There's Nothing Like Camping at Bellows Beach, Hawaii

The last time I remember camping was in my backyard when I was 10 years old - until last night. After all these years, I finally camped out and had an amazing time.  It had been a chaotic day running around from one place to the next, so arriving at Bellows at 10:30 p.m. last night was a huge relief. 

I had just left a Christmas party before I got to bellows, so as soon as we arrived at the camp site, we started the BBQ, attempted to go fishing, and finally built our tent all by 2 a.m.

And to add to the night, I somehow ended up with a piece of wood in my toe, which I never discovered right until bed.  Luckily, it didn't take too long to get out because I was tired and ready to hit the sack.

This is what a $26 dollar tent will get you.  It's not bad for two people, although a larger tent is always nice.  Just watch out! It was our first day using the tent and the zipper broke. 

They say it's better to fish at night.  I've never fished before, but last night I froze my butt off as I tagged along on the hunt for a great fishing location.  Eventually, we gave up and headed back to the camp site, where we sat around a burner and sipped cocoa.

 

BBQing oysters ...

Oysters sure do look strange.  I took two bites of one and realized it's definitely not for me, although I'll give it a try again sometime.  I think the looks get to me ...

Tako and ahi poke.  I scored left overs from the Christmas party I went to before arriving at the camp site! 

For those of you who aren't familiar with poke, it's chunks of seasoned raw fish.  Before you say "ewww,"  give it a try!  It may surprise you.  It's popular in Hawaii and most people enjoy it.

Not to gross anyone out, but yes we tried to use it as bait. 

Although I slept really late, I woke up refreshed by 0730 a.m., ready to take in all that surrounded me.

It was beautiful to wake up near the beach.  It's something to truly appreciate.  Bellows is one of the best places to camp at and I'm on the look out for more great sites for the future. 

In the morning, two police officers also came by to make sure everything went well, which makes you feel safe.

As we stood outside, however, I definitely smelled something different - weed.  It came out of nowhere.

It felt great to be outside with all the fresh air and the beautiful scenery.

For breakfast, there was more BBQing.  Steak, kalbi, and chicken ...

We couldn't make smores last night since the graham crackers were nowhere to be found until in the morning, when it was finally spotted.  We finally had our chance to indulge in chocloate, marshmallow, graham cracker goodness ...

By noon, it was time to leave ... Wish we could've stayed longer!  We stuffed the BBQ in the backseat of the van and headed home. 

Camping at Bellows was a lot of fun and definitely something I need to do more of in the future. It's nice sitting around with friends, BBQing, and having a good time. These are the types of things that add to life.