Hey, Camp Folks!

The Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ drawing saw an excellent response with about 30 entries! That’s why we’ve published each and every one right here on the Blog! We received a handful that weren’t long enough to qualify for our contest, but we thought we’d at least share them on the Blog. Check out these three accounts from excited campers!

First is this entry from Ainsley S. who attended Camp Illahee:

“I had so much fun at summer camp! It was my first time to go away. We labeled my clothes and items before I left (with stickers and stamps from Everything Summer Camp). Then I made new friends while I was there. I was able to keep everything pretty organized because of some other items my mom had ordered from your website. I can’t wait to go back next year!”

Next up is a submission about Audrey S. and his time at Camp Mystic:

“When I was at Camp Mystic, I went fishing. I wanted to go fishing far away from the bait table and I needed a minnow. As I walked to my fishing spot, I put it in the water. Then all of these bass came swimming up to it and then one bit it! It was a baby bass. I reeled it and got a picture. After that, I threw it back in the water! Was really excited to catch my first bass.”

And, lastly, we have a camp submission from Eileen S. who went to Camp Merrie Woode:

“I arrive at camp. My cabin smells of wood. I get my bunk all set up and head down to the docks for a swim test. The next day I start my activities. I started with kayaking across Lake Fairfield at 10:15. Then I go to Modern Dance. Then I go to the riding stables. The one I get put on is named Nugget. Then I had a delicious lunch as always. Then I made a bulls-eye on the archery field! Then I ended the day by playing a match of tennis.”

A thank you to our contributors today for sharing your camp memories with us! It’s great to hear from all of you. Look into these camps for yourselves if you’re interested and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

The Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ drawing saw an excellent response with nearly 30 entries! That’s why we’re publishing each and every one right here on the Blog! Today I’ve got two submissions ready to go from Grace L. as well as Reagan T.! They’re entries are both on the shorter side, but you can tell there wasn’t any shortage of fun at the camps they attended.

First, take a look at what Grace said about her stay at Red Pine Camp:

“This year was my first year at camp I was super excited and couldn’t wait for it to be July 10th!! My cabin mates and counselors were amazing and fun and funny. The name of my cabin was cedar and I was in the forester unit. My favorite camp activity was probably waterskiing! This year I went for my sailing basic so that I could be on sailing team it was my first year to take sailing and it was really fun sadly I didn’t get my basic in sailing but maybe next year. I am very sad that camp is over but I am looking forward for next years camp experience!!”

And here’s the submission from Reagan about her experience at Camp Ridgecrest:

“This was my first overnight camp. It was also the first time I was away from my parents for five days. The camp was awesome! We had lots of activities to choose from. I participated in fishing, cooking and baking, kayaking, hiking, paddleboarding, and go cart racing. I won the biggest fish tournament! My catfish was 12 inches long. I met new friends from my church. My favorite time was worship time. I LOVE worshipping the Lord! I hope I will go back to this camp next year! I also want to attend Camp Ridgecrest next year.”

I’m glad you guys have had such positive first times at summer camp. If anyone else is interested in one of these camps, you can further check out Red Pine Camp and Camp Ridgecrest sometime! As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We got great submissions in response to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp and we’re very excited to share them right here on the Blog! After seven lucky winners, everyone else who submitted received a $15 gift certificate to our website! Today’s post comes from Zoe O., who wrote in to tell us about her unique time at Camp Blue Star.

“I went to Camp Blue Star for one summer but I didn’t realize how much it would change my life forever. When I got there, I didn’t realize until then how big the camp was! That had made me quite excited because the land was beautiful and looked fun to be in, however I was also very anxious about making friends and how everything else at the camp would go. When I got to my cabin, everybody there was extremely friendly right away and some girls (who ended up being some of my closest friends) even helped me get situated in my area in the bunk. While we were there, my relationship with my cabin grew tremendously, especially when we had free time away from our counselors at night. I also made a couple friends outside of my cabin who were also super lovely. I think my favorite trip we took was definitely when we went camping. I took pictures on the camera I brought with me of all my friends and we all worked together to stay warm and feed each other, all while having a good time. We made the most of our time, despite our fire going out occasionally because of the rain that, of course, eventually passed. Another thing I enjoyed while I was there were the activities. I took video editing, which is a pretty rare activity that many camps do not have, and it was quite amazing. The two counselors that taught us were also YouTubers, so that was pretty cool. They not only taught us the mechanics of editing but also showed us how to work on YouTube videos successfully. I also took acting, which is a hobby I am very passionate about. We were taught and prepped for the play by an actor from Broadway and put on amazing show for all of the camp to see! I enjoyed my experience there and I wish I could’ve gone another summer.”

