Camp Woodland Blog

This is what 4th of July at Camp Woodland means to one of our Alumni, Alice Decker Burke:

The Fourth of July is the time of year that most reminds me of summers at Woodland. From my very first summer at 10 years old, I always, always loved the Fourth of July TP/Woodland campfire. I loved the change of setting from Woodland’s beautiful campfire spot to TP’s, with Nakomis Lake, so windy by day, suddenly still as glass. I loved the campy skits, inevitably puzzling me because boys sometimes find things so funny that strike us girls as so dumb! (On the other hand, sometimes they’re totally, legitimately hilarious.) I loved hearing guitar played in the fading summer light, appreciating how beautiful it is to hear men and women singing together. And I loved waiting – and watching – and waiting…. and waiting… and waiting…. for each solitary firework and answering each one with a sleepy chorus of “Ooh… ahh… wonderful!”

So as I prepare to watch fireworks over Lake Michigan with 1.3 million of my closest friends, I know they’ll be a spectacular symphony of light. I know they’ll be over the top. I know the Tribune will say they were perfect. And I also know they won’t be what I really want. Because I will always prefer my fireworks on Lake Nakomis – one beautiful burst of light at a time.

– Alice Decker Burke (11 summers at Camp Woodland)