Hey, Camp Fans!

Your camp stories were great! I had a great time reading through them all and now I’m excited to share them with all our readers online and post each submission right here on the Blog! I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes and we’ve now moved on to the rest of your submissions.

The following entry is from Megan P. who wrote in to tell us about her own time at Westminster Woods as well as her daughter’s camp stay at Gold Arrow Camp. Here is her submission:

“My camp adventures as a child always were a few hours north of home in the redwoods in Sonoma County. We would have funny nicknames and sing songs around the campfire. I remember one year wading through a creek with a huge cold watermelon at the end of our adventure and it was the sweetest reward. We could climb up to a cave and open our mouths in the dark to see if the rumor of breaking a white life saver in the dark really creates a spark. The songs I learned while away every summer are ones I still hum at times. Now it’s my daughter’s turn. Her camp is for two weeks and with no phones or internet it’s like going back in time to my youth. Laughter replaces time on the phone. Campfires replace an evening movie. I’m so grateful for summer camp. It is allowing my daughter to realize how capable she is. To make new friends outside of her small school class. She packed her entire soft sided trunk and we’re grateful for the attached zip on bag. I actually saw a photo of it and her smiling in her tent. They take photos and send them to us periodically as a way for our current parental always know where ones child is culture to feel connected while they are off having fun. It’s wonderful how camp life can stay similar as time and technology marches on.”

Fantastic, Megan! Thanks for sharing this piece. It really shows how summer camp is still summer camp despite the forward march of time and tech. Your time at camp sounds like it was quite the adventure! Wading with a watermelon must have been quite the challenge. And now I HAVE to know—did the lifesavers make a spark? Take a closer look at Westminster Woods to visit the same camp as Megan or check out Gold Arrow Camp where her daughter went this summer. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Your camp stories were great for the ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp! It was such fun reading through them all. Now I’m eager to share them with our online community and post each submission right here on the Blog!

I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes and now I’m sharing the rest of your submissions. The following post is from Emily G. who wrote in to tell us about her time at Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha. Here’s her submission:

“I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to backpack around Isle Royale National Park for two weeks with my cabin mates. Those two weeks were the best two weeks of my entire life; I was home. Backpacking is such an important thing to me because it’s what I love most. To be surrounded by nature and with supporting companions is all I’d ever ask for in life. The biodiversity was astounding from the moose to the wildflowers. I would repeat those 115 miles in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. Hiking the Greenstone Ridge was one of my favorite experiences due to the elevation, I felt as if I was seeing the island in a way that only birds are granted. Yes, there were times when my feet ached but I didn’t care; I didn’t care because I was content with where I was and who I was with. The people that I’ve been lucky enough to become friends with are friends who will be with me for life. My camp is an environment that fosters growth and discovery; camp is a place where I love to be and I long for those days with my whole heart.”

What a truly breathtaking experience, Emily. I love the “bird’s eye view” you got of the island. How cool! I love hiking too so maybe I’ll have to check out the Greenstone Ridge sometime! You make it sound pretty magical. Thanks for this great submission, Emily! If anyone else would like to check out Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha closer, you can do so by clicking right here. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

What’s up, Camp Fans?!

We received some quality camp stories for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest at Everything summer Camp. You knocked it out of the park this year, campers; these stories are fantastic! I’m eager to share them with our online community and post each submission right here on the Blog!

Now that I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes, I’m sharing the rest of the submissions we received. All entrants win a $20 gift certificate to our online store simply for participating. The following post is about Cora H. from her mother about their summer experience at Camp Olympia. Check out her submission right here:

“This was Cora's (age 9) first year at summer camp. We live in West Texas where every camp is centered around sports and she is a homeschool kid that isn't very interested in team sports. She wanted more out of her summer. I started searching online and found Camp Olympia which looked like a camp right out of a movie. When I went to present her with the idea I barely got any information out before she said yes, a million times yes! This camp is eight hours away from us, she wouldn't know anybody, and she's never stayed anywhere overnight without family. We were incredibly lucky to get her in and only had 4 weeks to prep. We ordered her the most beautiful trunk from Everything Summer Camp and had a great time gathering everything and organizing it. I knew she could do it, but again, she's a homeschooled child and doesn't have the everyday interactions with other kids so we were all a little nervous about this new experience. Her excitement continued to grow and when the day finally came for me to drop her off she was so ready. When I was driving away I looked back to wave but she was already surrounded by amazing counselors and other campers and was smiling and laughing. She had an amazing time and signed up for next summer already. I have never been so proud of her for diving into such a new experience with such confidence. We're already looking forward to next summer and she can't wait to make more amazing friends and memories!”

Thanks for this great submission! It’s great to hear that Cora’s camp stay was a blast! Sounds like she took to the social aspect of camp very quickly. The easy, natural environment of camp certainly lends itself to making friendships and having lots of fun. Camp Olympia sounds really cool. If anyone else would like to check it out closer, you can do so by clicking right here. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Throughout September so far, I’ve been announcing the winners to our annual ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest. And, today, the time has come to reveal our grand prize winner for this year’s edition. Find out right here and right now—the winner of our $300 gift certificate is….

Amelia H.!

Yaaaayyy, Amelia!!! Congratulations. You’re our grand prize winner!!! Amelia wrote in to tell us about her experience at Camp Longhorn. Read her account of the fun camp stay right here on today’s Blog post:

“Camp was super fun. My favorite activity was the blob because it was so much fun and ended up being amazing. I was scared to do it at first, but all my new camp friends told me it was just like a giant marshmallow and that’s what gave me the courage to jump on and do it! I loved making new friends. Whenever I first got to camp, I was so nervous and now that I know everyone there, I will never, ever be nervous again. I loved the cook at camp -his real name is Barney Baker! Now I know what my mom meant when she told me he was the best cook in the whole world (she also went to my camp)! Now I also know why my mom used to say she wants her ashes spread out over Camp Longhorn and its Church Mountain and Inks Lake - it really IS the best place on earth. We all call it heaven on earth and now I REALLY know why we do! One of the most important mottos at my camp is “Everybody is Somebody at Camp Longhorn” and that is REALLY true, too! They make sure every person feels special at their very special place. I just love it and can’t wait to go back next summer.”

Thanks for this great submission, Amelia! We’re so glad to hear how much you loved your time at Longhorn. Way to go putting your fear behind you and jumping on the blob. It certainly looks a little intimidating but lots of fun too! It’s great to hear what a special place Camp Longhorn is to you. Have fun in the years to come!

For anyone else interested in Camp Longhorn, you can check it out right here. That concludes our big prize winners, but stay tuned each week when we publish a couple of our participants’ submissions so you can catch all the great submissions we received this year. As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

It’s the Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! We’re in full swing for this year, announcing our lucky winners and sharing their stories right here on the Blog. Today, I’m announcing the last of our $100 gift certificate winners! Today’s winner is….

Ocean M.!

Congratulations, Ocean! You win a $100 gift certificate to our one-stop camping gear shop! Ocean gives us her story of her summer stay at Chimney Corners Camp in Massachusetts. Read about it in her Contest entry right here:

“Summer Camp is the Best!

It’s wonderful to hear how well camp went for you, Ocean! Chimney Corners Camp sounds like an incredibly welcoming place. Firefly and Yoga sound like some nice, reflective activities you enjoyed this summer. And, by the way—Happy Birthday! To anybody else interested in Chimney Corners Camp for Girls, you can check it out by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John