Celebrating 70 Years of Camp Voyageur

By Alex Kvanli
April 30, 2021 (comments)

The triangle rings, followed by a familiar voice echoing through the trees, beckoning you: “Rise and shine, it’s a great day in the Northwoods!” Soon thereafter the ringing of the bell invites you and your cabinmates to the Mess Hall for hot cereal and pancakes. Your buddy from Cabin Eight walks with you down the wooded path under the towering pine and birch trees wearing his new red toque, eyes brimming with excitement as he recounts for the fourth—and not the last—time his trip stories and how he sterned and carried a canoe for nine days on his trip to...

Alumni Launch COVID Relief Campaign

By Alex Kvanli
March 13, 2021 (comments)

A group of former campers from the 1960s and 1970s banded together this winter and hatched a plan to assist Voyageur’s recovery from the 2020 summer camp hiatus (resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic). Alumnus Greg Lippert is hoping that former campers, counselors, and friends can pool together to raise $200,000 by April 31st to ensure Camp Voyageur’s mission prospers into the next generation.

Beyond the Tower

By John Erdmann
February 19, 2021 (comments)

Believe it or not, a few years ago there were no cell phones. Hard wired phones (remember telephone poles) have been around for over a century. At first callers asked an operator to literally patch them through to another telephone. At a central office, she would plug two lines together. When rural houses shared a “party line,” if you picked up the phone to hear people talking, you’d hang up and try when the line was not in use. No biggie, but people preferred a private telephone line, eventually adding multiple telephone sets, some children even got personal land lines....

Most Popular Blog Posts of 2020

By Alex Kvanli
December 29, 2020 (comments)

It’s the final days of 2020 so it’s a good time to round up the most popular blog posts of the year, in case you missed a few! First, check out #10 through #6: Update from the Peninsula 2020 Trip Options Meet the Staff: Mikey Meves A True Well-Rounded Education These Old Shoes

Give the Gift of Camp Voyageur

By Alex Kvanli
December 02, 2020 (comments)

Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? Consider giving a Minnesota summer camp experience that will not only be fun and memorable, but will teach life lessons like responsibility, leadership, and goal setting. Register before December 15th and receive our Early Registration Discount! Space is limited.

8 Boundary Waters Canoe Tripping Myths Debunked

By Alex Kvanli
October 18, 2020 (comments)

You spend the day paddling over placid water mirroring the sky, looking for moose along the shoreline. You throw a line in and the fish practically jump into your boat. After a delicious meal over the campfire, the sunset presents brilliant hues of orange, purple, and blue you never knew existed. It’s not quite time to crawl into your completely waterproof tent; you must stay awake a little longer to catch glimpses of the mysterious Northern Lights. A wolf howls in the distance. What is that whining sound? It’s the sound of the mosquitoes arriving at your campsite to wake...

Why I Chose to Work at Camp Voyageur

By Jack Tropical
October 05, 2020 (comments)

I am freshly graduated from college but am certain that I still have a lot to learn before I set my life on any permanent track, therefore I chose to pursue seasonal labor. With that in mind, the key for me was finding a place where I could both bring something to the table and be able to learn something. A bonus was finding something that I love to do.

10 Things I Learned About CV

By Jack Tropical
September 21, 2020 (comments)

Here are 10 things I learned as a first-year camp counselor at Camp Voyageur.

The Most Unusual Summer

By John Erdmann
May 20, 2020 (comments)

Opening camp this summer is unlike any other. Mim and Charlie Erdmann experienced a couple of relatively empty summers after retiring in 1979 while renting camp to previous counselor Dave McCracken and then to Dick Lyons of DePauw. We notified camper families in mid-May that camp sessions were canceled due to COVID-19. Subsequently, most of the Minnesota camps we have counseled with have followed suit. We will miss each and every camper and staff member who was signed up this summer and we hope that they will join us again in a year. Even in the absence of campers, counselors...

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...