After the campers all completed their variations of the Doc Wheels Fun Run, we all congregated on the Green Acre where we had donuts, fruit and string cheese for breakfast! But the excitement was far from over…Campers grabbed their ‘welcome back’ signs and changed into their t-shirts they made especially for ride in because it was just about time. We lined the Green Acre as Odyssey rode their bikes down to meet the Voyagers in the water. All that could be heard was the cheers from loved ones screaming “we are proud of you” over and over and over again. As Odyssey and Voyager former a circle in the beautiful Lake Michigan, campers, leaders, and family lined the shore and watched as these incredible individuals sang their well deserved Founder Hearts. After they finished, campers were reunited with past leaders, siblings, and everyone in between. Tears of happiness, accomplishment, and proudness were flowing freely. We are so incredibly proud of what these campers just accomplished.

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It’s the final week of camp and the Four Trails groups are all converging on Miniwanca. We can feel their excitement growing, even from here.

Most of our Trailblazers have been back in camp for several days now, where they’ve been enjoying the comforts of cabin-living and access to the BIFFs (Bathroom in the Friendly Forest). Yesterday, some of our Trailblazers came to help create a new garden at Graceland. In honor of their hard work, we’re naming it Trailblazer Garden and today they are planning on returning to put on the finishing touches. Some of the other activities Trailblazers have participated in: tribal cup, safari, leader hunt, a talent show, and Wanca Chariot.  Tonight, Trailblazers (and the rest of camp) are buzzing with excitement  as we prepare to welcome our Odyssey and Voyageur campers back.

 Explorers from Boys Camp are returning today from their canoeing excursion down the Manistee River. They’ve had beautiful, sunny days out on the water, and through several fast-moving sections of the river they’ve had the chance to practice their paddling skills. Before they left, we had some incredible discussions about how to create inclusive and supportive communities, and they’ve spent much of their trip learning how to work well as a team. Explorers from Girls Camp have all returned from their biking adventures around the coast of West Michigan. They were able to gain so much knowledge about proper cycling procedures and the rules of the road, but along the way they were able to grow closer as a community. Today when they welcomed the Adventurer campers back into camp, there were tears of excitement and an overwhelming sense of support for their older Four Trails friends. There was also an air of incredible accomplishment from our Adventurer campers as they rode into the Hollow to be greeted by all of camp. Once they placed all of their bikes on the ground, they led us in singing “Founder Hearts” before we all moved toward the dining hall for lunch.

 Adventurers from East Camp also made their triumphant return to camp today after two weeks cycling all around West Michigan. They’re excited to share their tales of Polar Bear plunges in Lake Michigan and climbing the dunes of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We welcomed them back at dinner tonight with a sprint across Bryant Field and a run into the dining hall to the cheers of the rest of camp. Tomorrow they’ll join the rest of camp in welcoming back Odyssey and Voyageur.

The Voyageur campers are resting comfortable at the Well Site, preparing themselves for their paddle into camp tomorrow. In celebrating their return to camp tonight, they had pizza for dinner and are spending the evening doing a powerful Evening Reflection where they are remembering some of the best and most meaningful moments of their trip.

 Odyssey campers are spending the night, camping at Cassidy’s house—Cassidy is our registrar and she lives on a beautiful farm not far from camp. We visited them this evening for a cookout dinner and to begin helping them prepare for ride-in tomorrow morning. They’re incredibly excited to be  greeted by all of camp tomorrow, and we can’t wait to stand on the shores of Lake Michigan when they join the Voyageur campers and sing “Founder Hearts.”

It’s been an incredible summer for the Four Trails, and knowing that everyone will be in cabins and on site tomorrow night is a powerful feeling. So much learning has happened this summer—in  all of the Four Folds, and the Four Trails team is incredibly proud of the accomplishments of these incredible young people. Be on the lookout for a blog post later this month that will provide some more information and details on just how much the Four Trails campers accomplished this summer!

