Hey, Camp Fans!

We were happy to get the turnout that we did this year for our annual Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! Your camp stories were great! I had such a fun time reading through them and we’ve been having a blast publishing them here on the Blog to share them with all our readers online! We’re posting each submission with their own individual post right here on the Blog!

Since I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes in September, I’ve moved on to the rest of your submissions. The following post is from Jessica B. who wrote in to tell us about her summer stay at Camp Hillel. Check it out:

I always packed tons and tons of nail polish to go to camp in every color of the rainbow—and this was before it was considered mainstream to have colors other than the regular old pink and red etc.  Somehow, word got out to other bunks and staff that I was good with nail art and one day, out of the blue, one of the camp mothers showed up in my bunk for me to do her hands and feet!

Jessica’s submission is a little light for our contest, but I still thought we could share the submission. It’s pretty cool when your hobby and talent draws a ‘crowd’ at summer camp! How cool that you got so many customers (campers and adults alike) coming to you for your artistic touch in making their nails beautiful. I hope you got to participate in other camp fun and didn’t paint nails your ENTIRE time away at camp! Haha. Thanks for writing us, Jessica. For everyone else, you can give Camp Hillel a closer look by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

The camp stories we received for our ‘Share your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp were so great! It was a wonderful time reading through them all and now I’m excited to share them with all our followers on the Blog and post each submission right here on its own day!

After our ten lucky prize winners, I’ve moved on to the rest of your submissions. The following post is from Rachelle W. who wrote in to tell us about her daughter’s camp experience at Camp Longhorn Indian Springs. Here’s her submission:

My daughter Leighton attended Camp Longhorn fourth term at Indian Springs. This was her first year. She had the best time and made the most wonderful memories. Thank you for providing her a wonderful trunk and accessories. She actually cried when we picked her up from camp after two weeks. She loved being there so much.

The best thing about camp was horseback riding and the blob. Campfire was also amazing we sang songs and did skits. I learned how to kayak and shot a rifle. The food was so good. We ate a lot, laughed a lot and I made some amazing friends. I can’t wait to return next summer. I had the time of my life. My cabin had 12 girls total. 2 were from California. And everyone else was from Texas. I made friends that will last a lifetime. I can’t wait to write them letters. My brother will be attending CLH in two years. He’s very excited. He can’t wait.

Awesome, Rachelle! Sounds like Leighton had a great summer. Your daughter’s tearful response to Closing Day of camp isn’t uncommon. Many campers are so touched by the experience of summer camp by the end that they begin to cry. We’re glad to hear that our trunk and gear worked well and that Leighton had a fun, well-rounded camp experience full of new people, new places, and new experiences! Here’s to many more fun summers at camp for Leighton and her brother!  

For everyone else, you can give Camp Longhorn a closer look by clicking right here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Your camp stories for the Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest were all so great! I had such a fun time reading through them all and now I’m excited to be sharing them with all our readers here on the Blog! Since I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes, I’ve moved on to the rest of your submissions and we’re posting each submission one by one!

The following post is from Catherine G. who wrote in to tell us about her son’s summer stay at Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha. Here’s what she had to say:

My name is Catherine and I’ve been going to Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha for 3 years. I love camp and it’s one of my favorite places to be. This summer me and my cabin went and backpacked on North Manitou Island in Michigan for 4 days. We hiked through rain and shine. But it was one of the most amazing things I’ve done. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and it was such a rewarding experience. I had never backpacked before this so I didn’t really know what to expect. I was a bit nervous going into it but I was also excited. My two awesome counselors told us that we all were going to rock it even if at times it was challenging. Our first day we hiked 2 miles and it felt like nothing. Even though it was raining we all had the best time. Hiking through the forests and by Lake Manitou was gorgeous. The second day we hiked 7 miles. This day was harder for me. At times I felt like I couldn’t go any further and that I just wanted to stop. But my amazing cabin mates and my counselors pushed me and encouraged us all to keep going and that we could do it. Our third day we hiked 5 miles. This is was a better day, but we were all sore but knew we could do it. Our last day we only hiked 1 mile. At the end of the trip I was sad to leave, but more importantly I was proud of what I had accomplished. I would’ve never been able to do that without the support of counselors and cabin mates! This is one of the many reasons why I love camp so so much.

