By Michael Williams
It’s only a little over a week until many of us are at camp!! I’m sure all you folks new to camp have quite a few questions (I know I did in my first summer). I will be sharing a few tips on how to prepare for camp, and while doing so I will hopefully answer some of those questions.
What do I need to pack? What is there to do around camp? When I’m not on duty can I go out and get food? And, what can I do on my days off?
What to pack?
When I pack for camp I usually pack on the light side when it comes to clothes, with the knowledge that I will buy stuff when I get to the US. You can get some bargains at T J Maxx and Olympia Sports. For example, I recently got $120 Nike trousers/pants for $25 at T J Maxx, so I know I can get some great deals.
Do I need to pack toiletries?
I have stopped packing them, I just ask the person who is picking me up if we can stop off at a Walgreens, CVS or Walmart on my way to camp so I can buy all that stuff (packing it in your luggage is a real pain in the neck).
Do I need blankets?
The simple answer is no, camp has blankets that you can grab and use. I personally don’t like using blankets that aren’t my own, so I usually bring a sleeping bag with me or I buy one from Walmart.
Where to Eat When Out of Camp?
Evening meals
Obvious choices after you have finished in the evening are the Bee’s (Applebee’s) which is a sports bar and grill restaurant that offer great burgers and fantastic mozzarella sticks! There is also Korner store (which deliver to camp) they specialize in pizza, the pizza from Korner store is fantastic and is a counsellor favourite (I live in Wales where the best Pizza I can get is usually supermarket pizza). There is also a movie theatre/ cinema next to Applebee’s so depending what time you can get away and the show times you could possibly get to a movie one or two nights over the summer.
Places to eat around camp on days off
About 10 minutes from camp is a small town called Oakland, Early bird is a popular breakfast place amongst counsellors which offers great breakfasts and lunches.
Another terrific option is the Smithfield Ice Cream Place. They serve fantastic lobster rolls, pizza, and ice cream. I prefer slushies but most people love their flurries and sundaes.
In Waterville, there are a lot more options depending on what you fancy/like from pizza to sushi and a steak house.
On my recent trip to the States, I went to a fantastic restaurant called Portland Pie, they have a shop in downtown Waterville.
Remember its important to find time at camp to switch off and relax, it is a fast pace environment and its always good to re-charge your batteries.
Days off
Stay in Maine
There are many great places to go and activities to do on your days off, last summer I went Moose watching up in Greenville on Moosehead Lake, Whale watching in Portland and I went to Bar Harbor which is a small national park and town on the coast of Maine.
Out of state
If you enjoy getting away from Maine on a day off, then there are plenty of opportunities to do that as well. During previous summers I have gone as far as Boston, Montreal and Six Flags New England on my days off.
I can’t express how important it is to use your time off to relax and re-charge your batteries, camp is a fantastic high energy place. Find time to relax to fully utilise the camp experience!!
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask any questions
Camp is just around the corner, See you all very soon!!
Resources
Who’s been to a Disney Theme Park? Do they practice what they preach? We find many terrific resources on the Disney Institute Blog. Here’s a good one on customer service best practices.
How are you going to use your experience at Manitou to land your next job? This article outlines a way the writer used their camp story at a job interview.