Hey, Fishing Aficionados!

Waterfront activities are pretty much essential to every summer camp experience! And no matter what your favorite thing to do is when it comes to the water, everyone knows that the water welcomes us into almost another world. From Swimming to Kayaking to Canoeing and Wakeboarding, summer camps offer lots of activities involving the water. But one of the most relaxing ones is Fishing.

People have been Fishing since…forever ago. You can check out this Blog post from a few years back in which we look into the history of Fishing by clicking here. Fishing is an age-old sport—like prehistoric kind of old. It goes WAY back. Even long before ancient Egyptians caught Perch and Tilapia in the Nile, Stone Age cavemen would fish for their food. We see evidence of our ancestors Fishing as early back as the ‘Paleolithic Era’ which was around 40,000 years ago.

More than just a sport—more than just a pastime, some people love spending their days Gone Fishin’ just as often as they can. Check out what people get out of the Fishing experience and why they love it so much:

Peace and Serenity
It’s easy to understand what people love about Fishing. Sitting out on the serene surface of the water out in the wilderness provides an immediate sense of peacefulness. We could probably all benefit by breaking from out busy lives and finding some stillness as Fishing offers.

Teaches us Patience
Whether the fish are biting or not, you can enjoy a day out on the water. Fishing doesn’t require excitement. It’s enjoyable to just look out on the water, soak in the sun and relax. Fishing brings enjoyment even when nothing is happening and we welcome stillness into our lives. It teaches us to be patient with our time.

Adrenaline Rush
The thrill of the catch brings an edge to this patient, peaceful activity. It’s not all about resting and waiting. And you better be ready when the moment comes that you get a bite! The battle can go either way. Feel out the motion of the fish on your line and reel it in with steady force!

Atmosphere
Like many things, your time Fishing depends on your company. But whether you go with friends or you go alone, Fishing offers you time away from everything else. It creates the atmosphere for bonding time among friends and can be a meditative time to know yourself better for times you go alone.

Remain peaceful and patient with Fishing as your guide. A common activity at summer camps, find one where you can Fish to your heart’s content with other kids who love Fishing just like you and be sure to enjoy your time on the water. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Happy Mushroom Day to One and All!

Today, we here at Everything Summer Camp, tip our caps to this incredibly interesting form of life on this planet. These fascinating beings grow wild in a wide array of locales. But despite their accessibility, it’s important never to consume wild mushrooms as you can never be sure what type is which. Some look uncannily similar to others, yet some are medicinal while others are fatally poisonous.

Mushrooms may not look like much at first sight, but take a look at just several different points about these intriguing organisms and I guarantee you’ll agree—mushrooms are downright miraculous!

A Mysterious Life Form
Neither plant nor animal, mushrooms are actually classified as fungi. And nobody knows how many there are in the world! While you’ll only find several different sorts in your typical grocery store, there are 10,000 known species in North America alone. And it stands that we’re only aware of less than half the amount of different species that are actually out there.

Many Purposes
Mushrooms—is there anything they can’t do?! These fungi can be used as a dye, packing material, water filter, medicine, oil spill-cleaning agent, nuclear meltdown equalizer, and other applications that we’re not even entirely aware of yet. For a better understanding of how mushrooms can be medicinal for us, check out hostdefense.com, the website of the world’s leading mycologist, Paul Stamets, (mushroom expert) where you can buy mushroom supplements for your health.

Unlike Other Foods!
You’ll find that many mushrooms have a meaty sort of texture, but few taste so much like fried chicken as the “chicken of the woods” mushroom. This bright orange fungus has the right texture and all! And, though I’ve never had the pleasure of trying the Lion’s Mane Mushroom, I’ve heard it said that it tastes like crab meat! The meaty texture of mushrooms is owed to their thick cell walls which is why it’s important to break those cell walls down through the cooking process. Raw mushrooms—even some slices in your salad—are tough on the digestive system, but nutritional when cooked appropriately.

Closer to People than Plants
One of the most surprising facts there is about mushrooms has only just recently been discovered: what people will so often refer to as a vegetable in the kitchen, mushrooms actually have closer relation to human beings than they do plants. Fungi were once recognized as a unique part of the animal kingdom, but eventually came to be seen as a kingdom all on their own. But the fact remains that fungi couldn’t be less like plants and typically has a lot more in common with people and other animals.

Mushrooms are pretty much my favorite food because, let’s face it, the edible ones are all pretty delicious. But not only that, they’re good for you, and they could help us replenish the damage we’ve done to the planet! Mushrooms to the rescue! Share the word about how cool mushrooms are and Happy Mushroom Day to you! And, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Summer Camp Fans!

Back in 2013, this Blog saw its beginning and ever since the start, I’ve posted about celebrities who attended summer camp in their past (or have at least had significant ties within the summer camp community). Since this Blog first began five years ago, I’ve covered over 100 celebrities who have a past at camp!

Let’s retread some of the famous folks whom we’ve already featured with a little more depth this time around! In the previous post, which you can read by clicking here, we mentioned how she attended her uncle’s summer camp, Camp Birchwood in Minnesota—a camp with whom we’re proud to say we have the pleasure of working with here at Everything Summer Camp! She eventually would come to volunteer at Camp Birchwood as well before finding her stardom at just 23 years old.

With her incomparable beauty and undeniable charm, Julia has entertained millions through her volumes of cinematic work! Check out some more interesting things about Julia that we didn’t quite get into in our first post about this star of the silver screen:

Musical Julia
Okay, so she more-than-definitely doesn’t know how anymore and I don’t believe that she ever had any dreams of making something of her life musically speaking (she actually aspired to be a veterinarian in her younger days), but she totally rocked a tune or two on the clarinet in her school band!

