When my sister and her family visited us, I was waiting impatiently for their observations and opinions.  Since they came from a city where there is a dearth of CCRC facilities, they had no idea what they were going to encounter. Carolina Meadows would be a revelation to them. Certainly, we had described everything to them on the phone, but  ‘seeing is believing.’

As children, my sister and I had grown up in ‘overnight’ camp.  I flunked, but she ultimately became a waterfront counselor.  Her kids and grandkids attended the same camp.  Her daughter has been the ‘camp mother’ for the last 10 years. My husband was involved in camping as well, first as a camper, then as a ‘jack of all trades,’ and finally as a camp owner.  I guess you could say that camping is a family tradition.

It was no surprise, then, that my sister’s first reaction to Carolina Meadows was, “It’s just like camp”.

Consider the details:  no grounds or house maintenance responsibilities (although you do have to keep your own ‘bunk’ neat and tidy); terrific meals; many sports and other activities available (tennis, golf, swimming, bocce, croquet, arts and crafts, woodcraft, etc.); lots of lectures and learning opportunities; and a terrific lineup of evening programs, including a movie night. We even have medical staff on campus. On Labor Day there is a campus wide multi-sports event, with winners’ names posted in the lobby.  Might we even have a campfire next year, with marshmallows to roast? (We can talk to the residents’ special events committee about this.)

Best of all—no counselors are around telling you what to do. No “Reveille” wake-up call to raise the flag at 7:00 a.m. No “Taps” bugler dictating bedtime. What more can you ask?