Family Vacation?
Camp Isn’t Just for Kids The kids are in school, snow is falling letting us know that winter is in full swing and you are entrenched in your methodical schedule of getting the kids to the bus, making the 9 a.m. staff meeting, working through lunch, grabbing a quick dinner at the kitchen table before the kids dash off to finish their homework or snag a last half hour of TV, and falling into bed, only to get up the next morning to do it all over again. One thought pushes through the mental clutter: You need a vacation — one the entire family can enjoy! Family camp is the answer!
- A week at family camp has some distinct advantages over a resort vacation, a jaunt to Europe, or a trip to an amusement park: More bang for your buck. The dollar doesn’t go as far today as it used to. Head to Europe and you may have to take out a second mortgage, but family camp is a reasonable way to treat your family to a fun, relaxing retreat away from home.
- Planning is a cinch. Convenience of vacationing at family camp means that many of the time-consuming parts of a vacation are taken care of….from planning meals, choosing activities, checking schedules, driving, and much more. Allowing families to have more time to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
- Fun at easy to come by at any age. Family camp caters to all ages. So, whether you’re thinking of four-year-old Tommy or seventy-five-year-old Grandma Hazel camp offers activities right for their age, intellect, dexterity, and interest level.
- Alternatives abound. You enjoy canoeing, your husband likes hiking, your son is into the adrenaline rush of extreme sports and zipping down the zipline, and your daughter should have been born with gills because she’d spend all day in the water swimming at Wolf Lake if you let her. No problem! Camp offers such a wide variety of activities there is sure to be a number that appeal to each family member.
- Environmentally friendly. Camp provides a respectful, nurturing and safe environment. Uplifting family values and good old-fashioned fun are the rules of thumb.
Perhaps the biggest plus to vacationing at family camp is that it is an excellent way for families to bond and spend time together! Many families come to Wolf Ridge as a way to share with their kids, grandkids, or sometimes even spouses the treasured camp experiences they themselves had as children. Others just want an unhurried and wholesome way to spend quality time with their kids, free from video games, TV, movies and cell phones. Replace all of those things with canoes, s’mores, campfires, ropes courses, rock climbing, hiking, arts and crafts, fishing, new found friends, etc., and the magic just happens for families.
Nature plays a big role in helping families connect, too. Helping each other traverse the obstacles of a high ropes course in the treetops encourages families to work as a team and to trust one another. Water activities in the lake show your children (and maybe even remind you) that you have a goofy side, immediately upping your “cool factor” with your kids. Learning the skills needed to climb up the rock wall in Mystical Mountain can increase your children’s confidence, teach them the importance of patience, and give them a healthy sense of independence, even as they turn around to to shoot a smile your way. You could spend your family vacation waiting in long lines at an amusement park, or you could enjoy the many thrills family camp has to offer in a safe, economical, constructive environment that has the added benefit of strengthening the bonds you have with your children and spouse.