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Lunch was grilled cheeses and tomato soup, truly a camp favorite. It was the perfect meal to send us off into rest hour. After rest hour we had our very last Assembly. This is a camper favorite so we were all very sad, but the LITs managed to cheer us up with some classic skits. Detective Bree came to the stage for her last performance of the summer, as did the Rodent of the day.  Next was Interest Groups three and four. Crafthouse Medley started modge podging up a storm with old magazines that they cut out of to make new and cool collages. Lake Michigan beach time had campers building sand castles, while some cooled off in the lake. After some camper free time the dinner bell rang.

Dinner tonight was chicken stir fry, rice, and veggie egg rolls. We cannot thank the food program enough for keeping our bellies so happy throughout the entirety of camp. Tonight for Night’s Doings we had Safari. This is always one of the campers and leaders favorites. How it works is all the leaders dress up as different animals and are sprinkled around camp. The campers all have clues to try to find where the leaders are hidden and try their best to bring them back to their home bases. The catch is that the leaders who are dressed up as animals can ask the campers to sing while they walk them back or to paint their nails once they get to the home base. It is a wacky fun night with lots of giggles. Following Night’s Doings we all found our cabin groups and headed down to the beach for a lovely Evening Reflection held by the Explorer One group that just got back from trail! The beautiful sunset, and quotes on acceptance was the perfect way to end this Monday.

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Following Something Sacred both camps went to eat lunch at their respective Eating Lodges. Lunch today was chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, and veggies! We could not have asked for a better lunch if we tried. After lunch we all got to have an extended rest hour in preparation for our exciting next half of the day!

After rest hour Boys and Girls Camp all met up in the Girls Camp’s Council Circle for the Tribal Cup. Everyone was decked out in their Tribal shirts and glitter!! During Tribal Cup the different Tribes at Boys and Girls Camp come together to form Super-Tribes if you will. The Sands and the Trails combine to be the Sails. The Creeks and the Dunes form to make the Crunes. The Draws and the Breakers join to make the Dreakers. Lastly, the Ridges and the Beaches form the Reaches. The campers joined their new Tribes and spent the day completing different tasks around camp. We all ended up in East Camp on Bryant Field for the ultimate set of games during the Thunder Dome. We played games such as the 3-legged race, dragon tag, and costume relays. It was a wonderful way to have our whole Miniwanca community come together for a day of fun and games.

Following the festivities on Bryant Field we all had a lovely cookout with burgers, pasta salad, and delicious watermelon. All the campers got to eat and talk with each other, making new friends as they went along. After a jam packed day Girls Camp said goodbye to the boys as they made the trek home. Girls Camp came back home to have a lovely movie night, as they watched ‘The Greatest Showman’, while Boys Camp split up into cabins for their Night’s Doings. A lovely sunset made for a perfect end to everyone’s night.

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Morning IGs were a huge hit! Dune Exploration climbed Mt. Baldy, while Paddle Sports paddled their way around Stony Lake. Everyone then reconvened for lunch. It was chicken fajitas, and chips. After that delicious lunch, campers finished up their Eating Lodge responsibilities and headed off to rest hour. An hour later they were awoken by the bell sending them off to Assembly. Today at Assembly the LITs had amazing skits. Some of the campers favorites were “Not my hands” where an LIT puts their arms behind their back and has another person use their hands to do certain tasks. One of the funniest ones was brushing their teeth. As you can imagine it gets a little messy!! We also got to sing some fun camp songs to wake us up from our rest hour. After Assembly campers had IGs three and four. The Crafthouse was especially poppin’ today as Embroidery and Crafthouse Medley got started with their projects. After some free time the dinner bell rang.

Dinner was delicious sweet and sour chicken, paired with broccoli and rice! We even had cookies for dessert!!! After dinner we made our way down to Council Circle to watch the creative skits and songs invented by each tribe. The creativity was certainly flowing in the Council Circle tonight! Following the wonderful skits, and songs campers and leaders made their way down to the beach for a beautiful Evening Reflection. The sunset was truly out of this world tonight. What a wonderful way to end the day !!

