WARNING: the following contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 12 of Laid-Back Camp, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Nadeshiko and her friends have been having a great new year so far, and they rang it in in true camping style. Now, in Episode 12, the campers are halfway through their biggest and best trip yet in the Izu region, and the two birthday girls, Nadeshiko and Aoi, are in for a real treat.
Nadeshiko panicked after realizing she slept through half the drive to Izu, since there were all kinds of things to see on the way there. But now she quickly makes up for lost time as the friends go to visit geospots that only Izu can offer. The biggest of these is Sanshiroujima, a chain of islands that can be accessed on foot at low tide. Depending on the angle, three or four of the islands are visible at a time, hence the name. Despite the March morning chill, Nadeshiko and her friends trek through the shallows to see this geospot up close. Akari is especially eager to visit, since she can't wait to eat the tombolo there -- except, she doesn't actually know what that is.
As the girls get ankle-deep in the chilly water to wade their way to Sanshiroujima's biggest island, Akari searches for the tombolo food stand. Surprise: "tombolo" is the phenomenon when these islands are accessible at low tide -- which means no food. Akari is surprised, but to make her feel better about it, the girls buy her a snack from an actual food stall.
On the way to the next geospot, Mt. Daruma Highland, the group takes in a fantastic view of the Nishiizu Skyline, an incredible vista that was definitely worth the trip. The campers are at a fairly high elevation, within one kilometer of the high-altitude camp Yamanaka, where Chiaki's camp squad ran into a little trouble. Cape Mihama is the next destination, a lovely beach that is sometimes confused with the nearby Cape Osu, due to how similar they look. But, after all this hiking and traveling, it's time for a special birthday dinner.
Chiaki and her friends shelled out for some expensive fish and encouraged Ms. Toba to buy them some spiny lobster but, for a birthday, they went even further. Nadeshiko and Aoi wonder aloud what their birthday dinner will be like and, though though it was meant to be a secret, the birthday dinner still goes just as planned. Everyone sets up some charming, colorful lights at the campsite, and after singing the happy birthday song (in English, no less), Nadeshiko and Aoi are treated to a pancake-style birthday cake and some gifts from Rin. Rin has learned a lot about camping since she started this hobby and shares some of her newfound expertise in the form of high-quality cooking pots made of tree resin and fibers.
Ms. Toba is treated to a few plates of snacks to go with her wine and beer, and best of all, a shrimp and tomato risotto dish to round out the birthday bash in flavorful style. Nadeshiko and Aoi are delighted, and the broth came from the spiny lobster for added flavor. Ms. Toba reflects on how far the girls have come as campers and as friends, and when the early morning sun rises, Nadeshiko and the others stand atop a hill to greet it. There is one day left of the Izu trip left, and the girls will make the most of it before finally heading home. What fresh vistas await them?