It’s always great to hear campers note the life-changing aspect of camp; it shows your growth in introspective nature. We’re glad to hear summer camp was such an influential experience for you, Zoe. Video editing sounds pretty cool! If anyone else is into that, maybe check out Camp Blue Star’s website for yourself by clicking here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We got lots and lots of submissions for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp—over 30, in fact! We’ve been enjoying weekly posts in which we publish the entries here on the Blog! Once we got through our initial, seven lucky winners, all of our other entrants received a $15 gift certificate to our website! Today’s post comes from Merrill T., who thought to share the experience of her second year Camp Huckins! Thanks for this post, Merrill!

“As my second year at sleep away camp began, I thought I was prepared for the experience that was about to commence, as I entered the white gates I began my second two weeks at Camp Huckins. The weeks flew by while I was water skiing, crafting, dressing up, singing on the tables, and staying up to memorize my lines for the camp play. One of the last nights, instead of sleeping in the cabin like we usually do, we got to sleep at the Indian Camp Fire. I slept with my friends Danielle and Daphne, but we talked into the night while laughing and having so much fun I almost forgot we only two days of camp left. By the time camp was over, I could hardly believe how much I had done in two weeks. Now I’m even more excited for next year.”

Sounds like camp was a blast the second time around, Merrill! Time certainly does seem to fly right by when we’re having the level of fun that we have at summer camp. But at least our memories last forever! If any readers believe Camp Huckins just might be a good match for you, check it out for yourself by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We saw so many submissions for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp; we got more than 30 entries! We’ve been having a great time publishing your entries here on the Blog! So, after seven lucky winners, all other entrants received a $15 gift certificate to our website! Today’s lovely Valentine’s Day post comes from Khami A., who shared with us her love affair with summer camp. She thought to tell us about her relationship with summer camp over the last six years! Read the fun and the passion in Khami’s submission.

“The six years I spent at Camp Blue Ridge was definitely an experience of a life time. While I was there, I learned several different things. The first thing I learned while I was there was that family doesn’t always have to be a group of people that you’re blood-related to. While I was there, I made several close friends who are like brothers and sisters to me. Being around them at camp was a similar feeling as one would get in the comfort of his or her own home. I also learned the importance of staying healthy. While I was there, I took upon many interactive activities like ropes course, archery, and so forth, which is surprising considering I’m more of an artsy, indoor person and never really went outside much before then. I did this in addition to developing new skills and making more friends. Additionally, I learned the importance of making the most of the time I had there. Those 6 years went by very rapidly, but I took in as much as I could while I learned new skills there, made as many amazing friends as I possibly could, and enjoyed the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains we lived upon every single summer. I also documented a lot of the time that I spent there with my video camera. Anyways, aside from what I learned this summer, I also met some amazing people. I met my best friend Teegan my first year and we’ve been inseparable ever since. For our first year it had just been me and her generally, however we had branched out and since then have developed a greater group of friends who I love and cherish very much. Another outstanding thing that happened while I was there was the scenery of the camp. It hailed sometimes while I was there, which is a rare event that ever occurs where I actually live. The mountains there were also absolutely outstanding. The open, vast land opened up to taller parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains which were absolutely breathtaking and heavenly. In addition to the mountains, we also had beautiful lakes, ponds, and tall trees throughout the camp. Many dandelions grew amongst the land which was another rarity that I viewed while I was there. We also had fun events as a camp, considering that we weren’t a large group of people so it was easy to work all together. We did scavenger hunts, campfires, camping, ‘guess that song’, karaoke, plays, and so on. As you can see, Camp Blue Ridge was a very important part of my life and I always love to look back at and cherish the moments I spent there every summer with the people I love most.”

Well, you certainly are a seasoned vet when it comes to summer camp, aren’t you, Khami?! It’s great to hear that camp has shown you a number of your ‘firsts’ including hail and dandelions! We love to hear that you’ve gotten so much out of your time at summer camp and that you’ve SPENT so much time at summer camp! If any readers think that Camp Blue Ridge might be a good match for you, check it out further by clicking here. And, as always, thanks for reading! Happy Valentine’s Day!

- John