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 Trailblazers are departing and returning from their hike in the Manistee National Forest and their canoe down the Manistee River. After their pleasant days on the North Country National Scenic Trail and canoeing through some of the most beautiful forested land Michigan has to offer, the Trailblazers are looking forward to sharing their adventures with the in-camp community.

Our Explorers are back in camp after 6 days of canoeing down the Manistee River. Yesterday they rested after their adventure and today they are beginning to prepare for the 4-day biking trip up the coast of West Michigan. This morning they got hands-on with bike maintenance rotations—they learned how to adjust brakes and how to change a flat tube in addition to learning the rules of the road. This afternoon they’ll practice what they learned on bikes riding around camp and simulating some of the situations that will come up on their trip! Tomorrow and the next day they will ride their bikes out to Country Dairy for some afternoon ice cream.

 Adventurer campers have completed half of their cycling trip up the coast of West Michigan. For the next two days they’ll be on the Leelanau Peninsula, enjoying afternoon ice cream and sunsets on the beach. They’re excited for the second half of the trip where they’ll bike through central Michigan and the Manistee National Forest on their way back to camp. It’s possible that they’ll cross paths with our Explorers who are canoeing close to where the Adventurers will be biking!

 Voyageurs are enjoying a gorgeous silver (cloudy) day in the Georgian Bay. They are crossing channels to wild, uninhabited islands and are becoming much more confident in their paddling skills. They’re learning to read currents and the weather, and more than that they are settling into a wonderful sense of family that has developed within their group as the weeks have passed. We’ll be picking them up in just five short days, so we hope they’re enjoying their final days on the water!

Our Odyssey campers will experience a culminating point in their cross-country Odyssey today as they ride into Merrowvista. They’ll be greeted with cheers from Merrowvista campers and staff as they ride in past the Farmhouse, drop their bikes, then run down and dive into Dan Hole Pond. They’re having to work around some cloudy and rainy weather today as they plan their ride in, but they’re excited nevertheless.

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Lunch was delicious tacos for Taco Tuesday!!!! We then all scurried off to our cabins for rest hour. After rest hour the campers all separated into their Tribes (Ridges, Trails, Dunes, and Draws) to have Tribal Meetings. This is where they came up with a skit, song, and extra to perform at the Tribal Council tonight for tribal points.  Then it was off to IGs three and four. In Pool Party campers made their way down to the waterfront to hang in beautiful Stoney Lake.  In the Crafthouse we had the embroidery interest group embroidering up a storm! Many campers took advantage of free swim and took a dip in Lake Michigan right before dinner.

Dinner was absolutely amazing. We had incredible ravioli, green beans, and garlic bread. After dinner campers got all comfy for Night’s Doings, which was Founder Feud with Liz Marshall. Founder Feud is our spin off of Family Feud where all the game show questions are about Miniwanca!! After Night’s Doings everyone headed on down to the beach for an amazing Evening Reflection to end this great day.

Everyday here at Miniwanca just keeps getting better and better! Keep checking back for updates!!

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The three weekers enjoyed a morning of service and relaxation. Campers worked around camp to make sure that we ‘leave no trace’ in the beautiful environment we get to live in this summer. After service we had an early lunch of enchiladas pie, chips and salsa.  Following lunch we had another extended rest hour! Because it was raining on and off again all day we decided to do some fun rotations in the afternoon. There was reading in the Ohle Center, dodgeball in the Assembly, and you cannot forget about the good old Crafthouse! After some camper free time we made our way to dinner, which was hotdogs! Following dinner we had our famous ice cream social where the campers got to make their own bowl of ice cream with yummy toppings. After dinner, because it had started raining even more, we decided to get all cozy in our pajamas and make our way to the upper lodge for a movie night!!! We all snuggled up and watched Coco! After the movie we all headed to our cabins for a great night sleep.

