things i learned from camping. bear grylls, watch out!

1. it takes very little time to get used to not having a cell phone or blackberry.

2. headlamps, while very dorky looking, are very handy tools.

3. on any given night, through all the smog, the typical angeleno will look up and see 5, maybe 10, stars. there are actually many, many more stars in the sky.

4. the largest tree in the world is named general sherman and lives in the sequoia national park. it is not the tallest nor the widest but somehow still qualifies as the largest (by volume). also apparently it is dead at the top so it doesn't grow taller but can still grow wider. i think the tree has some kind of magical properties or there is some kind of funny math going on.

5. caves are kind of weird. cave tour guides are weirder.

6. bears like to eat brats and drink diet coke and beer (bud light). bears do not like to eat iceberg lettuce and sprite. i know this because a bear brushed by the side of my tent and whispered thank you after devouring the above remnants from our cooler. ok, not really, but a bear did really brush by the side of my tent. at that moment, i was reminded of the old adage, you don't have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun your slowest friend because i already had my shoes ready to go and one of said slow friends was still snoring inside the tent.

7. not all of camping is "roughing it." sometimes camping can consist of sitting at the lodge eating cheetohs and ice cream sandwiches.