Hey, Campers!

Who went to summer camp at Herzl Camp in the summer of 1957 and was discovered sitting on top of a cabin roof strumming his guitar? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, but you can also find it right here on today’s Everything Summer Camp Blog post. It was Bob Dylan who made his way up there nearly 60 years ago at Herzl Camp.

Herzl Camp welcomes their campers to 120 acres in Webster, Wisconsin on the shores of Devils Lake. Just two hours north of the Twin Cities, this beautiful land is where Bob Dylan took his first steps towards independence. But he wasn’t called Bob Dylan back then.

He was born Robert Allen Zimmerman, but just because he wasn’t always known as Bob Dylan doesn’t mean that he wasn’t interested in music from an early age (as the image of him playing guitar on a Herzl cabin rooftop). He listened to a lot of radio when he was little, gathering an eclectic taste for blues, country, and rock and roll.

He formed a few bands in high school and, during a talent show performance of Danny & the Junior’s ‘Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay’ at Hibbing High School, he and the band played so loud the principal cut the microphone in the middle of the song!

It must have been pretty loud!

He moved to Minneapolis after his high school graduation and enrolled at the University of Minnesota. Though he had been very drawn to rock and roll in his teen years, his college days introduced him to American folk and he began writing his own folk songs that offered more depth and dimension than most songs of the time were able to convey.

He started performing at a coffeehouse nearby campus called the Ten O’Clock Scholar. It was a popular place for college students to hang out and it quickly proved to be the perfect venue. His popularity expanded fast. Always wanting to travel, he went to New York City where his popularity grew even more as he appeared in clubs and discovered a network of other folk singers.

Not always appreciated for his voice which is commonly considered “scratchy” and “raw”—Bob Dylan himself would begin his shows by excusing himself for his voice. However, his highly influential, innovative songwriting brought fame and success to the young star and his music is still celebrated today. Unlike most of the pop music you’ll hear on the radio today, Bob Dylan wrote extremely honest music.

Bob Dylan explored and discovered the work he was capable of contributing to the world. With roots in summer camp, what will you be capable of? And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Summer Camp Fans!

With so many great summer camps to highlight, I’m talking about them year-round, even in the dead of winter! Everything Summer Camp has enjoyed the relationship we’ve grown with Alpine Camp for Boys just as all their campers grow to appreciate and enjoy the relationship they form with Alpine. Let me tell you about this great camp.

In operation since 1959, Alpine Camp sits high on top of Lookout Mountain in Mentone, Alabama. Boys will be boys. They’re encouraged to be at Camp Alpine where campers are given the opportunity to go on adventures and explore the massive rocks, rushing waterfalls, and deep woods that abound on the campgrounds.

Alpine Camp for Boys is a Christian summer camp first and foremost. This is a place where campers are encouraged to seek out not just their own personal growth, but their own, personal connection with God too.

And all the activities at Alpine Camp are geared to help their campers achieve these goals. More than just beautiful land, the amazing staff members at Alpine Camp are the best of the best. They’re involved with daily activities like Ropes Courses, Music and Art, Horseback Riding, Tennis, Watersports, Mountain Biking, Archery and Riflery, Fly Fishing, Wilderness Camping, Lacrosse, Golf, and so much more!

And where there are awesome activities, you can always find equally awesome facilities. The screened-in, open air cabins at Alpine can accommodate up to 10 campers. Each cabin shares central bath houses that provide showers, toilets, and sinks. Summers are jam-packed with fun in their open air gym, athletic field, tennis courts, and sand volleyball courts.

For a wonderful sense of comradery, maturation, and closer spiritual connection, Alpine Camp for Boys is a great place to make it all happen! Look into it for your camper and, as always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Jolly Holidayers!

Christmastime is here. And with the season comes a wish of warmth and togetherness— time spent in the company of those we love. Though the days are short and dark and the nights aren’t fit for man nor beast, we brighten up the holidays with our laughter and light hearts. It’s easier to fill the days with cheer when we’re with our families and close friends. 

I’ll be traveling to Milwaukee this weekend for my extended family Christmas get-together. My immediate family and I already celebrated our gathering, so this weekend is dedicated to seeing my cousins, aunts, and uncles. That’s why I’m taking the next few days off.