15 miles in four days is no joke! Way to go on completing this challenge, Catherine! While they can often be fun, adventures are full of challenging moments that stretch our endurance and compel us to give ourselves pep talks. The scenery usually ain’t bad either! I’m glad you got this experience and that it means so much to you, Catherine! Isn’t camp awesome?!

For everyone else, you can give Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha a closer look. Check it out for yourself by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Your camp stories were great this year! It was lots of fun to read through them all and now I’m excited to share them with all our readers online! We’re posting each submission right here on the Blog! Since I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes, I’ve moved on to everyone else who got a $20 gift certificate as a show of our appreciation.

The following post is from Sarah R. who wrote in to reminisce about her summer days at Camp Presmont and share her anticipation to send her daughter to camp this year! Here’s what she wrote:

I spent 5 summers in the 80’s going to Camp Presmont with my friends from our church, and a couple of other summers going to horseback riding camp. I wasn’t a really outdoorsy girl, but going to camp taught me how to explore and thrive outside of my usual comfort zone. Things I remember the most are going fishing for the first time in my life on big pontoon boats and running up and down hills, in and out of the woods for capture the flag. And also spending all my cash in the basement camp store every day for things we totally didn’t need but loved buying. I do remember being a bit homesick, but not enough to not want to go back every summer. As I prepare for my own daughter to begin going to camp, I’m amazed at how much fun stuff there is to do and bring – back in the 80’s, I showed up with some tennis shoes and an old sleeping bag. While these things change, I am so excited for my daughter to spend 2 weeks this upcoming summer in the great outdoors, away from the hustle and bustle of real life. I am preparing to miss her more than she will miss us!

Yes. We talk a lot about how children can cope with the inevitable feelings of homesickness, but we don’t talk nearly as much about the other end of the stick though it’s a very real matter—childsickness. Check out what summer camp expert Chris Thurber has to say about it when you click here. In any case, I hope your girl had a great camp experience this season. I hope she enjoys it as much as you did back in the 80’s and camp becomes a part of her seasonal traditions for summers to come!

For everyone else, you can give Camp Presmont a closer look. Check it out for yourself by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

Your camp stories for the Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest were all so great! I had such a fun time reading through them all and now I’m excited to be sharing them with all our readers here on the Blog! Since I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes, I’ve moved on to the rest of your submissions and we’re posting each submission one by one!

The following post is from McKenna B. who wrote in to tell us about her first summer stay at Camp Jewell. Here it is:

This was my first time at sleepaway camp because COVID was a summer fail last year. I was really excited to go to Camp Jewell and also a little nervous. I saved up my money from recycling cans to buy a camp trunk just like I really wanted. It was pink and black and I put camp stickers on the front! My mom totally overpacked like usual and so then she bought another bag to snap on top to hold my bedding. She joked that she went a little overboard and I had enough stuff to stay for the whole summer.

When I got to camp my cabin was right on the lake next to the waterslide. How cool! The first night there something really funny happened. I was going to sleep and my worst fear came true... there was a giant spider in my bunk!!!!!!!!! I scrambled to get my shower shoes and started swatting the spider to kill it!!! gross!! Not a good way to spend my first night at camp. To make things worse, that night we saw flying ants in our cabin and I swear there were bugs that kept biting my ankles and feet when I was asleep. I wrote my first letter home all about the spider (my nemesis) and the bugs. My mom laughed because I didn't say anything else about camp. Just about the bugs!

Camp was super fun. I met some friends and did activities like the waterslide, candle making, carpet ball, and paddle boarding. I'm not a fan of the bugs at camp but everything else was cool. I'm going to go back next year and will wear socks to sleep so the bugs don't bite my ankles as much.

You’re not alone, McKenna! Those pesky parasites and other flighted foes are certainly the worst part of summer. Way to handle yourself like a warrior your first night, though during the battle of your bunk! Socks for the nighttime will definitely be a good tactical maneuver in battles to come! It was awesome to hear that you bought a trunk with money you saved from recycling cans! Nice resourcefulness! We always love to hear how well our gear works out for camp! Thanks for writing in to us, McKenna! Way to go making friends and having lots of fun this summer.

For everyone else, give Camp Jewell a closer look. Check it out for yourself by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John