Over the course of the next few weeks, while I am posting about my adventures, I will also be posting a few short pieces regarding myself!

The first post in my “About Me” profile will be covering the origins of my name, where it came from and what it means to me.

My name is a huge part of my identity. Personally, I love it’s originality and the story behind it. My full name is Katherine Elise Mifsud.

Katherine in a textbook definition means “pure.” My mother tells people the name is for my grandmother Catherine, in reality, I am actually named for the sophisticated, classy, and respectable Katharine Hepburn. Although when she lectures me, she transitions to the Spanish variation, Catalina.  I think my mother attempts to keep her beloved Katharine’s beauty and sophistication alive through me…sorry to disappoint mom.

While I am not German, Elise is a derivative of Elsa. The German part came from my father. One of his best friends, a fellow soldier whom he served with, was German. My dad met during training in Germany. Both my parents were very close to him, so my dad wanted a German name to tribute him. While my parents loved Elsa, Elise flowed more with the pronunciation.

The most interesting part of my identity is my last name, Mifsud, pronounced Mif-sood. It’s origins are complicated, but the story is unique. I have been all over California, and have not met a single Mifsud, who I was not directly related to. Mifsud is Maltese, from Malta. For those who don’t know, Malta is an island in the Mediterranean. It lies between Sicily and Northern Africa. Due to it’s location, it can be hard to determine whether the name is Maltese or Arabic, since much of Malta was under Muslim influence for awhile. The largest impact of their rule being the language, Maltese, directly derived from Arabic. The language itself is strong and harsh. My grandmother spoke it. Mifsud is actually extremely common in Malta, as Smith is in the United States. But here, it’s special and it belongs to my family.

Most people ring in the new year with champagne and parties. This year, I spent it camping in Napa Valley.

Bothe-Napa Valley State Park is a small, historic, and very hidden campground right off St. Helena Highway in Calistoga, California.  Located in the very heart of California’s beautiful wine country, Bothe is a hidden gem. The campground is mostly known for it’s restored historic cabins, but I tent camped in the very back of the ground, in a site located at the very base of the longest trail surrounding Napa Valley. There are also RV spots available, as well as running water spickets, car parking, and a few public restrooms scattered throughout.

This was the first time I ever used this site, and since it was a very spur of the moment get-away (I actually decided the night before), I found this area online. I am from Sacramento, so the drive was very reasonable, only about two hours or so.  I also had never camped in the winter, so the experience was completely new to me all around. I can honestly say I did not prepare enough for the weather in this part of the valley. First of all, I had propane lamps and due to the severe temperature drop that occurs between three and six am, the cans froze and the gas couldn’t get through its proper holes. I recommend white gas if you are going camping in the winter time in Northern California, not propane. I was also lacking clothing wise; I advise thermals for the night time (I had sweats, long socks, and two thick coats, but I still suffered).

The area was absolutely gorgeous, one of the prettiest areas I visited. Miles and miles of redwoods, Douglas firs, and tanoaks covered every inch of the park and surrounding hiking trails. The hiking trails are by far the best part of this area, there are so many leading straight from the campsites. The first day, I spent five hours hiking uphill straight out of the campsite. Incidentally, I never actually reached the top of the mountain before I had to turn back. There are hundreds of small rushing streams, fallen redwoods creating tiny waterfalls, and even more fallen trees creating exciting bridges. I liked how the trail I took, branched off into many other trails, some even taking you outside of Napa.

If you aren’t much into hiking, the town of Calistoga is only about a fifteen-minute drive away. Like all small towns, there’s a quaint, locally owned grocery store with freshly grown produce, one-of-a-kind baked goods, and a deli. There’s also your small boutique shops, handmade crafts and clothing shops, and a modern coffee bar. Other than that, there isn’t anything for miles, so if hiking is not your thing, I would not necessarily recommend Bothe.

As for family-friendly, Bothe State Park is of course, with a small swimming pool open in the summertime. I am not sure if it because of the time of the year, but when I stayed, I saw no families with young kids. Most of the sites were taken, but really only by couples.

I really really enjoyed this area and will be returning in warmer weather. It’s quiet, unpopulated, and private. This is also the first area I had camped without having to worry about wildlife (bears, raccoons, coyotes, etc) breaking into the food. The hiking trails are difficult and steep, but beautiful and worth the aches.

Welcome to CollegeCaliCamping! The official guide to beautiful, off-the-beaten-path, camping in Northern California.

I am a college student studying Environmental Science, with a focus in atmosphere and climate, at California State University Chico. After I finish my degree, I hope to research climate change, and begin spreading awareness in the professional world. I am an outdoor enthusiast (obviously), and a very avid hiker, backpacker, and camper. There is so much of Northern California to be explored with lots of gorgeous areas that remain hidden to most of the public. I hope to enlighten you all and shine some light on those areas.

Over the course of the next eight weeks, I will either be camping or reviewing previous sites on my blog. I am so excited to share my experiences with you guys and hopefully introduce you to some scenic, hidden trails and sites all over the Northern California area. I will be testing and reviewing, as well as writing the history of each site.

The purpose of this blog is not to influence your opinion by telling you simply where you should and shouldn’t camp, but to inform and give a general overview and testimony of specific spots. I hope to target young families, experienced campers, and most importantly, my fellow college students looking for a cheap 😉 weekend get-away.

You don’t  even have to be an expirienced camper to keep reading, you can simply just love the outdoors and want to learn more about the landscape of your golden state! I believe there is nothing like sleeping under the stars, breathing clean, fresh air, watching the uninterrupted natural flow of surrounding water, and listening to the sounds of animals living freely among us.

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”

I hope you guys enjoy and stay tuned for more!