Before we begin, hi! My name is Perry Browne and I am a culminator this session of camp! (2025). And co-writing this blog is fellow camper Ethan Bell.
-Perry
Field trip day is one of my favorite days of camp for many reasons, ones we will be getting into now!
So as per usual my morning started with waking up after the wake up call group came to my cabin. After much annoyed grumbling and missing breakfast, I got up and started my morning preparing for the field trip with others.
After changing and brushing my teeth I packed up my bag with all the essentials (wallet and journal) and waited with the rest of the campers to get on the bus.
One of the first awesome parts of the field trip is the bus ride, it’s two hours from camp Myrtlewood to the coast of Oregon and Bandon. So on the ride there it’s a lot of singing, fun conversations with friends, listening to music, and enjoying the beautiful sights of the forests! Or taking a nap if you stayed up too late the night before.
While on the bus I listened to my beach/camp/field trip/writing playlist I made at my third session of camp (2023) right after I had gone on the field trip for the first time.
It really got me into the beachy, coastal vibe the field trip has. (song rec: bet you know – bb sway)
While watching all the trees and listening to my playlist, I had an amazing conversation with a camper I hadn’t had many deep and meaningful interactions with before, even though I have seen them at previous sessions.
The field trip hadn’t even officially started and I was already having the best time ever.
Part 2: The Beach
When we arrived at the beach everybody scrambled off the bus, whooping and cheering. The scent of the beach is always the first thing that hits me, I love breathing in that salty fishy scent and then opening my eyes to the gorgeous view.
This field trip was extra special this year because there was very dense fog that day, so you couldn’t see far at all. It gave the beach a relaxed vibe that was different from how I was used to seeing it years prior.
Once all the campers get off the bus we are told to meet back up in two hours and where our bounds are at the beach, then we are let loose like unschooler cockroaches.
I’ve always walked off with a buddy to talk every field trip, the beach is one of my biggest inspirations in my creative writing so I always yap about it with my beach buddy while we feel the sand between our toes and the freezing cold Oregon waters splash our calves.
This time I walked with the same friend I was talking to on the bus. We had so much fun poking at the various bits of kelp while yapping about writing back and forth. And our hair got damp from the salty fog blanketing the beach. We couldn’t see anybody else farther down the beach from how dense it was.
After our conversation lulled we decided to meet up with the other campers messing around in the main area of the beach. On the way over we picked up so many fun pebbles of many colors and shapes.
At some point my buddy had to drag me away since I kept picking up pebbles even though our pockets were heavy with them. Once we found where most of the other campers were conveneing, we had an impromptu photo shoot and took lots of cute photos. Not long after I walked off with a different friend and had another introspective conversation.
We sat on the rocks and admired the view of the houses right up the cliff side. Then once our time on the beach was almost up we got some more photos, while taking those photos the fog cleared for a moment and the beach looked more like I was used to seeing it.
That moment really stuck with me, it was reminicent of those conversations I was having just then. It was like the fog in my mind clearing and opening up to a beautiful blue sky and lapping waves.
I stared at the beautiful sight, just pausing and taking in the view once again (I did this so much already that it was probably annoying for my buddy by this point LOL)
Then I heard people calling for us since our time was up and we went back up the cliff side for lunch.
Lunch was sandwiches made by the kitchen back at camp, there were three kinds such as pb&j, hummus and cheese, then veggie hummus and cheese. Accompanying them were plenty of delicious snacks, I ended up taking a huge fistful of corn chips.
As per usual, much more chatting was had. This year was special because some non camp people drew huge pieces of art in the sand so we had something beautiful to look down at while eating lunch.
Many shenanigans with the chips ensued and more giggles than usual were laughed. Not long after lunch we were all crowded back onto the buses and were driven over to old town Bandon for the second part of the field trip.
Part 3: Bandon
Like the beach, once we all got off the bus in Bandon we had two and a half hours to wander and shop to our hearts content. We paired up in groups of three or more and were set free.
My group stopped by this one clothing store and I bought a very nice 100% cotton jacket, and two of the others got a trippy looking backpack and a reversible jacket. Then we make our way over to the various candy stores, and like clock work, all the campers end up crowding those stores.
After spending probably too much money on candy to snack on back at camp, we wandered around many more shops, bought more random and ridiculous trinkets. At some point we stopped and grabbed ice cream then went to go sit at the dock and watch the people fishing. Of course chanting “pier pier pier” the whole walk over.
And with my friend from earlier, we walked down the pier to take photos with his digital camera. We also got some cute Polaroids as well.
The time flied though, our time was up even though it felt like we just arrived only moments ago. So we said bye to the seagulls, got rounded up to get back on the bus, and went back to camp.
You bet I slept the entire way back.
Part 4: Evening activities
-Ethan
Tonight was lounge night, a new event put together by staff and a committee of campers. It allowed for a nice rest after the long day of being outside of camp.
To start off lounge night, we watched some short films and visual media that campers and staff made, there was even a miniature shadow puppet show. Usually we sit in the field for film fest and similar events but tonight we all crammed into forest dell, one of the lodges at camp which is usually reserved for chill vibes. It was very warm and crowded in there but it was worth it as we got to see what everyone had made. There was an animation, a music video, and a puppet sketch.
For the past week or so it’s been almost a full moon meaning minimal stars but tonight it was super clear and dark when we all went out into the field to stargaze. I got some really cool photos of the sky and parts of the milkyway. After a bit of stargazing, one of the staff, Nathan, held experiencing gravity, which is one of my favorite things that happens at camp. We all laid down on our backs and looked at the stars as Nathan explained the scale of the universe and how we can feel the forces acting on us.
After experiencing gravity, I held my second night hike of the session. Hiking vista point is probably my favorite thing to do especially at night when it’s cold and the stars are out. Tonight’s hike was intended to be a slower, chill hike to match the theme of the night. After meeting with the group and checking in with Fred, our night owl, we headed up the mountain.
About two thirds into our hike we had an incident so another camper and I got to do 2 extra miles on top of the 3 mile round trip. When I finally made it to the top the moon was fully out and you could see the clouds rolling over the mountains in the distance. After about 30 minutes (that I was up there, everyone else was up there for much longer) we decided to head down.
We ended up getting back down the mountain around 2:45am and I got to bed around 4:30am. I ended up sleeping in my tent rather than the field for the first time since the start of camp due to the pure exhaustion.
-Perry
My time after the field trip was very uneventful, mostly relaxing and eating dinner. However I did lay in the field and talked with yet another camper I hadn’t chatted with much this session and watched the meteor shower. We saw a huge shooting star that left a long streak across the sky, sparkling fragments twinkling after it.
Not long after I briefly joined the field lounge night group then skipped off to grab the nightly snack (chocolate chip banana bread). Then I decided to call it a night there. I managed to get to bed early even though I had slept on the way back from the field trip.
Ultimately this field trip ended up being my best one yet, its my favorite day of camp for a reason.
I appreciate how it is like a rest day for the people who don’t end up tagging along, and it’s extremely fun and refreshing for those who need to switch up the sights and see something besides the campsite for a bit.
I’ve always had the most fun and most memorable camp moments while on the field trip, and I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride. Thanks for reading!!
–Perry & Ethan, Culminator and Camper