It’s a day of transition for us as our boys in Senior Camp departed on their big trips. Our Intermediates and Subseniors were all smiles as they boarded the buses and headed out on what will be some once in a lifetime experiences with their best friends from camp.
Our Intermediates (finished seventh grade) headed south towards Boston, where they will have the opportunity over the next four days to go ocean fishing, visit the Boston Aquarium, have lunch in Quincy Market, take in the Blue Man Group Show, enjoy dinner in Little Italy, explore the Museum of Science, take a tour of Fenway Park, and enjoy a fun day at Canobie Lake Amusement Park before returning home on Thursday evening.
Our Subseniors (finished eighth grade) split up and headed in three different directions. The largest group headed north to Bar Harbor in time to make a 10:00 AM tee-off time at Sunday River Golf Club. They will spend the next four days playing some of Maine’s finest courses and finishing up playing the links at the famous Samoset Resort. In between their rounds of golf each day, they will explore the sites of Boothbay before returning home on Friday evening.
Another group of Subseniors boarded a bus and made their way to Acadia National Park. The boys will experience some of the most majestic views in Maine and will awake on Tuesday morning at 3:30 am to arrive at Cadillac Mountain in time to catch the sunrise. They will enjoy sleeping out in the wilderness but will leave the campground to go whale watching, enjoy coastal kayaking, and take in an entertaining lumberjack show. This trip combines a balance of camping, exploring and site-seeing around Maine’s coastline.
Our more adventurous Subseniors have departed to canoe down the Saint Croix River. Our boys drove up to Vanceboro, Maine, where they will be setting up camp before starting this amazing journey down one of Maine’s famous rivers. Seven boys and five counselors have packed food, clothing, tents, and all the necessities to live on the banks of the river for the next four nights. We take great pride in offering these kinds of camping experiences.
The interest in pioneering and outdoor living starts with our youngest campers when they sleep in our treehouses on the outskirts of our property and enjoy roasting marshmallows over an open fire. Our fourteen-year-old boys see this as a coming-of-age rite of passage, and they have devoted much of their summer to prepare for this incredible opportunity.
Meanwhile back at camp, the Okees enjoyed a relaxing day putting the finishing touches on their packing for their departure on Wednesday for the Western Trip. A number of our oldest boys went to Point Sebago Resort for a final round of golf before they head out on their trip of a lifetime. In addition, a group of eleven-and-under and nine-and-under swimmers competed in a dual relays meet here at Takajo against a nearby camp. The Takajo team was victorious. Most importantly, every camper who tried out for our competitive swim team participated in at least one intercamp meet this summer.
Our Warriors had a great day in camp. In particular, the Warrior Braves had playak races in our swim lanes. Boys jumped in and out of individual playaks and had to paddle with their hands, racing from one end of the dock to the other. The cheers and enthusiasm were infectious as all of our younger boys had a blast with this impromptu relay race.
This evening I invited all of the Warrior Indians (finished fourth grade) down to my home for a movie night. I think it is important that our younger campers have the opportunity to step away from their bunks and our camp program once a summer to enjoy a night at home with me. Snuggling on the couch, drinking a soda, and eating some snacks, our campers felt right at home at my place. With cooler temperatures and a change of program, this is the perfect opportunity for our boys to catch up on some well-needed rest, which will be much appreciated down the home-stretch.
