Monday, September 06, 2021

YMCA Santa Maria Family Camp


My wife took the time to organize another Labor Day weekend family camp and we all had a lot of fun.  This was a little smaller, with 5 family groups and about 30 people in attendance with 5 camp counselors.  There were a good mix of activities with arts & crafts, archery, low ropes, lake time (canoes, kayaks and paddleboards), pool time and hiking.

The drive up was much easier as this was held in Bailey, CO which would typically be a 45 minute drive from the house, but was a little longer with heavy weekend traffic.

We checked in and got settled into our cabins on Friday night.  Dinner consisted of chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Saturday started out with a breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon among other breakfast foods.  Then was our first block of activities.  As it was a bit overcast, we started with arts and crafts (lanyards and wood painting) and then went to archery and lake time.  We all opted for stand up paddleboards.  For lunch we had hamburgers or in my case a ham sandwich.  For our afternoon block, we again did arts and crafts (tie dye), then archery and finally pool time.  Dinner that night was pasta.  After dinner they had a campfire and smores.

Sunday was our final day and it started with a breakfast of biscuits and gravy.  For activities we did arts and crafts (wood painting and lanyards again) and archery.  They offered lake time again, but we did not go back out on the water.

The food was really good at the camp and they offered a good variety for vegan and gluten free individuals.  My stomach was a little queasy from a stomach issue Friday night and I was eating very light all weekend.

The activities were all pretty fun, but not as engaging as last year.

For some reason, I was really short of breath at the camp.  At first I thought it could be altitude or allergies, but it could also be some kind of illness.  I feel much better at home, but that certainly detracted from the trip.  If not for packing an albuterol inhaler, I would have had to come home early.

We packed well, but it is still surprising how much room gear for a family of four takes.  I should have packed shower shoes and we did not need to bring snacks or as many warm clothes as we did.  In the future, instead of a foam pad, I will bring a sheet and just sleep directly on the camp mattress.



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