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Lunch was delicious meatball subs and chips. Following lunch all the campers hurried off to their cabins where they would have extended rest hour. The bell rang out to tell the one week campers that it was time to start packing up their belongings. While this happened, the three weekers split up into cabins to have cabin time. Many campers worked on different crafts in the Crafthouse. One craft that has been all the rage this summer is embroidery.

After the one weekers were all packed up the campers broke up into their Tribes to put the finishing touches on their skits for tonight’s Tribal council.

Tonight for dinner we did a little something special and deemed it to be ‘Elegant Dining.’ This simply meant that the campers rummaged through the costume closet to find something fancy to wear to dinner. We had yummy veggie lasagne, and garlic bread. During dinner it continued to rain so when it finally stopped we all decided it would be best to have our Tribal Council in the dry Church of the Dunes. We traveled there to watch the creative skits and songs invented by each tribe. One weekers then went off to their cabins for cabin closing, while three weekers stayed in the Church of the Dunes for an Evening Reflection on opportunity.

Keep checking in each day for more updates!!!

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Rest hour was extremely useful after our amazing lunch of sandwiches, and pretzels. In Girls Camp, the Darers, Challengers, Avail, and Four Trails are broken up into four tribes (the Ridges, the Dunes, the Draws, and the Trails) that compete in friendly activities and games, for the chance to win the Tribal Paddle.  This afternoon, the tribes separated for their Tribal Meetings where they plan out a skit, and a song for Council Circle on Friday night. We cannot wait to see what they have in store for us!!

Dinner was pizza and veggies!! We also had chocolate cake for dessert, which was just the cherry on top to this amazing Wednesday. Tonight for Nights Doings, it’s cabin choice. This means that each cabin has the opportunity to choose what they would like to do. Some of the younger Four Trails groups, the Trailblazers, are going to the ropes course tonight for some team building exercises, while the Darer and Challenger communities are roasting s’mores on the beach! This gives each cabin an opportunity to be together and bond a little bit more.

Each day is getting better and better here out on the dunes! Keep checking back for more updates!

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Trailblazers are settling in nicely in their second night of camp. They had an exciting opening council last night and tonight they are participating in a night’s doing’s called the amazing race. It’s been a hot day today but this evening has been a nice time to get outside and play!

 Explorers spent their morning doing swim checks and then this afternoon they participated in First Aid Rotations with the Explorer campers from Boys Camp. They learned about the many ways they can support each other and their leaders in a situation where first aid is needed—they even did some yoga with their leader Nicole to talk about healthy breathing and how it keeps you calm and feeling better.

Our Adventurer campers spent the afternoon alongside the Explorers on the Graceland field, but they spent their time with the Adventurers from Boys Camp learning the anatomy of a bike and some basic bike maintenance that will be useful for their time on trail. The Adventurers set out tomorrow morning for a day-ride to Country Dairy and back—maybe they’ll get ice cream!

 Voyageurs are readying themselves for their re-ration, coming up this Thursday. They’ll be meeting up with a driver in Britt, Ontario to restock their food, medical supplies, group gear, and mail for their next several weeks on trail. It’s always a happy time. There’s usually good food and some car-camping after a couple weeks of kayaking through the wilderness. They’ve had some rainy and foggy weather these past few days of kayaking through French River Provincial Park, so we know they’re looking forward to some comfort soon.

Our Odyssey cyclists are powering through New York and have officially made it into the mountains. These past 3 weeks of cycling have prepared their bodies and minds for this tougher terrain and they’re ready to support their group-mates as the cycling becomes more difficult—all the way to New Hampshire! They’ll also be receiving some encouragement tomorrow from their friends and family in the form of mail. They’re really settling into the groove of trail life and I’m so excited for them to experience the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains.

