Farewell First Session

Thank you First Session girls for another great opening at Rockbrook! Today we had to say farewell to our first session Rockbrook girls. With our trunks packed, camp crafts gathered, and plenty of memories stored, we had our final breakfast together before the parents started arriving to pick up their girls. It’s certainly sad to bring such a wonderful time together to a close, and likewise to say goodbye to our camp friends. But it’s also a great feeling to recall all the fun we shared and how much we’ve grown closer. For everyone at camp I can say, we are already looking forward to being together again at Rockbrook.

Tennis at Camp

Forehand! Backhand! Lob! Volley! Groundstroke! Cross-court! Serve! It’s all tennis.

And at camp there’s plenty of chances to play tennis. Campers can sign up for tennis as one of their scheduled activities, which gives them about an hour on the courts. They can grab a friend and hit a few balls around during their free time before lunch or dinner. They can even get in a quick game after dinner during the “Twilight” time before evening program. And finally, girls can look forward to the end-of-session tennis tournament with Camp Carolina, a long tradition at Rockbrook.

With all this tennis going on at camp, Rockbrook girls can really learn a lot. They can build their tennis skills and become much better players if they want. But at Rockbrook, no matter what we do, the most important part is to have fun doing it! That’s why tennis can be pretty silly. It can turn into some kind of relay game, a trick shot contest, or even a new dance move. No pressure. No intense competition. No worries about whose the “best.” It’s a girls tennis camp dedicated to having fun, even when that means mostly playing around. Yes it’s all tennis, and it’s all fun.

Dolly’s Dairy Bar

Do you know they have the best ice cream in the universe? Do you know they have a super chocolate flavor of ice cream called “Rockbrook Chocolate Illusion?” Did you know that every Rockbrook camper wants to go, and pretty much every one does? It’s all true, and it’s Dolly’s Dairy Bar in Brevard. Located at the entrance to the Pisgah National Forest, it’s everyone’s favorite place for a cool summertime treat. Here are a few photos of our Rockbrook girls at Dolly’s last summer.

We love Dolly’s ice cream!

Meet Jeff and Sarah

Meet Jeff and Sarah Carter, the owners and directors of Rockbrook. They are the dynamic couple that keep camp running so well, and are full of surprising talents and experience. For example, did you know that they are both educators with years of experience teaching elementary, middle, high school and college students? Did you know that they both began working at Rockbrook in the mid-1980s and continued to do so for more than 20 years now? Did you know that they met while working at Rockbrook and got married at camp (in the senior Lodge)? Did you know they are both musicians with Sarah playing fiddle and Jeff guitar? Did you know they are the parents of two girls, Eva and Lily? Well, it’s all true!

And there’s more to know, so hop over and learn more about Sarah, or learn more about Jeff. And then get in touch with them. They’d love to hear from you.

Rockbrook Fan Mail

Super enthusiastic campers Ali and Audrey are all set to come to camp this summer in August, but they are already excited. They’ve been following the blog and thinking about camp just about everyday. So much so, Audrey made this poster and sent it our way. We love it, and thought everyone else would like to see it too. Thanks Audrey! We can’t wait to see you at camp!

The Best Girls Summer Camp

What makes the best girls summer camp? It’s funny, but you see that claim now and then. “We’re the best girls camp ever!” or “Welcome to the best girls camp in North Carolina.” Most of this can be considered akin to team spirit, the folks from a camp expressing how much they love their particular camp, how proud they are of it, and how they know their camp really is excellent.

Of course, in reality, you can’t say objectively which girls camp is the best. Here in western North Carolina, there are so many great girls camps, each with dedicated and experienced directors, outstanding counselors, beautiful facilities and diverse fun activities. These camps also have very strong supporters, families who have found the camp perfect for their children. You will certainly find happy enthusiastic campers at all of these camps.

So is there really a best girls camp? Only to the extent that a camp is right for you. The subtle differences between camps, their particular strengths or emphases, will probably make you feel more at home at one girls camp or another. To put it differently, there are of course differences between camps but they do not distinguish which camp is “best.” That is something that follows from how much you love your camp, and that’s what makes it best.

So yes, for many reasons, generations of girls believe Rockbrook is the best girls summer camp. They believe it because they’ve experienced it and love it as their own.

Meeting you in Charlotte

Are you ready for summer camp Charlotte girls? Judging from everyone’s enthusiasm at last weekend’s camp party at the Beltz’s home in Charlotte, the answer is “Yes!” With the new Rockbrook Camp movie and slideshow from last summer’s sessions all set to go, Sarah and Mandy met so many of our Charlotte NC campers and a bunch of their friends interested in learning more about RBC.

For returning campers, it’s always fun at these parties to see the new camp movie, spot yourself and your friends in the photos, and just to recharge your Rockbrook spirit.

And for new campers, meeting all the people, talking with the families, having the camp directors answer your questions, these parties really are one of the best ways to see why so many girls love Rockbrook.

It’s wonderful to see that Rockbrook is the girls summer camp Charlotte families are buzzing about.

Camp lets you really rock!

For many of the girls at Rockbrook, especially the older “seniors” (teens thirteen to fifteen years old), rock climbing is one of their favorite adventure activities. For these girls, RBC can be a girls rock camp. That’s because there are so many opportunities to climb. Not even counting the climbing wall in the gym (which has 6 different very cool routes on it: four face routes, a sweet corner for stemming, and a hand crack route) and the Alpine Tower (which easily has more than 100 different rock climbing challenges), the girls have plenty of rock right on the camp property.

Castle Rock is the huge granite rock towering above camp where girls have six different rock climbing routes to work on.  It’s so nice to just hike up the hill behind the dining hall to our very own private rock climbing spot (no driving!).  And the rock is excellent! There are nice deep hand cracks, a finger crack, delicate face routes with some serious exposure, and of course plenty of chances to work on your friction climbing. The rock provides a variety of climbing challenges that beginners and more experienced girls will find just right.

With all of this climbing right at Rockbrook, and then with the great rock nearby in the Pisgah National Forest, camp has the kind of adventure where girls can really rock!