We could not have asked for a better start to a winter campout weekend. We had a nice warm spell to melt the majority of the snow dumped from the Blizzard of 2011. Heading to Three Rivers, Michigan, we had a sunny Friday in the upper 40′s. The two and a half hour drive to Camp Eberhart from Elk Grove Village was pretty pleasant once you got passed the traffic snarl of I-80 and I-65. And once you get off of the Indiana tollway, Camp Eberhart was just two hick towns into Michigan.
Arriving at Camp Eberhart, you are greeted by the horses mulling around in the field. There were a few buildings and cabins that spotted the property. I was lucky enough to follow the line of early arriving cars to learn where our weekend accommodation was. The cabin that the entire Expedition stayed in was unexpectedly modern and very clean. There was no smell of sulfur coming from the water from the bathroom faucets that I’m so accustomed to on these campouts. From the cabin, we had a excellent view of one of the lakes. The full moon over the frozen lake was a treat to see both nights we were there. The boys on the top floor made a quick mess of the place the first night with their marshmallow guns.
I do not have enough good things to say about Camp Eberhart’s staff. From the time we first arrived all the way through to our departure on Sunday, they were there to take care of us. Anything we asked for, they were very accommodating. We got a guided tour on Friday of the different buildings and all of the activities available to us that weekend. Riflery, archery, the climbing wall, horseback riding were a few of the activities the camp had for us that weekend. There were also some staff guided activities like shelter building and the low rope activities (has nothing to do with ropes; they were team building activities for the boys as well as the dads).
The Diamondbacks had the Deadliest Catch themed games on Saturday. Congratulations to the Phoenix for winning the games. Saturday night was highlighted by our Trailmaster’s creation for the bonfire. It was slow to catch fire but once going it was a nice relief of heat to cut the frigid night air.
Thanks to Diamondbacks, specifically Mark Egan, for finding this great camp for our winter campout. And thanks again to our Naturalist, Gary Popek, for documenting this wonderful weekend with his photography skills. Check out the Image Gallery to see all of the pictures from the weekend.