Check back tomorrow for in camp updates!!

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After such a packed morning we scarfed down a delicious lunch of grilled cheeses and tomato soup, followed by a much needed rest hour. The LITs woke everybody up with a hilarious Assembly filled with skits and songs to get us movin’ and groovin’.

Then interest group time was upon us. Stony Lake sailing, glittery things, and Lake Michigan beach time, oh my! All the campers were able to stretch their four folds with the wide variety of options available. Free time followed interest groups, allowing the campers to hang out with both new and old camp friends.

After a dinner of chicken tenders, mashed potatoes and corn Girls Camp participated in the famous Miniwanca version of The Amazing Race game for Night’s Doings. Amazing Race is a way for the campers to get acquainted with the different spaces around camp that we use daily. We then moved into some R fold activities with Evening Reflection. Girls Camp focused on the theme of the day, which was Inspiration. We all  scurried off to our bays where we brushed our teeth and got into our pajamas, ready for bed after our first full day at Miniwanca!

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Our wonderful Trailblazers have been  back from their trips for several days now but are still buzzing about the wonderful time they had canoeing and hiking in the nearby Manistee National Forest.

 Explorers are all rejoining the community today after being out on their biking trips for the past several days. They’re trip to Ludington and back has been eventful—hot summer days full of ice cream and afternoon swims in Lake Michigan.

The Adventurers are riding into camp as I write this. They are rejoining our community today after 13 beautiful days of Michigan cycling. They’ve seen Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the Leelanau Peninsula, Higgins Lake, and a large portion of the Manistee National Forest. We’re incredibly proud of their accomplishments—two weeks spent on trail and so many miles cycled completely on their own!

Our Voyageurs recently embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. After many days of trip preparation and travel time, the Voyageurs begin kayaking today. They’ve already sent back some pictures so be sure to check out the 4T Trail Photos to see some of their adventures.

 Odyssey riders are making their way back into the US tomorrow after spending a full rest day at Niagara Falls today. They’ve been looking forward to this for a while and it’s always a highlight of the trip. Some photos of their adventures have been uploaded to SmugMug so be sure to check them out.

Check in tomorrow to see what our in camp campers have been up to!

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Lunch was grilled cheeses and tomato soup, truly a camp favorite. It was the perfect meal to send us off into rest hour. After rest hour we had Tribal games. This is when the campers break up into their Tribes (Ridges, Dunes, Draws, and Trails) and compete in different games for Tribal points. Today we had a couple of different games going on down on the Green Acre, and one game of captain ball in the Hollow. Next was IGs three and four. Crafthouse Medley started modge podging up a storm with old magazines that they cut out of to make new and cool collages. Lake Michigan beach time had campers building sand castles, while some cooled off in the lake. After some camper free time the dinner bell rang.

Dinner tonight was chicken stir fry, rice, and veggie egg rolls. We cannot thank the food program enough for keeping our bellies so happy throughout the entirety of camp. Tonight for Night’s Doings we had Safari. This is always one of the campers and leaders favorites. How it works is all the leaders dress up as different animals and are sprinkled around camp. The campers all have clues to try to find where the leaders are hidden and try their best to bring them back to their home bases. The catch is that the leaders who are dressed up as animals can ask the campers to sing while they walk them back or to paint their nails once they get to the home base. It is a wacky fun night with lots of giggles. Following Night’s Doings we all found our cabin groups and headed down to the beach for a lovely Evening Reflection held by two of our three week Challenger cabins. The beautiful sunset, and quotes on growth was the perfect way to end this Monday.

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Following Something Sacred both camps went to eat lunch at their respective Eating Lodges. Lunch today was chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, and veggies! We could not have asked for a better lunch if we tried. After lunch we all got to have an extended rest hour in preparation for our exciting next half of the day!

