Kudos For Us!
The March 2007 edition of Family Fun Magazine hit the newsstands this week. After the writers visited 250 campgrounds around the country, they narrowed their favorites to a field of nine…and we were among the best in the country for a family vacation. Our “stunning views of the shoreline” and endless beach caused this Disney magazine to call us “a gem.”
At Searsport Shores we’ve addressed family camping from our family’s perspective. My mother always loved the energy of young children and delighted in their imagination. For them she created a recreation hall that is complete with a grandmother’s attic. In her corner there are dresses and accessories fit for a debutante, masks and props for role playing and fantasy creatures and a dedicated space for teddy bear teas. Steven took control of the playground. When he’s not at the campground, he teaches 7th graders at the Troy Howard Middle School. Our playground is equipped with a wide array of climbing and team building activities that push experiential learning to its limits. In another posting I’ll tell you about the nature trails, sensory gardens, self guided kayak tours and other activities.
Family fun at the Shores is meant to be that…families playing together. I know that there are wonderful parks who propose to entertain your children from morning until night…that’s not us. We cater to families who want to spend time with their children and explore our coastal world. Our park is not a place where kids run wild and screaming is par for the course…respect and civility are a requirement of both guests and hosts. During July and August we run an activity each day, generally geared to 7-70 year olds. Every year the activities change but some of the favorites have been Mermaid wand tapestries, felted treasure pouches, pounded flowers, bag pipes at the beach and wild science experiments. Of course, our Saturday night lobsterbakes are legendary and we try and schedule a bonfire for every full moon with music, entertainment or snacks.
Whether you visit with children or not, you can expect quiet evenings, laughter rippling through the park and friendly people. I can’t explain why, but more than anything else we hear from our guests, we hear that we live in a magical place. It was best summed up by Gary Kitchen when he said that pulling into the park is like entering a time warp…he goes back to the 60’s when people sat on their front porch, strangers had time for conversations, and children were captivated by their friends and surroundings…not by the electronics that are stowed in the car. If this sounds too perfect, think again.
