One of my friends who lives near Santa Barbara suggested we have dinner at the beach for Labor Day. And for old time sakes, have a bonfire and make s’mores. She’s the one starting to build the fire. We gathered small pieces of driftwood for kindling and used some napkins and paper plates from dinner to fuel the fire. One couple brought fire wood.
We had a potluck dinner with two other couples. One brought homemade pizza and pasta salad. I brought goat cheese brie with crackers, sweet peppers with hummus, and roasted cauliflower and zucchini. The third couple brought skewers, marshmallows, graham crackers and assorted chocolate bars including Hershey’s and Ghirardelli dark chocolate bars in different flavors including caramel and orange.
The s’mores and bonfire brought back memories when we visited these friends for Spring Break when our kids were young. We’d camp in our tent at Carpinteria State Beach and enjoy campfires at night. We always had s’mores.
Here are photos from our Labor Day picnic at the beach:
It’s almost sunset.
The guys (hubby on the left).
The wives and my empty chair. Somebody had to take the photo and everyone was too comfy for a selfie.
Our friends set up a camping table behind the fire to hold our potluck dinner. The campfire brought back many memories with our family camping at the beach — even when I was a child. But also a memory of surprise one summer when my high school-aged kids planned a beach campfire with their swim team friends and I wasn’t invited!
The lights of Santa Barbara can be seen across the water. The train tracks are in the foreground. Time to say goodnight and goodbye.
Have you had campfires or camped at the beach? What are your thoughts on s’mores? What foods bring back memories to you?
I have many great memories of camping at the beach and bonfires and s’mores! Thanks for bringing them back this morning. 😀
Those are great memories to have!
Lovely picnic Elizabeth. Loved the pictures.
Thanks! It was so much fun.
A perfect addition to your beach vacation
Yes, we’re going to make it an annual event.
That’s really good
👍🏼
What a great time, with great friends! My grandparents had a summer home on the beach in Oceanside, so I spent many summers there, but I don’t recall whether we did a bonfire.
How fortunate to have a beach home in the family. We had our wedding reception at my husband’s family’s beach house in Laguna. They sold it a few years later. But we continued beach vacations to escape the summer heat.
I was lucky to experience a few of those sorts of evenings on the coast but most of my fireside experiences were by the lake shore since our summers were spent at the family cabin and then taking my own kids camping around WA when they were young. It looks like a wonderful evening for all of you EA!
You were lucky to have a family cabin on the lake. There’s so many great places to camp in WA. We camped at Ross Lake and Dungeness Spit by Hurricane Ridge. Great memories, there too. We have to do beach bonfires more often.
I think the only time we camped on a beach was in the Belize Cayes when I was a teen. I haven’t had a s’more since childhood, but I loved them then.
That sounds like an amazing beach camping location. Yes, the s’mores brought back memories. Mine was perfect with toasted melted marshmallows and dark chocolate Hershey’s.
The only thing I can say yes to is s’mores….im guessing no beach campfires around here
In Laguna there was a beach with big fire rings of cement. The fire was built inside. This beach, people build them anywhere.
I love that picture with Argus in the background. He looks so ready to have a s’more! And your beach bonfire pictures from this year look so fun!
Yes, I’m sure Angus was ready for s’mores. He was driven by food! I lost a steak off the counter when I turned my back. Plus butter from the fridge. He was trained as a guide dog and knew how to open the fridge. He was supposed to fetch certain items like OJ for his blind person. Instead, we got him and he treated himself! I loved the campfire on Labor Day. I can’t wait for next summer to do it again.
Fun pictures at the beach.
Thanks! Yes, I love being by a large body of water. And the lights of a city across the water.
What a beautiful post, Elizabeth. Your memories evoked memories of my own from days past. Lovely!
Thank you so much! Beach bonfires are the best.
I remember LOVING s’mores! Unfortunately, as I’ve gotten older, I can’t seem to tolerate sweets like I used to. Bummer.
We drove by that beach on Tuesday as we headed home from our road trip to Canada. It was a gorgeous day!
Yes, I’m with you on sweets. I no longer like them as much as I used to. But one s’more was perfect and brought back memories. That’s something that you drove by our beach. The exits for it are Padaro Lane and Santa Claus Lane. How long was your drive?
We drove up to Vancouver Island, then started back towards the end of August. When we drove by Santa Claus Lane, it reminded of when they had the Christmas village there. I guess it is all gone now.
Yes I miss that too.