After rest hour Boys and Girls Camp all met up in the Girls Camp’s Council Circle for the Tribal Cup. Everyone was decked out in their Tribal shirts and face paint. During Tribal Cup the different Tribes at Boys and Girls Camp come together to form Super-Tribes if you will. The Sands and the Trails combine to be the Sails. The Creeks and the Dunes form to make the Crunes. The Draws and the Breakers join to make the Dreakers. Lastly, the Ridges and the Beaches form the Reaches. The campers joined their new Tribes and spent the day completing different tasks around camp. We all ended up in East Camp on Bryant Field for the ultimate set of games during the Thunder Dome. We played games such as the 3-legged race, dragon tag, and costume relays. It was a wonderful way to have our whole Miniwanca community come together for a day of fun and games.

Following the festivities on Bryant Field we all had a lovely cookout with burgers, pasta salad, and delicious watermelon. All the campers got to eat and talk with each other, making new friends as they went along. After a jam packed day Girls Camp said goodbye to the boys as they made the trek home. A lovely sunset made for a perfect end to our night.

Keep checkin back for more updates!

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All the campers hurried off to their  brand new IGs today. Dune Exploration went walking on the beach, while Paddle Sports paddled their way around Stony Lake. Everyone then reconvened for lunch. It was sloppy Joes, chips, and veggies. After that delicious lunch, campers finished up their Eating Lodge responsibilities and headed off to rest hour. An hour later they were awoken by the bell sending them off to Assembly. Today at Assembly the LITs had amazing skits. Some of the campers favorites were “Not my hands” where an LIT puts their arms behind their back and has another person use their hands to do certain tasks. One of the funniest ones was brushing their teeth. As you can imagine it gets a little messy!! We also got to sing some fun camp songs to wake us up from our rest hour.

After Assembly campers had IGs three and four. The Crafthouse was especially poppin’ today as Embroidery and Crafthouse Medley got started with their projects. There also is a fun interest group called “Hangin’ with Hannah.” This interest group was invented because believe it or not we have five Hannahs on staff this year! So each day consists of a new Hannah to hang with! After some free time the dinner bell rang.

Dinner was delicious enchiladas pie, with chips and salsa. After dinner campers got ready for our Night’s Doings. Tonight is one of the favorites, it’s Lip Sync Battle. Each cabin gets to pick out a song and then they perform it in front of the rest of camp. Some of the headliners were Frozen’s “Let it Go” and some classic High School Musical songs. Following Night’s Doings we all headed down to the beach where a Challenger cabin facilitated Evening Reflection. It was an amazing day here at Camp Miniwanca with a perfect end to the night.

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After some tasty sausages, french toast, and oranges for breakfast, camp was well underway. Today saw campers in their final rotations of week 2 Interest Groups. Everyone was finishing up projects, making s’mores, heading down to paddle sports, or hopping on a sail boat one final time before our third round of Interest Groups start tomorrow. Next week’s IGs will feature the high ropes course, Hanging with Hannah (an IG centered around hanging with at least one of the 5 Hannah leaders in camp), RASKALs (Random Acts of Kindness and Love), and many crowd favorites from past IG rotations.

We rounded out the night by heading off in different directions. Our Darers had their very own council circle with coordinator Madeline. The in camp 6th and 8th grader campers took a jaunt over to Boys Camp to enjoy the High Ropes Course. The 7th graders started their Forester adventure, a two night and one day trip to the Well Site at the edge of our property where they will learn to tent, cook over camping stoves, orienteer, build fires, and more. The Trailblazers enjoyed a beach bonfire and s’mores. The Avail campers also headed out to Boys Camp to have a co-ed Boys and Girls Camp Avail 4 way capture the flag bonanza! It was an incredible night full of lots of adventure for everyone.

Now, as the sun sets over Miniwanca, campers are snuggling down in their sleeping bags and readying themselves for another grand adventure tomorrow.