Acting Runs in the Roberts
Julia isn’t the only one in her family who seems meant for the stage. Daughter to two actors, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts themselves ran a workshop for aspiring writers and performers until the 1970’s. And taking after her aunt, Emma Roberts has arrived on the acting scene. You can read more about her by clicking here, back to a Blog post that featured her a couple years ago.

Clever Clipping Alternatives
As a child Julia used to bite her toenails off instead of clipping them. “I was very limber,”she told Movieline in 2002. That’s pretty sick, Julia. But, I confess…I too once tried biting my own toenails in place of clipping. I am not so limber. But limber or not, I suggest you keep your pride and just cut your toenails with a clipper like a normal person.

Julia Loves Knitting
That’s basically it. She just loves knitting. And why not?! It alleviates symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, helps improve motor functions, helps prevent arthritis, and it has a number of other great benefits! Other celebrities who enjoy knitting are Wynona Rider, Ryan Gosling, Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Kate Moss, and many more!

Whether it’s the knitting or the acting…or…the toenail-biting thing…perhaps…Julia has seemed to find her peace among the Hollywood parties and paparazzi. “The older you get, the more fragile you understand life to be,” she’s once noted. “I think that’s good motivation for getting out of bed joyfully each day.”

I think we can all appreciate this attitude toward life and render us all absolutely star-struck by this amazing woman we’ve all grown to know and love. Here’s to you, Julia! Check out Julia’s camp Birchwood for your own camping adventure and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Families!

Over the years, I’ve written a lot of Summer Camp Spotlight posts here on the Everything Summer Camp Blog. But to us, they aren’t so much Blog posts as they are confessions of love. Of course, we love all the camps with whom we have a working relationship equally—and that’s more than 270 across the nation!

Of course, there’s a lot to love about them. That’s why you’ll catch me singing their praises rather frequently here on the Blog; and today, I’m singing the praises of Camp Nicolet! Allow me to whisk you away to 150 acres in the heart of Nicolet National Forest—12 miles east of Eagle River in Northern Wisconsin.

This all-star girls camp plays hard with a plethora of activities on the land, in the water, and indoors. Have a blast from your pick of fun things like water skiing, wakeboarding, swimming, sailing, canoeing, and more in the water while you sharpen your skills at Archery, Horseback Riding, Soccer, Tennis, and Volleyball, on the land. Girls have time for quieter activities too like Musical Theater as well as Arts & Crafts,

Featuring beautiful facilities, complementary to the campgrounds, where campers run amuck of the fun fields, courts, beach, a dining hall, a cool lodge, a library, ten lakefront cabins, and more, Camp Nicolet has taken pride in their camp since it was first founded in 1944.

After long, full days, Nicolet girls gather around the fireplace in their cozy cabins where lifetime friendships are cemented in the summer fun. The cabins are finished with electricity, bathrooms, screened porch, and a fireplace. Laundry is sent out to be done weekly. And the shower facility (as well as infirmary) is just a short walk from any of the cabins.

Camp Nicolet sounds like a pretty special place. If it sounds like a camp that you may be interested in, you can give them a closer look sometime. Campers have been having the best summer of their lives for 73 consecutive seasons now. Join in the legacy of Nicolet and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Animal Lovers!

Do you belong in the zoo? Well, let me rephrase that—I don’t mean living there. Do you love your zoo visits? Seeing the animals of the world in their imitated natural habitats all in the same setting is always such a thrill for us to absorb and appreciate. It’s certainly fun to take in the majestic, humorous, and adorable charm of the animals as you tour a zoo.

Today is Zoo Lovers Day! For those who can’t get enough of this place, perhaps you should consider a Zoo Camp if you have a local zoo that offers such an experience. Some Day Camps take place at the zoo in order to show kids a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on there.

Fortunately, it just so happens that our very own Operations Manager here at Everything Summer Camp attended a Day Camp at the zoo when he was a kid. So I talked with Brian about his experience.

Bri attended Zoo Camp back in the days when he was just eleven years old. The days would last from 8:00am till 2:00pm, but Bri remembered hanging out for longer afterwards. “We were already at the zoo,” he said so of course they would stick around once his family arrived to pick him up.

For one whole week, Brian was given a backstage pass to see the zoo from a zookeeper’s perspective. He was treated to walks inside some of the cages and seeing behind the exhibits. He saw animals that were either babies or newcomers to the zoo who weren’t ready for the public eye just yet.

He fed baby animals. He saw the gigantic cuts of meat that were fed to the carnivorous creatures. And, yes, he even saw people cleaning up poop…a lot of poop. “It was relatively hands-on for 10-year-olds,” he noted.

Extremely educational, Bri described the experience as sort of a cross between being at camp and being at school—like, your favorite school field trip. It was very structured and you were taught a lot. It made for a valuable experience to Brian who, at the time, aspired to be a marine biologist.

You can imagine his favorite part was the aquariums. He recalled walking the walkways from above and peering down into the huge tanks. “I’d seen the aquariums countless times through the windows,” he said, “but seeing them from such a different view—that was something that always stuck with me.”

Bri also had the traditional overnight camp experience when he was young, so I asked him how the experiences measured up. “I recommend both,” he answered. “Zoo Camp was very structured, with an educational, curriculum; there wasn’t any downtime to form lasting friendships,” he said, highlighting one of the best parts of overnight camp.

Happy Zoo Lovers Day, Everybody! Get out to your local zoo today and pay all your favorite animals a visit! See if you can find the opportunity for a Zoo Camp experience like Brian had and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John