What kind of camp did you go to in the summers?

[Holly]

I went to horse back riding camp. It was a camp where you brought your own horse from home.

It was fun. I wish I could go back as an adult.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Camp? What's that?





I never was able to go to summer camp. The only time I went away to some sort of camp was a 6th grade camp for a week. And that was in November.

Very few kids I knew while growing up ever went to summer camp. The very few I did know that went to camp went to church camp.

But then again, I was lucky enough to be able to take a 2 week away vacation every year. I cherish those times with my family.

 

[scottishduffy]

My first camp experience (ages 7-8) was girl scout camp here in Florida called camp Welaka. I hated it with a passion. Bad experiences with counselors, minimal activities, minimal supervision, bad living areas, and generally a bad time. I hated living in a tent, with no warm running water on site. I also hated when the counselors refused to let me go to the bathroom during a function and i peed my pants in front of 40 other girls (first and last accident ever). I also got in trouble for sharing a bed with another girl after finding live scorpions in my bed! They threw water on both our beds in the morning as punishment. Then made us sleep in still dampened beds that night.

After that my parents let me pick my own camp and I went to a wonderful all girl camp in Virginia called Camp Sequoya. I was timid my first year but loved it! I went from the ages of 9-18 for 4 weeks every year, except the first year i only went two weeks. It had actual cabins, indoor plumbing, lots of activities, super counselors who were almost exclusively former campers, tons of activities and was one of the most precious experiences of my whole life. I couldn't wait to go back every year. My gramma and other family friends thought my parents were crazy for sending me to Virginia every year but I loved it. I truly believe my camp experiences contributed to shaping me as a person and gave me independence and confidence.

Sadly my camp closed a few years ago. However, when I have kids i fully intend to send them to sleepaway camp and have researched several camps and know some pretty good ones i would like to send my kids to one day.

My brother went to Boy scout camp every summer and seemed to love it immensely. He would be gone the first half of the summer, then about 2 days before he got home I would leave for the 2nd half of the summer. Really cut down on sibling rivalry to give us a break from each other.

 

[scottishduffy]

As far as how comon it is, I think I was the only kid i knew going to a 'traditional' sleep away camp that was more than 1 hour from home. My friend Dani went to a far away camp (new york) after her parents saw how much i enjoyed going away... but no one else we knew did. We were odd for it and no one else understood what we were talking about.

Some kids went to church camps with their church but never really got too far away from home and never immersed themselves into completely foreign environments with new people.

Personally, being far away from home allowed me to reinvent myself at camp. The person i was a camp was different than the girl i was at home, and that was my favorite part!

 

[clarabelle]

I went to church camps and band camps and 4-h camp once.
They were 1 week (at the most).
My DD is at a camp in NC for two weeks. The kind where you bring a trunk and some kids stay for weeks. I am hoping she will have some really special experiences.
I don't want her to not have ever been away from us when it is time for college.
The camp puts pictures up on a website -and posts newsletters so we get to hear a bit about how she is doing. She however -can only contact us by letter.
No phones,I-pods ect....

 

[#1hockeymom]

Another Michigan camper here! My GS camp was camp Linden, which at the time when I lived near Detroit I thought it was the end of the world! Now, I live two towns over..LOL

Various Michigan band camps, including blue lake. Also went to a camp up near Traverse called innisfree.

My DD went to cheerleading camps and one band camp, DS hockey camps. They've never done the platform tent/latrine thing. I swear they're missing out on roughing it! We do have a cabin up north in Paradise, though, so they at least have that as the up north experience.


Edited to add: I forgot about those three years of Mid America pom pon camp I went through.

 

[GoofyBaseballMom26]

My sister and I went to Camp Seafarer in North Carolina for a couple of summers. It was fun... I think we stayed about 4 weeks at a time if I remember correctly.

 

[lahovey]

I searching for any info on Camp Tawanka and came across a posting from Midge79? (I believe) I think I know you from camp. I went to camp from the age of 10-18 and then a counselor for 3 years.
Does anyone know what became of the camp after it was sold?

 

[Pigeon]

None. My parents offered to send me to a catholic-run girls camp. I was in a horrible catholic school during the year which I hated with a passion, and more catholic stuff was the last thing I wanted.

 

[pseudojim]

My camp was Camp Kitanniwa near Hastings, MI. Several years ago I was in Hastings, and drove all around looking for this camp and never found it or it's lake. I even tried to google the lake but had no success. It would have been fun to see the area again after so many years!!

The camp is now available as a rental property with two cottages. It looks like the name of the lake was changed from Morris Lake to Middle Lake somewhere along the way. I imagine that's why it didn't pop up on Google.

 

[kristilew]

x

 

[mhsjax]

I went an girl scout camping trips over a weekend or two. No camps during the summer and neither did any of my friends. Now where I live seems the only kids I know that go to camps are the ones whose parents work.

Personally, I would rather get a root canal than go to camp. JHMO.

 

[autumnpalm]

I never went to a "traditional" overnight camp with cabins and sports and swimming apart from one school trip, but I did go away to a ballet summer intensive every year from about... ages 11-18. I ended up at a bunch of different programs (Boston Ballet, Harid, National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg, Houston and Banff) and always had the time of my life. They are some of my very favourite childhood memories.

Even though they weren't "traditional" experiences, I still learned a lot of the same independence and social skills taught at an overnight camp. While I ended up pursuing university rather than dance, I believe they were invaluable experiences that affected me greatly. Expensive, but an amazing learning opportunity. I would send my kids in a heartbeat if they are interested in ballet!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Oh heck...I just realized this is an old thread and I've already posted on it!!!!!


Well, if you want the recap- For several years, about 6-11, I went to Girl Scout camp in Michigan (can't remember which). I went to a camp with my elementary school class once that was privately owned, also in Michigan. Finally, from ages 12-16 I went to the Black River Farm and Ranch, a horse camp that I absolutely loved. I waited all year to go.

 

[kristilew]

Oh heck...I just realized this is an old thread and I've already posted on it!!!!!


.

You're right! Looks like someone was trolling for the name of their rental property, got this old thread, and joined the Dis to advertise. Dang! I've got to learn to look at the dates!

 

[EclecticWAHM]

I would still go to camp every summer if I could! I spent 7 weeks at an awesome camp in Maine most summers. It was incredible - right on a beautiful lake. We did water-skiing, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, arts & crafts, tennis, soccer, archery and all kinds of activities. I absolutely loved it. Made friends that I still keep in touch with even 30 years later.