Medomak Family Camp, Maine

I would like to tell you about a fantastic family vacation we discovered a few years back. My husband and I, along with our eighteen-year-old son and fifteen and twelve-year-old daughters attended Medomak Family Camp in Washington, Maine for the fourth time since 1999 this past summer.

The camp is a traditional overnight summer camp with all the expected activities, but with an interesting twist – the whole family attends!

Medomak Camp is situated on a scenic lake about thirty minutes from Maine’s capitol, Augusta. Our family stays together in our own clean, spacious, and inviting cabin. We have electricity and our own bathroom, and all the comforts of home -- without television, video games, and computers!

Meals are prepared by a chef and served family-style in a lodge with the other 10 families at Medomak that week. We are treated to home-baked breads, plenty of fresh blueberry treats, vegetables from the camp garden, and even a lobster dinner one night!

My children participate in activities with other campers their ages. They enjoy all the fun the camp staff can throw at them, including archery, arts and crafts, blueberry picking, games, hiking, land sports, nature walks, even photography! My husband and I have chosen to tag along with our kids when they were younger (now they don't want us hanging around!), join in similar activities with other adults, or just spend time alone together. The staff also conducted special events for the parents such as beer and cheese tasting, art gallery trips, massages, and yoga.

We join the other families each afternoon at a beautiful sandy cove for canoeing, fishing, kayaking, sailing, sandcastle building, and swimming. The camp staff serves as lifeguards and instructors, while many of the parents either read books or relax. In spite of all the hustle and bustle at the lakefront, I am usually able to sneak in a few naps in the warm Maine sun.

Every time we visit, our week at camp is fantastic. The staff is incredible -- friendly, fun and accommodating. The food is delicious and we don’t have to grocery shop, cook or clean dishes. I encourage you to share our family’s vacation experience. I think Medomak Family Camp just might be the best-kept secret in Maine.

Maureen Shearn is from Clarksville, Maryland.