Hey, Summer Campers!

I told you we were through with camper submissions. I told you the last had finally been published.

I was wrong.

Enjoy reading this final camp submission from Lauren E. who wrote in to tell us about her second camp stay at Camp Tapawingo in New York. Check it out:

“My name is Lauren, and this was my second summer going to camp at Tapawingo! Tapawingo means ‘Place of Joy’ and it is so cool, because it is on an island in the middle of Lake Pleasant in the Adirondacks mountains of New York.
lMy very favorite thing to do at camp is Banana Boating! That is when six campers sit on a big inflatable banana shaped float and it is towed by a really fast boat! We get whipped back and forth until everyone goes flying off!
lThe other activities I really enjoy are crafts, sailing, hiking, and drama. There are lots of different activities for us to choose from!
What I love most about going to camp are the friendships I make. I have great friends from all over the WORLD that I have met there. They become like sisters to me and I will love them forever.
lWhen I go to camp, I pack all my stuff in a large soft pop-up trunk. I love it, because it fits everything I need, and it is easy for me to move around.”

We love hearing how much you love camp, Lauren! Thanks for the shout-out to the Pop-Up Soft Trunk too—glad it can see you through your camp experience! Tapawingo sounds like a pretty magical place and Banana Boating sounds like an absolute blast! We hope Camp Tapawingo provides you with awesome summers to come!

If anybody else thinks Tapawingo sounds like a good fit for them, check out their website to get a better sense of how you'd like to stay there and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

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 Jacob T. who attended Camp Caraway:

“This was my first overnight camp. I LOVED it! I participated in archery, go cart racing, air rifle, ziplining, paddleboard, and hiking. The facility was really nice! Our cabins were clean and air conditioned. The food was delicious! I like the billiard. The canteen had good snacks. My favorite part was being away from home. There were lots of things to do and lots of friends to play with me! I would like to go back to Camp Caraway next year!”

Next up is a submission about Liam F. and his time at Camp Onas:

“I was a bit nervous going to camp this year for 4 weeks. I asked my mom to print out a photo of my dog Romeo. This is my first year with your “soft” trunk and it made finding my clothes easy. There is a pocket in the top to put my dogs picture – so it didn’t get wet.

It really rained a lot – we enjoyed the mud on the boys side.”

And, lastly, we have a camp submission from Linnea P. who went to Camp Lake Hubert:

“My husband attended Camp Lincoln as a child. We were in the area a few years ago and took a tour. Ever since then, my husband wanted to go to Family Camp at Camp Lake Hubert. I was reluctant to go, but I finally said yes this year.

I am so glad that I did. Everyone in our family had a great time! I found out that two of my kids are really good at archery, and the other one is really good at kayaking. The activities were fun. The food was good, and the staff was top notch! We would love to go again!”

And thus concludes our entries to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest from the 2017 camp season. A huge thanks to everyone who submitted and shared your camp memories with us! It’s been 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 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