Hey, Camp Fans!

The end of summer’s always bittersweet, but year-after-year, we’re excited here at Everything Summer Camp to keep with our traditional ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest! We saw an excellent response with your submissions this year with more stories, laughs, and good times. 

Today we have our fourth $50 winner. And that winner is…. Tamara G.! Check out her submission about her time at Laity Lodge Family Camp right now:

“We have been attending Laity Lodge Family Camp since 2018 with our three children, and love every minute of our time in the canyon alongside the headwaters of the Frío River. All of us feel more adventurous at camp—perhaps it’s the fun activities, being completely disconnected from the stresses of life (no cell service there!), or having the support of family telling you that you can do it—but even so, until this year I haven’t had the nerve to jump off the high rock ledge over a favorite river spot into the deep water. I’ve been great at avoiding it, always claiming the need to stay by my littlest one’s side, but this year my middle child was having none of it. He begged me to jump alongside him, and practically dragged me up to the ledge. In the end, with lots of coaxing and reassurances, I jumped! Guess what…it was fun! I had done it three more times when I heard the excited chatter of a young camper about the Apple Watch he found at the bottom of the river (the water is that clear). Wow—an Apple Watch! Even better? It worked!! “It works?” a counselor asked, “maybe someone lost it.” Yes, someone had lost it—I had. Apparently it fell off when I plunged into the river from up high. Thankfully, it was found even before I knew it was lost! I thanked the treasure hunter and told him that we’d treat him to an Icee from the Outpost. That was the story of the day at camp. With aspects of fear, bravery, joy, (unknown) loss, restoration, and more joy, what story could be better or more satisfying than that?”

What a wonderful thing for you and your family to do together, Tamara! Laity Lodge sounds like a really great place with some fun opportunities for adventure and it sounds like you guys had a blast! You’re right. Your story has it all—and an Icee! Hope your family continues to enjoy summers together and fun adventures! Thanks for sharing your story, Tamara.

If you’re interested in checking out Laity Lodge Family Camp for yourself, do it now by clicking here. Be sure to come back on Monday when we’ll continue announcing our winners and publishing your camp stories right here on the Blog! As always, thanks for reading (and writing), Boys and Girls!

 - John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We’re announcing the winners to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest right here on the Blog. Come back each weekday to see who else won; it might just be you. This year, we have more prizes, more laughs, and more fun! And, now for our third $50 winner—congratulations to….

Gigi S.!

"This summer, I went to Wet ‘n Wild as part of a field trip on my birthday. The field trip was with a day camp, and it was fun! I liked the Tunnel of Terror water slide because the whole ride is in the dark and it has a big drop that makes everyone scream! I also liked the wave pool, but I kept floating away because I am not that tall. But I liked it because every single person from my camp was in the wave pool. I also liked a tan colored water slide – I can’t remember the name of it, but I liked it because it was tall and fast. I also liked how, at the end of all of the water slides, I could get a souvenir and a few slushies because the slushies were yummy flavors red and blue. I got a water timer and a mini pop-it as souvenirs, and I liked them because they were very interesting.”

Thanks for this great submission, Gigi! Sounds like you had a really fun time this summer! I’m glad you liked the Tunnel of Terror—it sounds a bit spooky! Wet n’ Wild must be a pretty great place! You must have had an absolute blast with all the fun stuff at the water park. Slushies were probably the perfect way to end a day like that!

Come back tomorrow to find out who our third $50 winner of this year’s ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest is! Who knows?! It might be you! If your entry is announced a winner, you’ll receive an email with the gift certificate code once all other winners have been disclosed. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We’re announcing the winners to our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest right here on the Blog. Come back each weekday to see who else won; it might just be you. This year, we have more stories, more laughs, and more fun! And, now for our second $50 winner—congratulations to….

Brayden J.!

“So this was my first year at Gold Arrow. I had planned to go with a friend who had been before. I still was really nervous though because I had never been away and I would be gone for 2 weeks. It was the BEST time of my life. I made instant friends with the other kids in my bunk and I got to learn so many things. One of my favorite things was learning to knee board at Shaver Lake. I even earned a bronze patch for it and gained so much confidence that I knee boarded at home for over 30 minutes...something I had never before. I also overcame my fear of heights and did the ropes course and got to the highest level. The best part, overall, had to be the friends I met and I have got to keep in touch with them. I cannot wait to go back to GAC next year. Even my sister is joining me!”

Awesome, Brayden! Sounds like you got the full summer camp experience at Gold Arrow. It’s pretty normal to be nervous about going to camp for the first time, but I’m glad it was an absolute success! Sounds like you didn’t have any trouble making friends, overcoming some fears, and having an all-out blast.

If any of our readers want to take a closer look at Gold Arrow Camp, check it out by clicking right here. Come back tomorrow to find out who our third $50 winner of this year’s ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest is! Who knows?! It might be you! If your entry is announced a winner, you’ll receive an email with the gift certificate code once all other winners have been disclosed. As always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

As the summer season makes its subtle shift into fall, we like to look back and reflect on the fun that you had. That’s why, when the camp season is over, we’re always excited here at Everything Summer Camp to keep with our traditional ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest.

This year we have ten winners for prizes of $50, $100, and the grand prize of $300! Today we're announcing the first of our six $50 winners.

Today’s winner is Victoria S.! Congratulations, Victoria! You’re our first $50 prize winner! She spent some fun summer days at Camp Harlam this year for camp! Read all about it in her submission right now...

Thanks for this great submission, Victoria! We’re so glad to hear how much you loved your time at Harlam. Way to go putting yourself out there and making friends. It can be a little intimidating to go introduce yourself to someone, but also very rewarding! It’s great to hear what a special place Camp Harlam is. Have fun in the years to come!

For anyone else interested in Camp Harlam, you can check it out right here. Tune in the rest of this month as we continue to announce our prize winners. Tomorrow we'll have our second $50 winner. Once our winners have been announced they’ll receive an email with your gift certificate code. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John

Hey, Bandana Boys and Girls! 

One of the most versatile pieces of clothing in our wardrobes today, the bandana can be worn in an infinite number of ways! It’s such a simple design! Just a small square of about twenty inches by twenty inches of cloth. It’s such a simple piece that you may not think about it as something that was invented. But it certainly didn’t come around by accident. 

So where did the bandana come from? 

The word ‘bandana’ is likely an Americanized version of the Sanskrit word ‘badhnati’ meaning to bind or tie. Originating in Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome, the name found its way into the English dictionary around 1750. The Portuguese language turned ‘Badhnati’ into ‘bandannoe’ which has slowly morphed into the word we all know as ‘bandana’. 

Taking after its older brother, the handkerchief (which has an even deeper history), the bandana and hankie are very similar at first glance. Same size. Same shape. They both even have a plethora of uses.  the bandana separates itself from its predecessor by its printed cambric construction—a plain-woven material (more often than not, cotton). Handkerchiefs are traditionally made from unprinted linen. 

Over the years, bandanas have proven themselves to the world, booming in style and popularity. Not only are they a versatile garment, but they work for a variety of different generations and walks of life. Throughout history, you’d find bandanas on the heads of sailors, farmers, cowboys, bikers, miners, and plenty more types of people…like summer campers! 

Break out your bandanas when it comes time to compete in the Color Wars. Bandanas work great for supporting your team’s side in the Color Wars at summer camp. If you’re into horseback riding, they make for a great liner under your riding helmet. Be sure to check out our bandanas for yourself. Stay cool. Stay in fashion. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! 

- John