
All my boyfriend and I really wanted for Christmas this year was a couple days away, away from the TV, the neurotic family, the over-eating, the pressure to buy presents. With family only 500 miles away, and "in-laws" in New Jersey celebrating Christmas with family we don't really know, this year seemed like a great time to escape. We spent our two days away camping at
Big Basin State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and I'd recommend this place to anyone. Maybe not during the cold of winter, unless you're insane like us and enjoy staying locked up in a tent cabin reliant on the warmth of a wood burning stove.
The tent cabins come with your own indoor stove, two double platform beds, a good size table, elevation and proper venting. They're not cheap (when it comes to camping), but I have a feeling your money will be going to a much better place than if you opt to spend a night at the...say....Motel 6. If traveling during the on-season, make sure to book in advance; but if you're thinking of a place to get away next year during Christmas, no reservation necessary. The greatest part: we got all that we wanted for Christmas, no credit cards required.