i am looking for a good camping site around a san diego
I am looking for A camping site (tenting) near san diego with great view.

These links should help you. San Diego is such a beautiful place. We are in southeast LOUISIANA and our daughter lives in San Diego with her husband. We love to visit. Good Luck! These links have tons of info.

We are planning to cook our catch on or near the lake

best thing is to keep it siimple to get the best out of the fresh taste. wrap it in tin foil and put it on a hot rock at the side of the fire for 30 mins. or fry it in a bit of butter and lemon. or grill it, stuff it with fresh herbs - parsley, lemongrass, garlic

im going camping this Saturday and im going for a week and im gonna have coolerss and stuff and im gonna have a firepit and a stove.
what are some good recipes,food ideas,and what foods should i bring?
Thanks

I was always in charge of the food and cooking so over the years I have learned a few things.
I'd take bagels instead of bread (they keep better)
Take potatoes, onions, garlic, green peppers etc.
these can be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Take squeezable margarine, soy milk in boxes (keeps better)
Mix salt/pepper together & put in small container.
Liquid eggs are easier to keep too.
Get a small bag of REAL bacon bits, add to eggs.
Get a bottle of complete pancake mix you just add water to.
I got coffee in those foil packages, looks like a tea bag.
Brought powdered creamer and sugar packets.
Brought 2 or 3 SOS scour pads to clean the cookware, plates etc. Keep them in a zip baggy.
Took Jiffy pizza crust mix, pepperoni, and tomato paste and made pizzas on the fire using a flat rock to cook it on.
Brought tuna in packets, mayo & relish packets and had tuna salads.
Brought Pringles chips, packed in can & easy to transport.
Bring lots of Rice Crispy treats, they are foil packaged.
You really can find all you need in a regular grocery store, just think ease of use and transportability. Finally, I kept all the food in a large storage container. And if you can put the container in a vehicle at night. If you don't there will be all kinds of critters coming around trying to get at the food. Have fun!!

Just click on the included link and fill in the information that it ask for to make your reservations.

There are some really nice places in the mountains on the west side of the state, near Quemado, Reserve, in the Gila wilderness.

Are there ones that are right on the sand?
I was also looking more for a one or two day thing, its with my boyfriend coming home from the Marines.

Any suggestions?

There are some state parks that are right on the sand, and they're reservable thru www.reserveamerica.com. Unfortunately, those sand sites are a hot commodity - and require reservations almost a year in advance.

If he's coming home via Camp Pendleton, you can look into renting one of the little cottages at Del Mar Beach, which is right on the base:
http://www.mccscp.com/images/lodging/cottage_photos/index.htm

Del Mar Beach Cottages (760) 725-2134
Cottage Rates / Night: For new 1 bedroom cottage $70

San Onofre Beach Cottages
(760) 763-SURF or (760) 763-SAND
Cottage Rates / Night: 1 bedroom $55, 2 bedroom $65, and 3 bedroom $75

If he's been stationed in the Middle East, he may not be as excited about the sand as you are… I'd look at lots of options. Cottages might be nice, or maybe just go to a cute B&B or hotel where there are fun things to do… SeaWorld, Disney, etc. Maybe even find a cabin up in Big Bear or Idyllwild that you can rent off of Craigslist.org ?

Find something fun that will bring out the kid in him…he'll probably love the chance to forget about his tour of duty for a few days and just spend the time with you having fun!

What are the laws in California regarding camping in places other than campgrounds? I mean, is it legal to pitch a tent in other places without reservations or explicit permission? What about fires? I want to go camping tonight with my kids but don’t want to use crowded, noisy campgrounds (they’re all booked up anyway). Any ideas about where near the South Bay area would also be very welcome. Thanks.

Definitely no fires! Isn’t half the state still burning, and the conditions are the driest in decades.

A friend and I will be taking a long camping road trip next month and going on one of those two excursions. They seem like they'd be quite different.

The AZ/UT/CO route would probably involve seeing the grand canyon in Arizona, the canyonlands area of southeastern Utah (Arches National Park, etc), and then the mountains of Colorado.

On the other hand, the OR/WA/BC route would involve a lot of forested areas, some national parks like Crater Lake, some oceanside stuff, etc.

We're torn between the two, as the AZ/UT/CO route would be more new to us, but it is going to be August and we're wondering if roasting in our car or tent in those areas might take a lot of fun out of it (no RV with A/C for us!).

Which would you choose?

Well, lets see.
The desert that is Utah and Arizona, and that mountain they call the rockies *cha* OR…
You can….
travel,
…God's country. *wink*

Choosing either,
The Pacific Coast Highway, on the most western side of Oregon or right thru Three Sisters,
Doing I-5
Then hit'n that amazing ole' hill we like to call Louwala-Clough (Mount St. Helens)
After you finish that journey, another 2, two and a half hours north, the international geologic community has determined that Mt Rainier is the world's 16th most dangerous volcano. (elev. 14,410 feet)
Mount Rainier National Park is riddled with Old growth forest. Over 91 thousand acres. As defined, Old growth is trees over 250 years old.
Some of these Douglas Fir's and Western Hemlocks have been around for over a thousand years.
Of course some of the younger trees also contribute to the lavish tree line. Western Red Cedar, Pacific Silver Fir, and Ponderosa Pine all decorate and create surreal Timberland.
..and the 4 legged creatures, the Elk, Deer, Squirrel, and Coyotes.
All needing each other to sustain life.
Nearly 800 plant species. Over 100 non-native plants. There's 54 Mammals, 126 Birds and 17 Amphibian or Reptiles that call this Park home.

The Nisqually tribe has been granted access to the Park, in order to gather plants, traditionally used in their ancestral Rituals, and medicine.
Of the plants being harvested: bear grass, blueberries, cascara, cranberry, devils club, maidenhair fern, wild gooseberry, salmonberry, serviceberry, strawberry, tiger lily, princes pine, spruce, cedar, white pine and western yew.
The Park has also presented that when "vision quests" and other traditional journeys are needed, that the Park will do its best to keep tourists out.

Native lore says that (Mt.) Tahoma is the dueling sister of (Mt.) St. Helens.
..and that they forever are fighting for the love of (Mt.) Adams.

Once you catch your breath beyond the vertigo events of Mt Rainer, skip on up to the very groovy metropolitan city of Seattle, its time to feast your hearts desire. Who cares if its the middle of the night. It's open. Then, dance your beHIND off, at the very grooviest clubs west of the Vegas strip.

Now its time to jump a ferry, circle the Peninsula, get yourself over to the Lake Quinault Lodge, and rest like you've never rested.

THEN…. find your way to the Sol duc Hot Springs (clothing optional area of course) You'll be awed as you find yourself in the Worlds ONLY temperate rain forest. The canopy of trees, is so dense, its wet, no matter how blue the sky. The Douglas Fir, White and Red Cedar tree's are the laregest on the ENTIRE Globe…
Its freaken heaven…

Then of course you'll grab your passport, head the hour and a half up to Port Angeles, and grab the quick ferry ride thru the Strait of Juan de Fuca. And ya'll be oot and a'boot to Victoria British Columbia, before ya know it, eh?.. =)

im looking for a good Family Camping place around the outer banks i would like an answer from someone who has gone camping around the outerbanks within walking or biking distance to the beach would be nice

There are some camps listed below

most places around here.. yeah. I mean you cant go to a well known beach and get away with it. I dunno maybe socal is different, I know its hard to even get away with drinking at a beach up here near santa cruz. But then again monterey and half moon bay have tons of deserted beaches.