Welcome to the world of Story Experiences!

At breakfast on the first full day of camp, every cabin reads through a list of fifty-ish titles of what sound like adventure books, full of characters and surprises, and maybe cartoon monsters. They will choose six or more that sound the most intriguing, though they have nothing more to go on than the words in the title and the category the selections are grouped in: Relaxing, Adventurous, Random and Wacky, and the ever-popular Scary. By the next day, each cabin will be granted one magical story experience. They likely don’t know when it will happen, and their counselor might be as surprised as they are.

                Each story experience is created by the staff members with care to deliver memorable moments and powerful scenes.  The preparation for these experiences begins with some of the strangest supply lists and personnel requests at camp: costumes, weapons, props to be acquired or built, locations all over camp, frequently in the wooded regions outside main camp areas. Needed: two monsters, or a lifeguard, or time to set up tripwires and hazards. Then the magic can begin.

Many experiences are relaxing and lovely. Go for a spa day in the inflatable pool or wood-fired hot tub, or sit up for an evening of tea and meditation in hammock village. Many more of them entail putting staff imagination to work to bother, beset, and barrage campers. Cabins can choose to Be Annoyed by Mr. Relish, suffer the Ten Plagues of Augusta, or endure A Week of Catastrophic Unnatural Disasters. As staff, we are continually amazed at the delight campers take in the creative assaults we make on their comfort, and we take pride and joy in finding new ways to irritate them. Many scenes leave campers wet, smeared with something messy, and complaining – through smiles.

                The Scary section has only a handful of offerings, which are highly popular. Each member in a cabin that chooses them will fill in an anonymous form about how intense a ride is desired, and anyone can choose to step out or pause the action at any time. For a cabin looking for the full ride, we’re prepared to deliver quality terror. It will likely happen at night. What exactly will happen to you, we won’t spoil before you find yourself in the middle of the Island of the Dolls, or investigating malfunctioning animatronic humanoid ducks. If that sounds good, see if the rest of the cabin wants to put that in their first selections. If that’s not your speed, you’ll find plenty of choices in the Lovely Experiences section.

                Every story experience is unique: each cabin gets a different story, and no story will run exactly the same way twice, if it even runs again at all. Some will take place over one lunch and rest hour, and others will build throughout the session to a climax. Read the signs over the paths before you choose: May Bgorggle Bless You and Spare You, Pirate Heist, Awkward Storytelling, Famous for a Day. Whatever book opens before you to invite you in, you’re likely to find something surprising, and perhaps even marvelous.