"7 Ways to Maximize Misery" (WARNING: Sarcasm)

By Peter Grunawalt
January 02, 2018 (comments)

Uhhh, so what is this about? I’ll stop with the click-baiting. The purpose of this post is to share a video which I feel speaks to some tendencies in not just teens, but in many of my own peers, that can become reinforced as habits that ultimately undermine our own happiness. It follows closely the work of psychologist Randy J. Paterson, who wrote the book “How to be miserable: 40 strategies you already use”. By necessity, summer camps intervene Many of the points addressed in the video are simply impossible at camp. You live and eat with your peers everyday,...

The New Case for a Tech-Free Summer Camp Experience

By Peter Grunawalt
December 23, 2017 (comments)

Given the historic precedence of computers and the internet and how integrated technology has become in our children’s modern education, spending a month or two away from screens is a much bigger commitment than it used to be. In fact, if I had to describe the largest cultural shift in the last decade, it would have to be that what we consider “normal” amounts of exposure to screens and computers has perhaps tripled in length. But taking this even further, I’d argue that for our kids, the internet is much more than just a tool. It is increasingly becoming a...

CV Enters First Youth Woodsmen Competition

By Alex Kvanli
June 13, 2017 (comments)

CV entered its very first fitness competition! The 2017 Youth Woodsmen Competition kicked off today and for the first time ever, Camp Voyageur signed up! The Woodsmen is a competition that dates back to the early 1950’s, when President John F. Kennedy said that “physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” President Kennedy’s famous words resonated with the whole nation, and as a result many of today’s mainstay fitness competitions emerged from this Golden Era of physical fitness. The Youth Woodsmen is...

Venturing North: Second Round Trips Begin

By Peter Grunawalt
July 27, 2016 (comments)

After an exhilarating week in camp, our last trips have finally left the docks to find wilderness adventure once more. Second round trips range from 7 to 10 days and cover a wide variety of landscapes. Our most experienced campers headed out on to the Apostle Islands to sea kayak, to Lake Superior via the Grand Portage, and down the Vermilion River. Each of these trips involved campers in the planning and packing phase extensively. Less experienced and younger campers will paddle through some of the most iconic lakes of the Boundary Waters on a quest for fishing holes, legendary...

Aloha! Session 1 Ends, Session 2 Begins

By Peter Grunawalt
July 10, 2016 (comments)

Just as campers from Session 1 started making their way home on Saturday, new campers from around the world started journeys both long and short to the peninsula. It's quite the experience to say farewell to a group of boys and young men that you've come to know so well, and then welcome another 30+ campers the next day. But of course, after a GREAT night of rest (and sleeping in a little, maybe), we're ready to turn our full attention to Session 2 and some of the amazing things we have planned for our campers. By the end of...

The Adventure Begins: First Round Trips

By Peter Grunawalt
July 09, 2015 (comments)

The first round of trips at Camp Voyageur have returned! Here's some of the video that came back from this first round, as well as a little music from counselor Evan Pydych. Enjoy!

Overnight Trips: Learning by Doing

By Peter Grunawalt
June 21, 2015 (comments)

Campers returned from overnight trips several days ago, designed for new and veteran campers alike to get accustomed to life on the trail. Even the staff appreciate the chance to stretch out their paddling arms. With temperatures in the low 70s, a light breeze out of the North, and clear blue skies, these guys couldn’t have lucked out anymore with the weather! Even for trips as short as the overnight, campers earn an age old tradition here at camp: a hot sauna followed by a hearty meal. It should be noted that for the vast majority of campers, a hot...