FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 25, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 53
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She climbed a three-story
high rock wall with giggles
and joyousness as I watched
her jaw-dropping climb in awe.
Addy is having her fi rst summer
at sleepaway camp, joining
her brother and cousins, and she
is absolutely rocking it!
As the sun beat down on us,
my daughter Elizabeth and I
made our way to the Pocono
Mountains to visit the kids at
Tyler Hill Camp during the hottest
weekend on record.
Since we were joined by my
daughter and son-in-law, we
decided to stay overnight near
the camp and reserved rooms
at the Resorts World Catskills
Hotel. I was excited to see it
since it had been the renowned
Concord Resort Hotel, a place
of sweet memories from when I
was just married and in my 20s.
It had been famous as a “meetup”
place because of its enormous
lobby, perfect for mingling
and meeting with great
entertainment every night. Th e
Concord was a site fi lled with
history and is where the iconic
movie “Dirty Dancing” was
fi lmed.
As I drove up the long treelined
roadway to the hotel/casino,
nothing looked like it did.
Th e complex has a 20-story glistening
glass tower — a strange
sight in the country setting.
When we drove up to the
entrance, there were three lanes:
two for the hotel and one for
the casino and aft er we valet
parked our car and entered the
self-opening glass doors into
the refreshingly air-conditioned
lobby, we were facing the clanging
sound of “one-armed bandits”
in the enormous casino
Seeing my darlings
before us.
On the right side of the lobby
was a long line to check into the
hotel and, aft er a nearly threehour
ride, we waited impatiently
for our room key. I was so
wiped out that I never made it to
the casino as we were all anxious
to get to the camp for the highly
anticipated visiting day.
Th ere is a tradition at the camp
where they set up a rope to keep
the parents (grandparents arrive
an hour later) back until the designated
visiting hour. My daughter
Elizabeth, so excited to see
her darlings who were waiting in
Jonah’s bunk, began her run to
get there fi rst, but when she took
two steps, she twisted her ankle
and fell to the ground! But being
a Schneps, she picked herself up
and limped to the kids for huge
hugs and kisses.
Camp represented my carefree
years, going to camp until I got
married. I remember becoming
editor of my camp newspaper
because I wasn’t into sports! But
my grandchildren are all in.
I had worried about Addy
being a “fi rst-timer,” but as I
soon saw it was clear she had the
whole camp experience under
control. She wanted us to see her
climb the three-story high rock
wall and then navigate the obstacle
course through the trees.
Addy’s Climbing Counselor
shared with us proudly, “Addy’s
fi rst attempt on the wall was
fi lled with her tears of frustration
and she didn’t give up. She came
back day aft er day until she mastered
every level — remarkable.”
Well, I stood with my unbelieving
eyes watching as my
Addy not only climbed the highest
wall, but navigated her way
through the obstacle course
among the trees and, with so
much joy in her voice, she yelled
Addy swinging from the rock wall.
down to us, “watch me go down
the zipline backwards and with
my eyes closed!”
She’s only 8 and is already just
as persistent as I am, but she’s
much braver!
Th e considerate camp leadership
provided 1,700 bottles of
water in barrels spread all over
the 220 secluded acres. On the
grounds, they off er a nine-hole
golf course, two private lakes
with motor boats, a pool, an
indoor cycling studio, a fi tness
center, and every sport you can
imagine. Th ere are 50 air-conditioned
cabins with their own
bathrooms and showers and on
the hot Saturday, I was relieved
to be able to spend time in each
child’s air conditioned bunk.
Sadly, I wish I had spent more
time with Blake and Morgan at
their activities, but they were
surrounded by their father’s
parents and uncle and we
shared “blanket time,” so I got
loving hugs, which warmed my
heart.
May these days living with
other kids and learning and perfecting
their skills be with them
forever. Th e visit went much too
fast, just like life. But I lap up
each day and count my blessings.
VICTORIA’S
SECRETS
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
tweet me @vschneps
Morgan, Samantha, Spencer, Blake,
Jonah and Addy fi nding some shade.
Addy, Elizabeth and Jonah in the dining hall,
where the camp served over 1,000 meals.
“Blanket time”
with Samantha
and Blake. Addy going through the obstacle
course in the trees.
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