The Rain didn't Scare Us
The location was absolutely beautiful. We were very close to the Camp HQ, next to a huge meadow for games and fun and just a quick walk to Ft Brumley and the dining hall.
Each pod consisted of a fire ring, a communal pavilion with power and ceiling fans, and several canvas tents with four wooden bed frames and thin camping mattresses. The bath houses were clean and the water was hot!
The drive up sites allowed for easy unloading of our gear. Look how close you could get to the tents. This made all of our parents smile!
The glorious weather lasted until about 1:00AM when the humidity turned into a rain storm. The tents held up and the kids slept like babies. It was the parents who needed potty breaks in the middle of the night and who had trouble unwinding after the 11:00PM Lights Out call.
Just before we killed the lights, some family photos were taken to commemorate Friday night in Pod 5. We also had families preparing for sleep in Pod 4 and Pod 8.
On Saturday we had a misting rain and lots of puddles, a few passing showers and then glorious temperatures with plenty of sunshine. Look at this gorgeous setting and these sweaty happy boys! This was what the weekend was all about.
There was archery! There were slingshots! We learned that Luca was a pretty mean shot with the BB guns. The Bears did some fishing and of course there were pumpkins to carve.
Indoor activities included a 50ft slide and inflatable obstacle course and a reptile show complete with monitor lizard. Siblings and brothers enjoyed both activities but the outdoor fun was really the best. Many of our parents came back to Pod 5 for a mid-day visit. Parents sat around talking, snacking, resting their feet and working on various projects while the kids ran and laughed and played. Barbies made an appearance for the sisters. Kickballs and whirly things came out. Dragons were played with all weekend. There was one tent which got a lot of love as kids hid in it, ran through it, swung off it.
Of course that evening after a Second Supper of delicious pizza, we all prepared for Trick or Treating. The adults sported either complete costumes like Jason Blalock's Roman Solider or just fun shirts like Sheila Boyd's tacky Halloween sweatshirt. The kids wore easy to manage costumes. Pack 285 sponsored a candy booth and we saw every imaginable costume! 650 scouts and siblings came through for a chance to bob for apples and collect some candy. It was awesome!!
Saturday night was also the Haunted Trail which several of our scouts attempted or completed. However the trail was just a wee to scary for some of the little sisters. We lost a few families with scared children on Saturday post-haunted trail. The idea of a night in a tent with bad dreams wasn't very appealing to parents. Next year - no haunted trail for us!
No rain showers, wonderful overnight temperatures, and a beautiful sky full of stars made for a comfortable night of sleep. The die-hards among us were up early to take in breakfast and the Interfaith Prayer Service. The Boyd family could easily have slept until 9:00AM and woke late enough that we missed activities.
Everyone agreed on a few key points:
- Camping at Bert Adams Scout Reservation was more comfortable than traditional "ground" camping.
- The Fall and Spring weather - even with rain - was better than the heat of summer camping.
- Cooking for ourselves would be worth the effort and much more fun next visit.
- We can get ESPN on our phones from Pod 5! Bring more extension cords next time.
- The shower houses were clean and the water was hot; but always try the knob both ways as some were on backwards.
- Because we can get the cars so close for loading and unloading, next visit bring more things to make yourself comfortable at night whether that means extra pillows, inflatable mattresses, or sound machines.
- Get there early because traffic is a bear on Friday and the kids need more time to enjoy themselves. One full day wasn't enough. The kids could have spent two full days playing with one another.
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