Every family has their own holiday traditions and, while any tradition is liable to change from time to time, some never will. It had always been my family’s holiday tradition to gather all cousins, aunts, and uncles at my grandfather’s house for general visitation, dinner, and a gift exchange that always resulted in a pretty wicked wrapping paper fight. We created lifelong memories in that house and so many great times.

But times have changed now. We’re unable to gather at my grandfather’s house anymore, but we still get together to make Christmas special. We all tend to get pretty into the holiday spirit, so there’s sure to be lots of food, festivities, and laughs! What’s most important, however, is that we all stop our busy lives for at least this one day and we celebrate with the people we love.

From everyone here at Everything Summer Camp, here’s wishing you nothing but the warmest wishes for you and your families’ holiday traditions. Enjoy this merry season and be sure to make it bright. As always, thanks for reading. I’ll be back next Monday with a brand new camp spotlight!

l

- John

Hey, Scrambling Gifters!

As the holiday season tends to sneak up on us, this is usually the time of season when people start to get hit with what they call, ‘holiday stress’. Appropriately coined, it can be a daunting, stressful experience trying to gather everyone’s Christmas gifts. It’s always fun until it gets to be too close and then, if you’re like me, you start sweating bullets.

But ready or not, we rise to the challenge because gift-giving is a wonderful way to let the people close to us know that we are thinking of them. Getting gifts, when accomplished in advance and leisurely, is fun, satisfying, and, sometimes, even easy. But some people are never easy to shop for. There’s one in every family.

When you find yourself in this situation, gift cards are extraordinarily handy! A gift card to a cool place like Everything Summer Camp can work just as well as a gift that’s right on the money. With a suggestion like our store and a nice amount of money, our virtual gift card certificates can make the perfect gift. Kids spend hours on our website, shopping our departments and finding what they like most.

Here at Everything Summer Camp we have a massive assortment of not only fun camp supplies that kids can enjoy, but practical and quality camping gear as well. Our C&N Footlockers make great presents for all ages! For all kids with summer camp on the horizon, students entering college, or simply for a family member’s attractive-looking storage unit around the house, our camp trunks make classy gifts.

I still remember when I got my C&N Footlocker for Christmas so many years ago! And I still get great use out of it! Give a campy gift this year with a virtual gift card certificate to Everything Summer Camp. Happy Holidays, Readers! As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! Jingle all the way!

Hope the holiday spirit is creating joy and good cheer for each and every one of you this winter season. One of the best ways to put yourself into a great, jolly mood is by singing your favorite Christmas songs. As Buddy the Elf would say, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by singing loud for all to hear!”

We all know them—Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town—however, there’s probably a decent amount about caroling that is unfamiliar, so, because today is National Caroling Day, I compiled a short list of things that you likely don’t know about carols. Caroling is a tradition that goes back so far that the word actually changes meanings!

The Word ‘carole’ in Old French referred to dancing.
That’s right—the word carol doesn’t even mean what it used to. In fact, ‘carols’ used to be dances as well as songs. The word originates from Old French and refers to a dance that’s accompanied by a song. But by the end of the 14th Century, the word was no longer used to suggest any dancing.

Door-to-door caroling was a big party in the 1600s.
It’s no joke! With mistletoe hanging above front doors, there was typically lots of kissing involved. There was also traditionally a lot of drinking from communal bowls filled with spiced cider or ale. They called it ‘drinking from the Wassail Bowl’ after an Old English toast: ‘Wæs hæl’, which means ‘your health’. This explains the title of ‘The Wassail Song’.

Not all Christmas carols were meant for Christmas.
You wouldn’t think it was possible, but it’s true, some Christmas carols weren’t even about Christmas originally. ‘Deck the Halls’ was actually written about New Year’s Eve—which makes sense considering the lyric ‘Hail the new year lads and lasses.’ But if you think THAT’s weird—‘Jingle Bells’ was actually a Thanksgiving song!—originally titled ‘One Horse Open Sleigh’.

In any case, have fun with these holiday favorites from various artists and sing along to put yourself into the Christmas spirit. As always, thanks for reading.

- John