For many kids in the US, a summer sleepaway camp is on the schedule somewhere between the time school gets out and shortly before it begins again in fall. The time spent at sleepaway camp varies – some are just one week, some are several weeks, and some run the majority of the summer. Many specialize in one thing – like a sports camp or a camp devoted to the arts, while others are general activity camps where kids can do it all – from swimming to fishing to arts and crafts and more. Wouldn’t it be fun if you could spend your adult summer “pretending” you’re headed to sleepaway camp? We took a look at our fabulous campgrounds (which take care of step one in choosing a camp) to see which are near some elements that might have played a part in the sleepaway camps from the good old days.
Theater: If you’ve watched any movie about sleepaway camp, you know the summer season always ends with a big production. So, we’ve found a few outdoor theater experiences where you can take in a stage production in the great outdoors and not have to worry about learning your part! Book a stay at Tahoe Valley Campground and enjoy the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival which typically offers two productions each summer that are set on the shore of Lake Tahoe at Sand Lake State Park. For details visit laketahoeshakespeare.com. Plan to stay at Thousand Trails Lake Conroe to catch a production at Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theater, which is located within Hermann Park, the city’s 455-acre urban park. For 2024 season details visit milleroutdoortheatre.com.
Sports and Activities: Did you shy away from the tug-of-war or always found yourself on the winning end? How about an adventure course? Book a stay at Florida’s Encore Terra Ceia and head over to Bradenton’s TreeUmph Adventure Course to attempt some of the courses offered here. They have 10 football fields of challenging terrains and hundreds of aerial adventure games (treeumph.com). If you’re still looking to get that ribbon for water sports, book a stay at Mt. Hood Village Resort and there’s plenty of water activities you can participate in for bonus points. From whitewater rafting, stand-up paddling, kayaking, and canoeing to fishing, boating and swimming, water-related activities abound on the lakes and rivers in the Mt. Hood Area.
Arts & Sciences: For the educational side of summer camp, let’s take a look at some of the best science museums located near our campgrounds that have a hands-on approach. The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia explores everything from sports to space and is considered one of the most hands-on science museums in the country with plenty of interactive exhibits. Thousand Trails Circle M is about an hour’s drive away. San Francisco’s Exploratorium bills itself as the “museum that broke the mold” and as a museum of science, technology and the arts. Camp at San Francisco RV Resort and head into the city to see what this extremely interactive “institution” is all about.
From an arts perspective, how about a museum where you can really feel the art? Chicago’s WNDR Museum and Miami’s Superblue Miami are definitely a departure from the typical art museums showcasing technology and interactive and immersive exhibits versus the tried and true “art on the wall” exhibits. Stay at Thousand Trails Pine Country to experience WNDR and Encore Miami Everglades to check out Superblue Miami.
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