Camping near the Palomar Observatory

On the weekend of Dec 7th-8th. our Troop had the privilege of camping within a few hundred feet of the Visitors entrance to the Palomar Observatory. Although the weather was beautiful with clear skies and warm afternoons, early Saturday evening and Sunday morning was quite brisk (Esther’s thermometer gave a reading of 33 degrees F on Sunday morning!). Scouts arrived just after lunchtime on Saturday and immediately were hard at work gathering mistletoe to provide for the upcoming fundraiser. It was then off to the more technical task of lashing poles together to form our Troop’s two gadgets that would carry our flags. Dinner prep began early at around 4, but thanks to ample lights from Esther’s large stockpile of technology, continued well after dusk. Scouts and parents cooked up delicious, elaborate meals including juicy burgers, fettucini in alfredo sauce, vegan chili, and a large korean dish based on squiggly noodles. On Sunday morning, parents and scouts embarked on a multi-guide led tour of the observatory at 10, learning a great deal about the mind boggling facts of the universe and the tremendous engineering feat of constructing the 200 ft telescope that has stood the test of time since the 1920’s.

To see more images of our experience, please visit the photo album at:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5pbDMSuszALdSHH2A