We’ve had an incredible summer at Camp Highlander—truly magical. Our staff this year has been nothing short of exceptional: passionate, dedicated, hard-working, and SO much fun. I can hardly believe how quickly this summer has flown by, and that today marked our final Opening Day of 2025. This morning, I told the staff, “Get ready to live your BEST LIFE at Highlander! The energy and enthusiasm of Session C is contagious, and it will start arriving at 8:30 this morning” And it most certainly did!
Right on time, the gates opened wide and smiling campers streamed in, eager for another session filled with growth, adventure, amazing friendships and spirited competition. “Welcome to camp!” rang through the Carolina pines as campers leapt from cars, dashed through the tunnel, and reunited with cabins and counselors—ready to make memories, savor every moment, and truly live their BEST life at Camp Highlander.
I loved watching campers and cabin groups dive headfirst into camp life, embracing every moment and activity of the day. Over the next two and a half weeks, these cabins will become families, and this mountain will be their home away from home. They’ll experience genuine friendship, unconditional love, and plenty of laughter. They’ll discover new things about themselves, learn to love others well, and see firsthand why Camp Highlander is A Place Like No Other.
This session will fly by—because we’re guaranteed to have so much fun. Thank you for making Camp Highlander a part of your summer. We’re deeply grateful for the memories we’ll share with your children. So stay tuned: you’re about to witness the BEST life—the Camp Highlander life!
Favorite Details of the Day
- Meals: For breakfast we had blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs, bacon and fruit and yogurt. For lunch we had grilled cheese, grilled ham and cheese, tomato soup, french fries and a salad and sandwich bar. For dinner we had yummy pot roast with carrots and potatoes, delicious homemade rolls and salad and sandwich bar. After dinner, the disco ball went off letting us know we were having dessert. The dining hall erupted in cheering and screaming for the world-famousHighlander Mudslide!
- Weather: We were blessed with beautiful weather and perfect temperatures this morning to welcome our Session C campers and families. We had a warm afternoon with sunshine, until the end of 4th period when the thunder threatened, but could not ruin our fun. After thirty minutes, we were back in the lake, paddling and blobbing, back on the crows nest and climbing. It was a fantastic afternoon of activities with friends.
- EP: Tonight’s EP was our opening Campfire! This is one of our oldest camp traditions, and it is the perfect way to welcome campers home to Highlander! We sang, danced and enjoyed relaxing with friends. A quick snack after campfire, and we all raced back to the cabins for a good night’s sleep after a wonderful, full day!
Reminders to Parents:
- Bunknotes: Bunknotes are printed for your campers each day at 8:00 am and 3:00 pm. The bunknotes are delivered every morning during cabin inspection (10 am -12 pm) and afternoon (before dinner), so campers get mail twice a day. You can attach a reply to your note, that will be delivered with the mail. We encourage campers to write back during rest hour, but sometimes they are busy or tired or having too much fun. Be patient. They will write eventually!
- Photos: Photos will be posted on Campanion 2-3 times a day. You should see at least one photo of your child a day, unless your camper is on an off-camp trip that day. Please do not be concerned if you don’t see a photo of your camper.
- Social Media: Please remember to follow us on facebook and instagram. We do post stories with videos throughout the day, and this is a great way to see the action of camp and possibly catch your child living their BEST life!
- Counselor Phone Calls: We will start counselor phone calls tomorrow with our youngest cabins first. Please know that these calls take a lot of effort and coordination with our very busy schedule, and they will continue through the end of the week. If you miss your counselor’s call, please do not be alarmed. Everything is ok. Please check your voicemail if you miss the call, as counselors usually leave a message with an update unless your mailbox is full.
- Breathe…we are doing our very best to care for your child this session. Please know that communication is a top priority for us at Camp Highlander, and in the event that your child is struggling, missing home or not feeling well, you will be the first to know!
Thank you again for trusting us with your children this summer. It is our greatest pleasure to have them here at Highlander with us this session!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
