Nothing sums up summer quite like a good camping trip. A handful of Hill Engineering families made their way to the Stanislaus River and Caswell Memorial State Park for a weekend of nature, campfires, and s’mores.
It’s been a while since the last Hill Engineering camping trip, but it has made its comeback and did not disappoint. Located near Ripon, California, Caswell Memorial State Park is nestled among the Stanislaus River and features a great example of a mature oak riparian forest. The term “riparian” refers to vegetation or habitat along rivers and streams and riparian woodlands are one of the rarest habitats in California. Many types of bushes, trees, and wild berry vines surrounded our campsites and even provided shelter to the many feral cats roaming about the park.
Our main activity was a day by the river, about a mile or so from camp, in the day-use area of the park. We set up a much-needed shade shelter and some blankets, and after that we took a dip in the chilly waters of the river to cool us off from the heat of the sun.
The Perseid meteor shower was scheduled to peak during our trip so once it was dark enough, all eyes went to the skies to try and spot a few while making s’mores.
Hopefully we’ll be able to have more camping trips in the future and explore new parks around the area. Until then, it’s time to get back to world of residual stress!
