Beautiful Schroon Lake.

An odd name for a gorgeous place. Tucked into the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York is the delightful town of Schroon Lake. It's located on a nine mile lake and the home to one of my favorite places: SUMMER CAMP! If you've ever attended and loved summer camp you will know the feeling that the words "summer camp" evoke.

As a brave 7 year old I went to camp for the first time; intending to stay only a week and begging to stay one more. The following summer I stayed for a month and the summer after that for the entire summer. My dad and I would head upstate (in Michigan we call that "up north") for our 5 hour trip to Albany and then along the two lane highway, Rte. 9; the Northway did not exist then. Along the way we stopped an all the tourist oddities and picniced along the way packing our Scotch cooler with Cokes and our tin sand which box with fresh ham (pork loin I think) sandwiches on Pepperidge Farm's white bread, wrapped in waxed paper. And always a bag of Wise potato chips and NY style potato salad.

When we hit Saratoga my stomach would begin to churn in anticipation of arriving and I would roll down the windows for the first hint of pine air. Even today, I buy those corny sachet's of balsam pine and keep them in the car. In years past I would haul home giant bags of pine mulch that would " live" in the car during our entire vacation and nearly overwhelm us with the pine smell. I loved it!

Our destination was the Christian camp called Word of Life. At 7 I was going to the Ranch! Horseback riding, archery, swimming, crafts, and Bible study. Who could ask for anything more?