This week is National Travel and Tourism week in the US, and May 7^th is National Tourism Day, a day to celebrate tourism around the country and the world. While we know that Maine is a great place to holiday – they don’t call it “Vacationland” for nothing – National Tourism Day got us thinking about how many similar factors go into choosing a camp as choosing a vacation. And when you think about it this way – you realize just how great a decision it is to send your kids to camp in Maine!

Destination

When you’re planning a vacation, likely the first point you consider is where you want to go. Choosing a summer camp is no different. Of course, you want camp to be accessible – and with most Maine Camp Experience (MCE) camps offering chaperoned buses from cities like NYC, Westchester, and Boston, and flights to Portland Jetport from major airports on the eastern seaboard and throughout the US, it’s certainly easy to get to Maine.

However, when you’re choosing a vacation – you don’t choose somewhere just because it’s easy to get to. You want to choose a destination; and that is exactly what you get when you choose a camp in Maine. When a child attends camp in Maine, they can spend hours on beautiful natural lakes with pine-lined beaches. They learn to swim, sail, and ski in the perfect environment – with huge stretches of beach and water (and sometimes entire lakes) reserved for camp use. The Maine forests that surround many camps provide incredible environments for first camp outs (and the necessary firewood for s’mores), and the summer sun in Maine is the perfect companion to a game of soccer or softball played on sprawling lawns.

Of course, much of the beauty of Maine and New England extends well beyond the grounds of camp, and one huge advantage of choosing a camp in Maine is it grants tremendous access to some of America’s finest natural wonders. Campers at MCE camps hike mountains such as Franconia Notch, Cadillac Mountain, and Mount Katahdin. They take rafting and/or canoe trips down rivers like the Androscoggin and Penobscot. They visit quintessential New England cities like Bar Harbor and Cape Cod – and some campers even venture to Canada for trips to Montreal and Quebec. These tremendous opportunities are available to MCE campers because of Maine’s strategic location as a gateway to the Northeast Kingdom – and this is a huge advantage of choosing a camp in Maine.

First-Class Camps

 Of course, location isn’t everything – when you choose a vacation you want to make sure you’ll be able to pursue fun and interesting experiences that excite you. You want things to be well-organized and well-run, to be surrounded by people you connect with, and to make sure you are safe and taken care of. Choosing a camp is just the same – and MCE camps deliver on all counts. The variety of MCE camps means that families can identify the camps with the activities and program structures that suit your child. Whether a family is seeking a structured or sports-heavy program, an elective schedule with strong arts components, or anything in between – MCE camps have you covered.

MCE camps also provide top-notch facilities and equipment, and so campers are still getting the most out of camp during those hours that they aren’t experiencing Maine’s outdoors. From beautiful gymnastics centers and indoor or outdoor basketball courts, to lakeside fine arts buildings and jaw dropping beamed dining halls; MCE camps have top notch facilities for campers and families.

And of course, MCE camps hire incredibly high-quality staff to support their campers each summer. Camps prioritize previous childcare experience, as well as demonstrated teaching ability, in order to ensure that counselors have what it takes to help and look after their campers each summer. Oftentimes staff members will return for years on end, becoming staples of the camp community – and many staff members are full time teachers (or future teachers) who are able to translate those experiences into effective leadership.

The Spirit

When you’re choosing a vacation spot, you want to have an experience that transcends where you are and what you’re doing. A vacation is not just a series of beach days, or a list of museums and restaurants. A truly great vacation is a transformative experience where, for a period of time, you feel like you are a part of another world. A vacation is about the people you share it with and the memories you hold onto going forward. Camp in Maine is its own unique world – it is a paradise for growing up, and nothing can compare to the lessons you learn, the friends you make, and the memories you forge during those incredible camp years. And when it’s all said and done and your camper is reflecting on camp years gone by, there’s no doubt they’ll be glad that you chose Maine.

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Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitudeon our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.

Next, be sure to contact our Maine Camp Guide, Laurie to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.

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