2020 Summer Sessions Canceled

By Deb Erdmann
May 14, 2020 (comments)

For 70 years the Erdmann family has proudly provided Camp Voyageur summers for youth to share sports, meals, and wilderness trips in the north woods. By nature, camp is communal and emphasizes interdependence and collaboration. The impact of COVID-19 has made the prospect for camp anything but normal this year. Minnesota’s stay-at-home order expires May 18th with limitations thereafter. The Canadian border is closed, and Boundary Waters permits are currently restricted for day use only. Limited COVID-19 testing, six-foot social distancing, gloves, and masks have slowed the virus, but a threat remains real, particularly in group settings. Amid safety concerns...

Top 10 Books to Bring to Camp

By John Burgman
May 05, 2020 (comments)

A typical day at Camp Voyageur is fairly busy. From morning inspection to the afternoon activities and the evening entertainment programs, there is not a lot of idle time for campers or counselor’s. Still, within the action-packed day are periods of downtime when campers are encouraged to relax, write a letter, or read a book. And while good books often get passed around from camper-to-camper and cabin-to-cabin throughout the course of a summer, it’s always a good idea to arrive at camp with something of a personal library. In no particular order, here are 10 books for consideration. We realize...

Meet the Staff: Mikey Meves

By John Erdmann
April 28, 2020 (comments)

What is your favorite part about the trail? Reading for fun was something I never really did growing up, in fact my reading level was so poor that holding me back a grade was a consideration. When I came to camp and went on the trail for the first time, I brought a book with me, Fahrenheit 451. While on trail I got this feeling like nothing before, where my mind was fully free to picture and experience the story as I read it. I fell in love with reading while on the trail, especially fantasy, where the book brings...

Meet the Staff: Matt Berning

By John Erdmann
April 21, 2020 (comments)

Where is your favorite place in the wilderness? Laying on a rock, on an island, on Crooked Lake with the sun shining. What is your favorite part about the trail? Devouring lunch after a successful morning of paddling. What is your favorite part about our in-camp program? Evening Programs and the Big Games. Who or what inspires you? People who are passionate inspire me. What are you looking forward to most this summer? I am most excited to get back outside and see the campers again. What is one piece of advice you would give a new camper? Embrace the...

Meet the Staff: Jackson Peacock

By John Erdmann
April 13, 2020 (comments)

What are you looking forward to most this summer? I’m looking forward to seeing all the returning campers, and hearing about all the fun things they did with their time away from camp. Where is your favorite place in the wilderness? My favorite place to visit in the wilderness has to be Devil Track River on the Superior Hiking Trail. It’s a beautiful rapid river that links up with the SHT near Grand Marais. It’s an excellent place to spend the afternoon or night after a long day of hiking! What is your favorite part about the trail? My favorite...

10 Camp-Inspired Activities to Do With Kids

By Alex Kvanli
April 07, 2020 (comments)

Looking to mix things up at home with your family? Try one of these activities from our very own playbook! The keys to success for most of our activities is that they must be themed, hosted by high-energy quirky characters (who never break role), and the set should contain several props. Camp Voyageur’s in-camp program features all of these activities and with a few modifications, you too can catch the Voyageur Spirit with these great projects!

Bring Nature Indoors

By Alex Kvanli
March 31, 2020 (comments)

Many nature lovers around the world have suddenly been confined to their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nature has a powerful effect on our health and wellbeing, especially on our mood and coping mechanisms. While going outside daily and strolling through a local park or even enjoying a picnic in the backyard provides a healthy dose of nature, it is not always possible. Below are 6 ways to bring small doses of nature indoors.

Update from the Peninsula

By Deb Erdmann
March 24, 2020 (comments)

We hope your family is doing well during this historic time of self-isolation. Despite the uncharted waters, we are moving forward with the 2020 camp season. Though things could change, we continue to actively recruit campers, make final hiring decisions and plan for the summer ahead. Given the uncertainty, we have extended our April 1st, full refund cancellation deadline to May 1st. This gives you an extra month to consider summer options with no risk of losing tuition money already paid. If the national Coronavirus emergency forces us to alter Voyageur season dates, we will announce those plans by May...

How to Reset Your Body Clock to Sleep Better

By Hal Holmes
March 17, 2020 (comments)

A good night’s sleep forms the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. The rhythm of life is all around us, but sometimes the pace of our lives can drown it out. In our hyper-connected world, there never seems to be a time when we are not listening to, looking at, or waiting for something that plugs into a wall to speak to us. We go from our connected homes with Alexa and Google Home, to our cars with music, podcasts, and/or audiobooks, and into offices that are cluttered with screens demanding our attention – all the while checking our phones every...

Outdoor Adventure Lays The Groundwork for Lifelong Exercise

By Alex Kvanli
March 10, 2020 (comments)

Going on a wilderness adventure is physically demanding by nature. It also may be a much-needed springboard for a lifetime of physical activity, especially for kids who don’t enjoy competitive sports. With kids spending more time than ever sitting down and consuming electronic media, a new skillset – the ability to take overnight trips into the wilderness – could be the catalyst needed to get them off their seats and spark newfound strength they’ll carry for life, even if they don’t plan on camping ever again.