Is overnight camp really only for kids? Some cater to adults
CANOEING ON the lake and around the inflatables at Camp No Counselors. Photo courtesy of Camp No Counselors
Hanging with your friends, exploring new and fun activities, doing sports together, sharing meals and sleeping in a bunk are the things that make up summer camp. Those carefree days can fuel a kid for the rest of the year. But why does that fun and sense of community have to stop when you become an adult?
Here are some options for adult camps that could reignite that same carefree feeling.
Camp No Counselors is the place to go for the all-out sports camp experience. Three days to unplug, relax and revel in pure fun is offered at this 75-acre camp in Fresno. It has all the fixings—pool, ropes course, volleyball, basketball, nightly socials, communal meals, paintball, go-karts and a water park on the lake. The list goes on.
Like other camps, once you arrive, everything is included. Come solo, with a friend or a group of pals.
The cost is $975. Find more information at campnocounselors.com.
Feeling artsy?
If the arts and crafts shack was the spot where you spent most of your time as a kid, you are in luck. There are a plethora of places where you can delve in to be your artsy, crafty self.
June is the only month for adults to explore classes galore at Idyllwild Arts in Idyllwild, which is just a few hours’ drive from Los Angeles at the top of a peak in the San Jacinto Mountain range.
Their class choices cover the gamut from stained glass, writing, Danish cord weaving, Hopi jewelry making, beading … the list goes on. Some weeks are themed, such as Metal Crafts Week and the Native American Arts Market.
The program began in 1950 as a beautiful summer destination. Over the years they’ve had some distinguished visiting artists, including Ansel Adams.
Participants are encouraged to stay on their campus to enjoy meals together and listen to talks by visiting artists. Costs start at about $1,500 for the weeklong camp, depending on your class and housing choices. More information can be found at idyllwildarts.org.
STUDENTS IN a plein air landscape class go to Lake Tahoe for inspiration.
Photo courtesy of Holman Arts & Media Center
With a focus on ceramics, Holman Arts & Media Center in Lake Tahoe offers five-day summer workshops.
Nestled just a few minutes from the lake, you can throw pottery on the wheel, coil build vessels or create a wall sculpture. Also available are plein air landscape painting, the art of handmade books and plein air creative writing.
The schedule allows for free time to explore the area with multiple music festivals happening in town and plenty of hiking. Cost for the week is $800 plus housing. Visit unr.org/laketahoe.
If you want to immerse yourself in a premier destination art program, Anderson Ranch in Snowmass, Colorado, could be the place for you. The five-acre ranch has been teaching summer art classes for almost 60 years. It attracts world-renowned artists to their campus, which is perched among aspen trees in the Rocky Mountains. The city of Aspen is just minutes down the road.
Over the years they have created a campus with multiple art rooms, a café, a gallery, an outdoor sculpture garden and sleeping quarters. The workshops are one or two weeks and focus on seven mediums: furniture making and woodworking, photography, digital fabrication, painting and drawing, printmaking, sculpture and ceramics. No experience is necessary. It’s your opportunity to learn a new craft.
The ranch provides accommodations and a meal plan, which is encouraged for participants as a way to fully immerse in the experience and learning opportunities, adding to that “take me away” feeling of camp.
Rates start at $1,290 plus housing. More information can be found at andersonranch.org.
Craftcation is a crafters heaven. If you can think it, it’s most likely available during this weekend in April at a hotel in Ventura.
The schedule is dizzying with options and organizers actually encourage you to use scissors to cut and paste your schedule together.
Of the 500 or so attendees, some own a craft business, others want to own a craft business and some just want to dive in for crafting fun. All are welcome.
There are three sewing rooms, jewelry making, needle arts, mixed media, dyeing, writing and photography. Yoga, zumba, meditation on the beach, happy hour, trivia night and a fashion show round out the long weekend.
The cost is $725 and includes all meals and activities. Register at craftcationconference.com.
Fitness
If you’re not as slim or fit as you were when you first went to camp, how about taking a week or more to change that? The instructors at Premier Fitness Camp, located on the grounds of the Omni La Costa Resort, will help you with exercise, nutrition and mental health to become a healthier version of yourself. Or, maybe you are in great shape and just want a wholesome camp experience.
The resort encompasses 400 acres of landscaped paradise with multiple pools, a spa, two golf courses and two gyms.
The first night includes dinner, social time and a tour. The next day starts with your intake; height, weight and blood work. Mornings consist of aerobic exercise, afternoons are yoga and maybe a swim or walk. Meals are all non-GMO and no sugar with accommodations for all food preferences and allergies.
Throughout the week you can attend culinary demonstrations, meet with a dietician, and go to a mental health lecture. As the representative said, “Completely change from the inside out. The program transforms lives.”
The week starts at around $4,000 and can go up from there depending on your preferences. Visit premierfitnesscamp.com.
Personal / Growth
Modern Elder Academy is part camp and part school. This organization is the world’s first midlife wisdom school helping people in their 40s to 70s learn about and move confidently into the next chapter of their lives. With retreats titled, “Navigating Transitions,” “Purpose and Passion” and “Vitality in Motion,” there’s something for everyone.
The academy has two magnificent locations. Santa Fe, New Mexico is situated on a 4-square-mile ranch in the secluded high desert with mountain views, hiking and beautiful sunsets. Baja, Mexico is a beachfront property with amenities that read like a resort. Each location is similar to a boutique hotel.
Your days will consist of workshops, meditation, prepared-from-scratch meals and free time to enjoy your surroundings. More information is at meawisdom.com.
Bookish
Is your book group meeting your favorite night out? Or maybe curling up in a corner is your best Saturday? Zibby’s offers multiple weekend retreats each year for book lovers who want to meet and talk to authors.
The weekends allow the intimate group of about 35 to meet authors, learn about their writing process and ask lots of questions. According to Graça Tito, director of events, “The conversations become very personal and intimate because many of the books are memoirs.”
The weekends take place all over the country multiple times a year. Once you arrive, everything is taken care of and included in the payment of about $1,700. Find out more at zibbymedia.com.
Category: People
