During the weekend of Feb. 23, my family and some of my closest friends went on a two day long camping trip to the small but flashy campground known as the Temecula Kampgrounds of America (KOA) at Vail Lake in celebration of my 18th birthday. Allowing for the fun experience of being in nature, while also keeping comfortable amenities such as bathrooms, showers and a small convenience store nearby.
My friends and I opened up the weekend with a hour and a half drive north late Friday night. Passing through all of San Diego County, and the slow transition to more wilderness dominant views provides for some beautiful scenery, if we could see it. Our late arrival Friday night also made my mother make the executive decision to allow us to stay in our family’s cabin we rented for the weekend.
Along with the previously mentioned amenities that KOAs provide, this particular KOA was newly renovated to include deluxe cabins that basically function as miniature homes. Including a full size master bedroom, full bathroom, miniature kitchen, dining area, a loft that held a full size bed and two twin mattresses, as well as a deck and a firepit this cabin held my family and three friends comfortably for the night.
In the morning we migrated down to the campsite we had been assigned, thankfully right next to the restrooms and set up. The wait for the rest of the guests commenced and we busied ourselves by playing volleyball and tetherball on the nearby courts. The nearby creek also provided some entertainment as the day warmed up to a comfortable 70 degrees.
As my other friends arrived, we started to prepare for the potluck we were planning Saturday night. A quick trip into town to grab some pizza and a firepit setup later, we were devouring all the food we had contributed to create the wonderful diverse array of foods to feast on.
After the must do of s’mores for dessert, we made the collective decision to go explore a nearby abandoned stable, corral and barn. After a short ride packed into the back of a truck, we made the short trek to reach our destination. Despite the wood being at the end of its lifespan and showing mild signs of decay we managed to work our way into the roof. This provided us with a beautiful view of the stars, the campground’s pool that’s only open during the summer and various trails in the distance.
Further exploration revealed that the abandoned area had been used to store supplies and obstacle building equipment for Spartan races. Spartan races are a series of obstacle races of varying difficulty ranging from three to 50 miles. A quick search on the internet revealed that this equipment was left over from a 2016 three mile race, also known as the Socal Sprint. Tuckered out from the exploring, we returned to our campsite, waited for the fire to die and clocked out for the night.
In the morning we woke up bright and early to take a hike to Vail Lake, the namesake of the campground itself. With recent rains, there were concerns of muddy trails and flooding, but those doubts were pushed aside for the sake of adventure.
As we neared our destination it became painfully clear that there was an unusual amount of water and marshland that typically was dried out dirt and sand. As our shoes filled with water and mud we reached the edge of the water only to realize that, sadly, our view of the vast and beautiful lake was concealed by trees and an extra 200 feet of lake surface area in our way. Due to Temecula county’s notoriously dry environment, when it rains the lake (which is actually a reservoir) fills and expands into surrounding trails and areas, restricting typical access points to the shore.
Though put down by the discovery of a lack of a view and muddy shoes, we returned to the campground in high spirits. We returned to my family’s cabin to eat breakfast around the firepit. As checkout time neared, we chose to get popsicles and ice cream from the general store near the camp office. We ate our varying chilled desserts in the sort of “town square” with tables, quiet music playing and remnants on the night before’s live performance on the small stage.
We packed up and bid farewell to each other and the campground that provided us with many wonderful memories. The drive home, though extensive, was aided by the beautiful scenery that was missed on the trip up.
I recommend going up to the campground anytime of year, as it provides beautiful scenery regardless of weather conditions. Summertime visits do allow for more enjoyment of the attractions such as the pool, lake and trails. Despite my multiple previous visits to the campground, I find a new adventure and perspective on the nature surrounding it each time.