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Lunch was delicious lunch meat sandwiches, veggies, and pretzels. We then all scurried off to our cabins for rest hour. After rest hour the campers all separated into their Tribes (Ridges, Trails, Dunes, and Draws) to have Tribal Meetings. This is where they came up with a skit, song, and extra to perform at the Tribal Council tonight for tribal points.  Then it was off to IGs three and four. In Wanca Spa the campers made their very own great smelling candles! In The Great Miniwanca Scavenger Hunt campers went around campus completing different tasks. Many campers took advantage of free swim and took a dip in Lake Michigan right before dinner.

Dinner was absolutely amazing. We had incredible ravioli, green beans, and garlic bread. After dinner campers got dressed and ready in different costumes for the Tribal Council. The skits, and songs were absolutely out of this world. The Tribes really out did themselves this time. After Tribal Council everyone headed on down to the beach for an amazing Evening Reflection to end this great day.

Everyday here at Miniwanca just keeps getting better and better! Keep checking back for updates!!

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After breakfast we had our famous parade for no one! This is where all the campers dress up in red, white, and blue and parade down from the Assembly to downtown Miniwanca for no one but ourselves. We then had the beloved dodgeball game of campers versus leaders. The campers really gave the leaders a run for their money this year! To cool down after that intense game of dodgeball, we then opened free swim in Lake Michigan so that we could all cool off before lunch. Lunch was pizza and veggies!! So so yummy in our tummies.

Lunch was followed by a much needed extended rest hour. The bell rang out to wake us up from our slumber and told us to head to snack time. We had some cookies, crackers and gatorade to make sure that we are hydrated enough as the heat continued here at Camp Miniwanca.

We then proceeded to our fun Fourth of July rotations. The first one was “pie your leader” where the campers got to pie their leader in the face with whipped cream. After, the campers also got to pour water on their leaders for fun, but to also clean them of the whipped cream. Rotation two was down at the beach where we opened up free swim again because of the warm temperatures. The third and final rotation was in the Eating Lodge, where campers designed feathers with words that describe their Miniwanca experience. These feathers are going to be used in a bigger project that will be displayed in the Eating Lodge at a later date.

We had a cookout for dinner in the Hollow! We had hotdogs, hamburgers, watermelon, baked beans, and pasta salad. It was a beautiful night for a cookout in the hollow. Following dinner all the campers made their way to Assembly for movie night! We watched the movie The Greatest Showman. This was a great way to cool the kiddos down right before a well deserved night sleep.

Happy Fourth of July from everyone here at Girls Camp!! Updates on tomorrow to come!

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 Trailblazers have been enjoying their on-trail time this week. Both groups of Trailblazers are now hiking in the Manistee National Forest, and are enjoying some warm trail days on the North Country Trail. When they return in two days, they’ll spend one night in camp before departing for their canoeing adventure down the Manistee River.

Explorers have returned from their hiking trip and are enjoying some in-camp time for the next couple of days. Both groups came back buzzing about the bugs and the long, hot days on trail—and they also talked about how much the trip bonded them together. In all, they’re really happy to be together and are looking forward to the bike trips!

Adventurers are steadily biking northward to the Leelanau Peninsula. After a rest day for both groups yesterday, everyone is biking again and are ready for another day of rest on the shore of the peninsula. In the next couple of days, the adventurer groups will cross paths with one another before making the turn southward back toward camp—they’ve still got plenty of days of cycling ahead!

Voyageurs arrived Sunday and have been busy preparing for the epic adventure in the Georgian Bay of Canada. They’ve already spent a full day on Stony Lake learning basic paddling strokes and tomorrow they’ll depart for their overnight shakedown to our Well Site camping area.

Odyssey campers are all converging on Marine City for the night and are getting very close to their crossover day into Canada. They’ll all be resting up in a cozy campsite near the border for the next two days before taking the Algonac Ferry into Ontario Canada! They’ve biked all the way across Michigan and we’re incredibly proud of their progress!

Stay tuned for our 4th of July festivities tomorrow in camp!!

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