College Budget Glamping: A Review of Lake Cachuma Yurts
By: Sophia Pei ‘22
I was advised against it by parents and friends alike but fortunately, I was able to find an eclectic group of people who were willing to go camping with me during the first two days of Dead Week. We were stressed out enough for finals, so we decided to not deal with the hassle of tent camping and backpacking; we tried out Yurt camping. Here are some highlights from our glamping experience at Lake Cachuma.
Transportation
Ah. So this was definitely a problem. As freshmen, none of us had access to a car, so we knew we needed to rent a car. After comparing rates, we decided to try Zipcar. Unfortunately, after signing up, you need to wait 5-7 days for the ZipCard to arrive before you can get the car and our card did NOT arrive in time. Thankfully, there was Maven which just requires a working smartphone. The car was fairly new and definitely made the road trip enjoyable.
Roadtrip
My roommate featuring the lovely surprise the previous users of the Maven left us
The best part of having a diverse group of friends is having a diverse playlist. We went through everything from country to Steven Universe soundtracks. We also went through road trip games from road trip ABCs to twenty questions, and while it wasn’t ideal to fit 6 people in a car, I had some quality bonding with my backseat buddies.
UC Santa Barbara
Why doesn’t USC have cool playground structures on campus?!
One of my friends had a couple friends she wanted to visit at UCSB, so we made a quick side stop and wow. The campus is BEAUTIFUL. It’s literally a 5-minute walk from the beach and I’m so envious. I wish USC had more green space. Also, the town had such a wonderful, relaxed vibe (given, it was midday Monday). Regardless, USC needs to get going on adding those playgrounds, lakes, and beaches.
5-Star Customer Service
Our Yurt: Lupine
We were running a bit late, and the park rangers were kind enough to leave our key inside the yurt since the front gate office was closed. Due to the last minute change in our schedules, they also allowed us to change our reservation date a week before we went.
Los Padres National Park
STUNNING. The drive in was perfect, and since it was slightly overcast, the fog made the mountains look like a scene straight from a Ghibli film. It was totally accessible, and I’m proud to say no one got carsick!
Cachuma Lake
It was so beautiful. I can’t describe it. The water was so clear and the air, crisp. As someone who’s really only lived in big cities, it just felt surreal. My only regret from the trip was being unable to swim in the lake.
Starting Fires is HARD
It was only after 90 minutes, half a chemistry notebook, a third of a container of lighter fuel, and two visits from our fellow yurt neighbors that we seemed to have gotten a healthy fire going. It was drizzling lightly the night before, so some of the twigs we collected were definitely a bit damper than desirable but wow. Do not be fooled by the “one-match” campfires featured in camping videos. Nevertheless, the s’mores were good.
Who needs to sleep?
We knew we would wake up at 5am due to the light and birds but we stayed up until 2am anyways playing Taboo and Cards Against Humanity. Between insomnia, new environment, new sleeping partners, general excitement, and the VERY LOUD AND VERY ANNOYING rowing team at like 4AM, I only got a total of 56 minutes of sleep Monday night (according to my sleep tracker). Nevertheless, I wouldn’t have wanted to spend the night anywhere else.
Glamping
Want electricity and a heater? Check out yurt camping. It’s essentially a giant tent, but better. While the Lupine yurt claims to sleep 6 people (and we had 6) I feel like we could have easily slept 8. The bunk beds had queen sized mattress pads on the bottom with twin sized top bunks. With the yurt came a ceiling light and a mini heater that is surprisingly efficient for its size. There are also 4 power outlets for any charging needs!
Nevertheless, camping is camping and we couldn’t escape the Porta Potties (much better than digging a hole though…)
Spontaneous beach day!
We had originally planned to swim at Cachuma lake but didn’t want to disturb the fisherman stationed every 30ft along the lake in the morning and it was too dark (and cold) at night. We decided to make a stop at a beach in Santa Barbara on our way back. There was an In-N-Out just off the PCH where we got lunch meaning there was also a beach within 2 blocks. The water was freezing but we had a great time.
Costs
Overall we only spent about 50$ each for the Yurt and our share of the Maven as well as food. Definitely doable with the college budget. I thought it was worth every cent.
Final Thoughts
It was definitely a bit stressful getting texts from all my bio and chem friends who have already gone through the practice tests and reviews and realizing I hadn’t started studying yet but honestly, I felt so much more mentally recharged after our escapade (physically not so great – I slept for a straight 15 hours after we got back). Despite starting to study the day before, I thought my finals this week went fine and the trip was in no way a setback. I honestly love all the people who were willing to go glamping with me. From my sustainability-driven bird lover friend who gives the best hugs, to my anime-loving lab partner, to my empathetic roommate who made Parkside feel like home, to an omnipresent friend who I met because he walked in on me playing Minecraft, to our happy-go-lucky driver who makes Bio and Chem worth going to each day, they are all amazing in their own way. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend the first two days of Dead Week with anyone else. These were some of the key people that made my freshman so enjoyable. I can’t wait for my future adventures with them!
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