Gordon Strayhorn knew he wanted to be a camp director from his first day on the job as a CIT back in 1978. More than 30 years later, he still loves it when the daffodils bloom, signaling another great summer is just months away. At Illahee, Gordon spends the summer with campers, taking them on hikes, to a favorite waterfall, and shooting video and photographs of all the fun. Each night before bed in the summer, Gordon updates this Blog and posts hundreds of photographs from campers having the Best Summer of their Lives!
It’s May, and we are excited about the countdown to the summer! We gathered recently to celebrate Caroline’s birthday at Brevard’s Sunrise Cafe. Bianca drove over from Asheville for lunch and to meet with Laurie and Dave about the plans for the riding program and Janna Barton was in town for a pre-summer visit. She Read more...
Those of you who have 17 year old sons (or have been a 17 year old son) know what it’s like to walk that balance of adventure seeking while staying safe. Our son, Turner is a junior in high school, and he is passionate about kayaking. His school’s outdoor program provides opportunities for adventure and Read more...
This winter, we uploaded some old photos to Facebook, creating albums full of Illahee girls sporting big hair, white tube socks, and Teva sandals. We had no idea the flurry of comments, likes, and tagging that would ensue on Facebook through these alumnae albums! Old cabin mates have been reconnected, memories have resurfaced, and we’ve Read more...
Camp Illahee is set in the quiet town of Brevard, NC and those of you who have been to camp here know how fun it is to walk down Main Street and visit our shops and enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream sundaes at Rocky’s old fashioned soda counter. There is a definite buzz Read more...
It’s been a great weekend getting ready for camp! On Friday afternoon one of our kindest camp friends and neighbors Nancy Davis, had Kris, Caroline, Gretchen and me over for a “ladies lunch” and for a chance to preview the needlework projects that she is planning for the summer. True to her camp roots, she Read more...
I’ve been thinking about this post for a while, and it just seems appropriate after Turner, our seventeen year-old and I just returned from visiting a few colleges over his spring break. We did a quick trip to visit Sewanee and Washington and Lee this past week, and in both places, ran into folks who Read more...
[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Desperado Chorus: Oh, what a big, bold man was this desperado, From Cripple Creek, way down in Colorado, And he horsed around just like a big tornado, And everywhere he went he gave his war whoop! He rode out of the wild and the woolly, woolly west, He Read more...
After our leadership planning and brainstorming sessions of the weekend, we have gotten down to the “nitty gritty” with camp preparation. The Parent Handbooks are on their way to all camper families and the Ship’s Store and activity sign-up forms are up and running on the website! We can’t wait to see what activities that Read more...