Camp Manuka

From the time I was 7 years old I attended camp at Camp Manuka up in Nevada City. It was always one week long and happened during the week of my birthday. It was a highlight of my summer every year. I just loved it! I couldn't wait for camp each summer. Emily and Katie each went one year but it wasn't for them. I was fortunate enough to not only go as a camper, but as a L.I.T. (Leader in Training) and a camp counselor before the camp closed in 1994. This past spring I got a letter that they were holding a camp reunion/centennial celebration of Camp Fire Boys and Girls up at the old camp site. I was beyond thrilled. I could just picture myself sleeping on the camp platforms, singing camp songs and swimming in the lake.

I asked Collin to go with me as I wanted to share the magical camp site with him. He agreed so we headed up to Nevada City (north of my parents in Roseville) early Friday morning. We arrived at my parents in time for lunch before heading up. When we pulled up to the camp memories came flooding back. We checked in and were told we were staying at a different camp site (first bummer of the day). The new camp site was next door and similar just not the exact same. We got settled and then went down to the main lodge.Walking up to the lodge one of my dearest friends came running down to greet me with one of the best hugs ever! Hoot (Lydia, the camp director and my Camp Fire leader for years) was the first person I saw when I arrived. What a great greeting!!!

The Lodge

Hoot - she hasn't changed a bit!

I soon discovered that camp did not change. Everything else was pretty much the same. I was thrilled by this fact. After 16 years of course things will change. How nice to find that they hadn't though. Here are some pictures of my favorite places at camp.

Lake Vera from the dock.

The dock from the water

Canoes

Elephant Rock - they wouldn't let us swim there - big, big bummer!

The platform - we used to be able to pull ourselves up. Not so much anymore! Ha ha!

Turtle Rock - it used to be under water more in past years. We did get to swim out here though! It was a great swim. Just like I remember it being...I love swimming in this lake!

The camp fire ring. Ducky and I built quite a fire here our last year! 

The back side of the lodge!

The dining room is exactly the same! I remember sitting at these tables and singing songs at the end of meals.

The bell - it rang to wake us up, to announce meals, everything. It was as much a part of camp life as the people.

One of the sleeping platforms. I LOVED sleeping out on the platform looking up into the night sky. It is amazing to sleep under the stars. I'm thrilled I got to share this experience with Collin and Tyler (who slept in my sleeping bag with me).

There was no meal service for Friday night so we picked up some sandwiches at the grocery store before heading into camp and ate them lakeside after we got settled. It was so peaceful. My friend Carrie (aka Pandi) joined us with her daughter Hannah. It was great to catch up. Later that evening we had some get-to-know you games scheduled followed by a camp fire. Tyler was very good - he lasted about 45 minutes into the camp fire before he was ready for bed.

We headed back before the s'mores to our platform. No one else was staying with us that night which was kind of nice. We got Tyler out of his clothes and before we could put his pjs on he took off running. When I caught him he started screaming. I tried quieting him down as I wrestled to get him dressed thinking he might be chilly. When he wouldn't calm down we decided to go get the car. We were probably going to need to sleep there tonight so we didn't keep everyone awake. While Collin went to get the car I figured out that he had a sliver in his foot. Of course - 30 seconds running on the wood platform results in a splinter. Collin quickly got back with the car and about 20 minutes later the sliver was out and he was fast asleep in my arms. We were able to transfer him to the port-a-crib where he slept soundly for about 2 hours. When he woke up I brought him into my sleeping bag with me for the rest of the night.

On Saturday morning, Tyler woke up very congested and just not himself although he did sleep from about 10-6. We took showers, had breakfast and then wandered around the camp, playing on the meadow, meeting up with old friends, and enjoying the outdoors. It was great to see my old camp counselor (Sunny D), my former camp leaders (Hoot and Muffins) and my friends Ducky and Pandi. We spent some time looking through pictures and telling stories. It was a great, great trip down memory lane.

The Gang - Muffins, Hoot, Ducky, Squiggles, Pandi and Sunny D

 Meanwhile, Tyler enjoyed playing with Anya, Ducky's almost 3 year old daughter. The two of them were very cute playing ball, sharing food and following each other around the meadow and the camp fire ring.

What kind of trouble can we get into now??

Muffins and Hoot

In the afternoon, Collin took Tyler for a drive so he could nap. I enjoyed some peaceful time walking around, taking pictures and just hanging out. When they woke up I took Tyler into the lake. It was a little chilly, but we had some fun. Then I got to go for a lake swim out to Turtle Rock with Sunny D. It was great to be swimming through that seaweed and reaching that rock. I may be out of shape but I could still swim heads up with the best of them. =)

We dressed for dinner and then decided it was time to get Tyler home to a real house. By this point he was running a fever and just not feeling well. I wish we could have stayed for the Grand Camp Fire and the s'mores - I was at camp and never had s'mores! - but getting him better was more important. He helped me with our flag ceremony as we took the flag down and then we hit the road.

We did it wrong, but we were really out of practice.

It was about an hours drive to Roseville and my parents. They were out for the evening. We put Tyler to bed and then we fell asleep shortly there after. All in all, the weekend wasn't everything I was hoping it would be but it was fun to see everyone, to allow Collin to see where some of my most favorite memories are from my childhood and to reconnect. We are working hard to plan a reunion of just people from our camp in 2012. I'm on the search committee - looking for old campers. It'll be a little tricky since I really only know camp names but I'm hoping luck is on our side and we can pull this off. I'd love to take Tyler and Collin back up there when Tyler isn't sick and can sing our old silly camp songs!