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 one, one at a time!

The following submission came from Ellison R. who had a great time during her camp stay at Camp Longhorn. Check out her story right now:

“This was the best year at camp yet! It was the first year on a water cabin, a cabin that is floating on the lake. Even though it's hot out, the breeze from the lake keeps you cool at night. I love camp and can't wait to see my friends each year. This year was my sister's 9th and final year as a camper, she and her cabin mates have been together since they were 8! Every year I count the days until camp and can't wait to go back and see all my friends and enjoy all the traditions that our mother also enjoyed!”

Wow, Ellison!! Your sister almost made it a decade of summers at camp! I wonder how many camp seasons you’ve attended, but I’m glad this was the best one to date! The floating cabin sounds very cool; I’m guessing that’s a big part of what made this year stand out as the best one yet. Keep enjoying your summers to come, Ellison. Thanks for your submission.

If anyone else wants to look into Camp Longhorn more, click here to check out their website and have a good look around. Maybe that’s where you’ll be heading next summer. As always, thanks for reading and Happy Camping!

- John

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!

The following post is from Chase B. who wrote in to tell us about his summer stay at Camp Wise in Ohio. Check it out:

“My name is Chase and I am 9 years old. This was my first time at overnight camp. I was so homesick the first few days, but my supervisor did so many things to make me feel better. One of the best things was she took me to visit where my mom signed her name at the camp when she was a kid! Then, she let me write my own name next to hers so it was like we were together. I loved learning how to do archery and boating. I can't wait to go back again next year, and this time my little brother is coming with me!”

What a sweet gesture from your supervisor, Chase—taking you to the place where your mom signed her name at camp. That must have made you feel a lot better. I’m glad that you ended up enjoying your stay at summer camp after you got past your homesick feelings. Archery and boating are some pretty cool activities! I’m glad you had a good enough time that you want to return for next year! Camp Wise must be a really special place.

Give Camp Wise a closer look by clicking right here to see all the fun they have in store for their campers in summer seasons to come. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We received more than 50 entries for our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp and I’ve been happily plugging away at publishing each one of them right here on the Blog to share with all our readers!

Today's camp story submission comes from Kerrington J., who wrote in to give her camp experience at Gold Arrow Camp in California. Check it out right now:

“My brother had been to camp for two years so when I finally got to go, I was so excited. I was so nervous to leave my parents and brothers for a week but I was greeted with big smiles and was ready to go. I had the absolute best time at Gold Arrow. I instantly became best friends with my cabin and we did so many fun things. I even broke the record for getting through the "spiderweb" for girls. I missed my family a lot but I can't wait to go to back to paddle board, make new friends, knee board and beat my own time at the spiderweb! I absolutely love Gold Arrow camp (and the food) and all the friends I made.”

That’s so cool, Kerrington! I’m glad you had such a fun time for your first year of summer camp. Way to go with the ‘spiderweb’. That’s awesome that you need to compete with your own time now next year (assuming that’s still the record). I’m glad the fun of summer camp outweighed your feelings of homesickness—what with the activities, friends, and good food! Next year sounds like it’s sure to be just as much fun. Thanks for sharing, Kerrington.

For anyone else interested in Gold Arrow Camp, check it out to see if it might be the right place for you by clicking right here. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

What’s up, Camp Fans?!

We've been delighted with all the great camp stories you sent in for our 'Share Your Camp Story' Contest here at Everything Summer Camp. You outdid yourselves this year, campers! These stories are fantastic and I’m eager to share them with our online community! Each submission will be getting posted right here on the Blog!

I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes and now we’re ready to share the rest of the submissions we received. The following post is from Brayden J. who wrote in to tell us his summer experience at Gold Arrow Camp. Check out his submission right here:

“Going into my second year at Gold Arrow Camp, I thought that I would be ‘an old pro’ and not be nervous. But I was wrong. Would my old friends be there, would I make new friends, would I still like it? All of these questions ran through my head. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot and saw my buddy from last year, I knew I would be fine. I saw many old friends, met so many new ones and had the time of my life. We knee boarded, drove motor boats, camped under the stars, did axe throwing and archery and danced away to 80s music. And that was just some of the great things we did. My counselors were the best. I told my parents as soon as they picked me up SIGN ME UP FOR NEXT YEAR!”

Hi, Brayden! I think it was totally normal for you to get a bit jittery about your camp stay this year—even if it wasn’t a totally new experience for you. Camp is a special time in your life that only comes around once a year. That’s great that your summer there was another success with lots of fun activities and great friends.

You can take a closer look at Gold Arrow Camp by visiting their website when you click right here. Maybe it will be where you’re heading in the next summer camp season. Thanks for reading and, as always, Happy Camping!

- John

What’s up, Camp Fans?!

We love all the camp tales you've shared for our 'Share Your Camp Story' Contest here at Everything Summer Camp. Our participants truly exceeded our expectations this year! These stories are great and we love showcasing them to our online community. Every submission is getting featured right here on the Blog!

And now that we’ve announced our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes, we’re ready to share the rest of the submissions we received. The following post is from Melissa M. who put down her time at Camp OTX in Texas. Check out what she had to say about her camp stay right now:

“My first time to camp was this Summer 2023! I am 9 years old. I went to OTX for 2 weeks and came back feeling like a better, more confident person! Camp gave me so much independence, I gained lots of new friends, grew my connection with God and tried new experiences. I loved the challenge to try new things and got an award for putting lots of different activities in my schedule! My bunk mates were so fun and I am pen pals with one of the girls now—who I will actually go to high school with! My parents let me pick out my trunk & duffel bag. I really liked the organizer and putting pictures in it so I see my family when I first open it up! I can’t wait to go back every summer!”

This sounds like it was a great first year of summer camp for you, Melissa! Camp OTX offered a great balance of friends, fun, and independence. That’s awesome that you tried so many different things during your summer camp stay. And that’ great to hear that you’re writing with some of your friends from camp! You’re going to love seeing all your friends again next camp season! Thanks for sharing, Melissa.

Interested in attending Camp OTX for your next summer camp stay? Have a closer look at Camp OTX by checking out their website when you click right here. Thanks for reading, Camp Folks! And, as always, Happy Camping!

- John