Hey, Camp Fans!

We were glad to receive such great responses to our annual ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest we put on here at Everything Summer Camp! And we’ve been publishing each entry right here on the Blog since we received all our entries! After ten lucky winners of the bigger prizes, all other submissions got a $20 gift certificate to our online store! Today’s post is from Jess K., who wrote in to tell us about her summer stay at Surprise Lake Camp.


“Camp was wonderful until my brother decided to run off and hide behind a tree. He was always getting into trouble so I couldn’t enjoy all the activities which I wanted to partake in. I am happy to say that he grew up and is now the Principal of an Elementary School. Overnight camp was definitely an incredible experience though. I learned how to swim!”


Jess, it sounds like your camp experience was quite the adventure with your brother keeping you on your toes! Little brothers can be like that (should know. I AM one). It's amazing to hear how he grew up to become a Principal! And how great that camp gave you the chance to learn to swim. Thank you for sharing your camp memories with us!

If anyone else would like to look into Camp Jones Gulch for their own summer stay, click right here to have a look around their website. There’s more camp stories to come yet, so keep coming back. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Till next time.


- John

Happy Halloween!

Let's dive into the magical world of Halloween and discover how it all began with the amazing adventures of Saint Patrick! WAIT!! Saint Patrick?!?!  What’s he got to do with Halloween?! Well, it’s an interesting story. Let me tell you about a time long, long ago—before Halloween was even a thing…

Back then, people celebrated a special festival called Samhain. People would light bonfires and wear spooky costumes to scare away ghosts. Sounds a bit like Halloween, right?

Now, let's fast forward to Saint Patrick's time. He was a brave and adventurous guy who went on amazing journeys. But did you know he was also the one who helped turn Samhain into Halloween?

How did he do that?

Well, he was captured by Irish pirates when he was just a teenager and taken to Ireland as a slave. After six years, he escaped and went back to his family. But instead of staying home, he decided to go back to Ireland to spread the word of Christianity.

 

With his trusty staff in hand, Saint Patrick traveled all over Ireland, telling stories and making new friends. He even baptized thousands of people and built churches. He was a true evangelical, spreading love and joy wherever he went!

So how did this celebration turn into Halloween? It was the Christian movement in Ireland (thanks to good ol’ St. Patrick) that delivered the Samhain traditions to the converted Irish Christians. It was in the 8th century that Pope Gregory III announced November 1st as a day to honor all saints.

 

He called it All Saints Day. Hallow, being another word for holy or saintly was commonly used in those times. Over the years, instead of calling it ‘All Hallow’s Eve’ (also known as All Saint’s Eve) people started calling it ‘Halloween’. And to this day, it still incorporates some of the traditions of Samhain.

So, the next time you dress up in a spooky costume or carve a pumpkin, remember the incredible journey of Saint Patrick and how he helped make Halloween so awesome. Happy Halloween, everyone! Have a spook-tacular time trick-or-treating and enjoying a good scare! Till next time.

 

- John

Hey there, Camp People!

We’re excited to continue showcasing the amazing summer camp stories from this year’s 'Share Your Camp Story' Contest here at Everything Summer Camp. Each tale gets its own feature on our Blog, shining a spotlight on the unique experiences shared by our camp community. Today, we’re thrilled to highlight Amy J. M., who has an adventure or two at Camp Tamarack. Dive into her camp stay recollections right here:

“Going to camp was definitely the highlight of my summers for many years. Some things that come to mind are almost falling off a cliff and having an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite. The people who I roomed with were all very congenial and we never had a disagreement in the month that I was there. I absolutely loved the talent show!”


Hey, Amy! Your camp adventures sound truly unforgettable! It’s great to hear that—despite some cliff-hanging moments and a mosquito reaction (which I didn’t even know was a thing)—you had such a wonderful time with your clean cabin mates and loved the talent show.

Be sure to head to summer camp with the proper repellent and after-bite relief, available right here. And thanks for sharing your memorable camp experiences with us! And thanks for reading, Everyone.

- John

Hey there, Camp Enthusiasts!

We’re excited to continue showcasing the amazing summer camp stories from this year’s 'Share Your Camp Story' Contest here at Everything Summer Camp. Each tale gets its own feature on our Blog, shining a spotlight on the unique experiences shared by our camp community. Today, we’re thrilled to highlight Sherry K., who loves her time at Camp Tamarack. Dive into her journey right here:
“My experiences at sleep-away camp were so amazing that I became a counselor for 2 years in a row when I was too old to return as a camper. I loved the swimming, hiking, boating, and talent shows. The counselors were all around my age, but some came from different countries. The friendships which I made are still going strong.”


Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Sherry! It’s great to hear that your love for sleep-away camp led you to become a counselor for two years in a row! Swimming, hiking, boating, and those fun talent shows sound like a blast! And how wonderful that your friendships are still strong today. Thanks again, Sherry!And thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Be sure to keep coming back for more camp stories!


- John

Hello, Camp Enthusiasts!

As we continue to share the incredible stories submitted for this year's 'Share Your Camp Story' Contest at Everything Summer Camp, each entry is getting its moment to shine on our Blog. Today, we’re featuring Barbara K., who recounts her first-ever time away from home for sleepaway camp and what a great time it was for her! Check out her story from Surprise Lake Camp right now…


“Attending sleep-away camp was an incredible experience for me because I was never away from home before for an entire month. Learning how to share, cook, take photographs, and get along with 7 bunk mates was a challenge, but so rewarding. As an only child, I was not used to such a rigid routine, but it made me feel so productive to get various chores done with or without inspection. I have stayed friends with two of the girls and it has been decades!”


Hello, Barbara! Sounds like your first month away at Surprise Lake Camp was an amazing adventure! Learning new skills like cooking and photography and adapting to life with seven bunk mates must have been so rewarding—especially as an only child. We're thrilled to hear you've made lifelong friends from your camp days; thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with us, Barbara.

For everyone else, if Surprise Lake Camp sounds like a place you want to check out, hop onto their website by clicking right here! We’ve got more camp stories coming next week so be sure to come back. Thanks for reading, Camp Folks!


- John