CAMP FUNAMUCK LANYARDS AND FACIALS? IT'S CAMP GETAWAY, WHERE MOMS CAN BE KIDS FOR THE WEEKEND.Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer Every summer, moms pack up sleeping bags and duffels and ship their kids off to camp. More than a few have thought, ``Wish I could go.'' Patti Londre feels their pain. She's the owner-operator (aka Fearless Leader Fearless Leader is a fictional character in the 1959-1964 animated television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, both shows often collectively referred to as Rocky and Bullwinkle. ) of Camp GetAway, a weekend retreat for women of all ages and walks of life. What began 10 years ago as Camp Mom, founded by a woman named Myra Peck, has since evolved into a more inclusive rustic mini-vacation for all women. Londre, who owns an L.A. public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most firm, attended the camp a few times herself until last year, when she had the opportunity to buy the operation. The cabins are heated and have two bathrooms for up to 16 campers. Casual comfort-food meals are included, and activities range from traditional pastimes like hiking and tie-dying to scrapbooking and facials. Having sent my 12-year-old daughter off to assorted mountain and beach camps, I recently accepted Londre's invitation to relive that part of my own childhood, in a relaxing, forget-the-world, BYOB BYOB abbr. 1. bring your own booze 2. bring your own bottle setting in the San Bernardino Mountains San Bernardino Mountains, part of the Coast Range, S Calif., extending c.60 mi (100 km) NW and SE through San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Notable peaks are San Bernardino Mt. (10,630 ft/3,240 m) and Mt. San Gorgonio (11,485 ft/3,501 m). . Winding up Route 38 from Redlands to the Alpine Meadows The term Alpine Meadows may refer to:
By Friday night, the parking area was dominated by gas-guzzling mom taxis. I was searching for my flashlight and wondering how far I had to schlep schlep or schlepp also shlep Slang v. schlepped also shlepped, schlep·ping or schlepp·ing also shlep·ping, schleps or schlepps also shleps v.tr. my gear to my cabin, but my minivan felt right at home. The air of relaxation hit me the moment I walked into the main lodge, a large but cozy room with a fireplace. Scrapbookers were already slicing and dicing in their well-lighted work area, a few soaked their feet in pedicure tubs, and others were hunkered down in front of a big-screen TV watching the chick-flick ``13 going on 30.'' Probably the only place you'll find more middle-age women without makeup is the mosh pit mosh pit n. An area in front of a concert stage in which audience members mosh. of a k.d. lang concert. Only seven of the 70-some campers at the October get-away came alone, so the weekend began with an after-dinner mixer aimed at breaking up cliques of longtime friends and relatives. Forget rock, paper, scissors scissors Cutting instrument or tool consisting of a pair of opposed metal blades that meet and cut when the handles at their ends are brought together. Modern scissors are of two types: the more usual pivoted blades have a rivet or screw connection between the cutting ends . At one point, Londre had taped off the floor into six rectangles, then asked the women to group themselves demographically: Mothers and non-moms, grandmothers or not, ages by decades (40s was most common, if everyone was honest). Then she asked: If you could do one thing for 24 hours Adv. 1. for 24 hours - without stopping; "she worked around the clock" around the clock, round the clock without any repercussions repercussions npl → répercussions fpl repercussions npl → Auswirkungen pl whatsoever, would you: go on a hike without any run-ins with bugs or dangerous animals, sleep, shop online, lie in the sun, eat chocolate or sleep with Dr. McDreamy of ``Grey's Anatomy''? Several women, not surprisingly, straddled the line between chocolate and McDreamy. The scrapbooking den was a frenzy of snipping all weekend. Tools as specialized and sharp as surgical devices made photos that had been stored in boxes or slapped carelessly in albums look crisp again. Supplies were available for purchase, but most campers came fully equipped with special suitcases brimming with stickers, trims and clever sayings. One type-A mom put together pages for her July Hawaii vacation, while others worked from their older personal archives. One mom beamed as she looked at her newborn boy. ``How old is that baby now?'' I asked. ``Twenty,'' she replied. Most of my cabinmates had been college friends, but they welcomed me warmly. The mini Hershey bars I shared probably didn't hurt. The Saturday schedule included an early morning hike to a bird grotto where black-throated sparrows fed from the women's outreached palms. I heard it was lovely. I opted to sleep in and try archery for the first time since about 1972. I strapped on an arm guard, lined up the arrow on the bow (Naut.) on that part of the horizon within 45° on either side of the line ahead. - Totten. See also: Bow according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. instructor Sam's directions, pulled back slowly and set my right shoulder and bicep quaking against the tension of the string. It's like trying to aim while riding a lawnmower. There we were, modern-day Dianas, ready to bring home a kill. Some arrows whizzed past the targets and into the woods, but none even accidentally