Earlier this month, a profile of one of our family's favorite destinations, YMCA Camp du Nord, appeared in the Star Tribune. Thought I'd share it here.
Camp du Nord was founded in 1960 when the Greater YMCA of St. Paul bought a small camp with several circa-1930s cabins. Although the camp later was expanded, the concept remained simple and unique: Just as kids' overnight camps are as much about personal growth as archery and S'mores, a family vacation can move beyond the scripted opportunities offered at many resorts to become a catalyst for family reflection and spiritual discovery....
The hallmark of the Du Nord program is Age Group, which is the chunk of the morning between 10 a.m. and noon when counselors take kids on age-appropriate adventures, from outdoor cooking to pirate treasure hunts to hikes in chest-high mud. Adults can also enjoy their own activities, including guided (or not) hikes, nature photography lessons and orienteering exercises. Or they can sit on the dining hall porch, drink a cappuccino from the trading post and watch loons land on the lake, their wings ruffling like a pack of cards being shuffled.
Our kids love Age Group primarily for one reason: the counselors, many of whom return year after year from the end of high school though college and beyond. I'm not sure if what makes them so special is that the Du Nord staff has a talent for finding the most open-hearted young adults in America or that a summer immersed in nature sands the rough edges off any attitude.
I had to laugh a little bit at the piece's author for sounding so... worried... about committing to a trip where she'd have to drink her alcohol inside her own cabin -- but it still is a decent piece.
Our trip this year is to YMCA of the Rockies, but we plan to be at du Nord next summer. Love that place.
YMCA of the Rockies is wonderful. We've taken the kids twice in the past several years. We love having our own space and kitchen in the cabin. Our Lady of the Mountains is a neat little Catholic parish in Estes Park.
Posted by: Kristin | 06 June 2010 at 09:22 PM