tai had to put his hand down.

Oliver's mother Hanna gives Tai a high-five after Tai hiked Small Falls all the way, with her guidance.

Plenty of space to play.

We're glad to be back inside our comfortable house now, but it was good for all of us to be outside in the sun all day, and sleeping in dark tent cabins at night, away from TVs and computers and cell phones. Not a bad life!