zinged a squirrel or bird. That ``no stress'' rule apparently is optional. After a bunch of us gathered at a picnic table A picnic table (or sometimes a picnic bench) is a modified table with benches expressly for the purpose of eating a meal outdoors (picnicking). In the past, picnic tables were typically made of wood, but modern tables can be made out of anything from recycled plastic to with our sack lunches, the conversation veered to what our kids eat at school. Before long it segued into concerns about elderly parents, in particular those we care for from afar. Then one camper lightened the mood with a vivid pets-or-meat story about a daughter's Easter chick that grew up to become a family dinner, courtesy of a grandma who was just itching to slaughter that hen. Some stayed behind for crafts, such as gourd gourd (gôrd, g  rd), common name for some members of the Cucurbitaceae, a family of plants whose range includes all tropical and subtropical areas and extends into the temperate zones. decorating and soap-making, but I was up for the afternoon hike. It was advertised as easy, and I tried to keep that in mind as we tramped steadily downhill, knowing we would have to climb back up. Whenever I felt a complaint coming on, I looked ahead to our guide, Sally, the grandmother of 11 with crutches on her forearms. I'm such a wimp. After dinner -- spaghetti with meat sauce but no parmesan because the kitchen is kosher -- the staff ``babes in the woods babes in the woods applied to easily deceived or naive persons. [Folklore: Jobes, 169] See : Naïveté ,'' Nicole and Marissa, were ready to lead all comers in line dancing, unless we would rather learn the choreography to Michael Jackson's 1984 groundbreaker ``Thriller.'' Did they need to ask? Usually to get a bunch of people to do something potentially so embarrassing, there has to be a large amount of alcohol involved. But if anyone in this bunch was lubed, she didn't let on. We shrugged, we lurched, we stomped, we shimmied. We looked like fools, I'm sure (the video's on www.campgetaway.com), but we laughed and high-fived a lot. Later Saturday evening was the official campfire. Londre provided sing-along sheets, but somehow ``On Top of Old Smoky'' immediately became ``On Top of Spaghetti.'' Can anyone explain to me why we remember silly lyrics from childhood? The s'mores feeding frenzy that followed confirmed my suspicion that this confection con·fec·tion n. A sweetened medicinal compound. Also called electuary. of roasted marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars was meant for women in the throes throe n. 1. A severe pang or spasm of pain, as in childbirth. See Synonyms at pain. 2. throes A condition of agonizing struggle or trouble: a country in the throes of economic collapse. of PMS (Pantone Matching System) A color matching system that has a unique number assigned to more than 500 different colors and shades. This standard for the printing industry has been built into many graphics and desktop publishing programs to ensure color accuracy. or menopause. On Sunday morning, I survived a pre-breakfast yoga class with an instructor who said her class back home includes seniors. ``Good,'' I thought. ``She knows CPR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Definition Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a procedure to support and maintain breathing and circulation for a person who has stopped breathing (respiratory arrest) and/or whose heart has stopped (cardiac and recognizes signs of a stroke.'' The closing ceremony included another skit (actually a word game brilliantly played by some nurses), and the raffle of new and ``re-gifted'' items brought by the campers. Having packed up my gear, I was ready for the last ``pampering'' appointment on the GetAway schedule -- a one-hour massage. That was a serious ``ahhhh'' moment. I gulped in one final breath of pristine air and headed back down to civilization as we know it. I really enjoyed my weekend, but I didn't feel sad about leaving. I was pretty sure I'll be back. Valerie Kuklenski, (818) 713-3750 valerie.kuklenski@dailynews.com HOW TO GET AWAY This year there were two Camp GetAway weekends, one in June and the other in October; 2007 dates are pending. The $325 fee ($295 for early registration) includes accommodations, meals and most activities, with a separate supply fee for some optional crafts. Pampering services range from $14 for a manicure to $58 for a one-hour massage. For more information or to join the mailing list, see www.campgetaway.com. CAPTION(S): 10 photos, box Photo: (1 -- 4 -- cover -- color) What Mommy did at CAMP (5 -- 6 -- color) An hour-long massage is among the perks of Camp GetAway, where moms can leave the stresses of life behind and indulge in a little rest and relaxation. The camp, located in the San Bernardino Mountains, offers a chance to bond with other campers and take part in activities from archery to facials. (7 -- color) no caption (painted car window) (8 -- 10 -- color) Learning all the right moves in a choreography class, moms also can participate in crafts like tie-dying and scrapbooking at Camp GetAway, a weekend retreat for women from all walks of life. Heated cabins and casual comfort-food meals make the camping experience one that is far from roughing it. Photos by Helen Cherry and Valerie Kuklenski Box: HOW TO GET AWAY (see text) |
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