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Comments
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5/9/25 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
I’ve gone for a few years & hate it. The group of girls I’m with is very exclusive and gossipy. I hate being left out but that’s what was happening to me constantly. The activities get more boring each time you go. I always have a few nice counselors & a really mean one. She wouldn’t let me wash my hair for more than 7 min even though i have long curly thick hair and need at least 15+ min. Meg wouldn’t let me or my very homesick bestie talk to our moms. On the plus side I met me new bestie although she’s not coming back due to homesickness & that they handled her allergies awfully. The property is really pretty though. Also the showers suck.
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8/13/24 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
I would not send my child to this camp again. Terrible communication, not responsive to child's needs. Owners are initially very friendly then once in camp dismissive and rude.
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7/30/18 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
ive been going to hvc for 3 years and i have no regrets. everyone is so nice and there are no cliques. the activites are awesome and all of the counselors are so caring. totally recommend!
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2/9/17 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Really pretty camp in Maine, beautiful lake. I like that they provide bus service to and from NYC! Lots of NY kids up there, a nice bonus. They have been great with allergies and medical stuff - several nurses on staff, took my daughter to the doctor for a rash one year. Great people, counselors from all over the world. We'll be back!
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*
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2/1/15 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My daughter has been attending HVC for years and it truly feels like family. She is pretty shy and not big on groups but she has always felt special and cared for. She always raves about the staff, food, and Peter & Meg. She loves the selection of activities like cooking, archery, frisbee, and creative writing. I HIGHLY recommend HVC to anyone!
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*
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1/28/15 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Our 2 children are longtime HVC campers...our eldest is the HVC version of a CIT, and our middle will be an oldest camper. This summer they will be joined by their much younger brother for the first time. The kids are all so different, but have each found their place in this wonderfully nurturing and warm community. While the activities are amazing, what makes HVC so special are the caring staff, the fully engaged owners/directors, and the supportive and confidence building community they create. Could not recommend this wonderful camp highly enough!
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1/19/15 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Being a special educator, I seek to find camps for students who are developmentally prepared to be in a summer camp environment. Communication prior to the summer with parents, teachers, and other professionals working with the child has contributed to successful summers for children with and without special needs. The supportive and understanding environment at HVC is one I recommend to families. The staff are loving, engaged, thoughtful, and in constant contact with the directors; the directors are in constant contact with the families. The site of the camp is clean, organized, and a beautiful place for children to thrive.
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8/19/14 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
NOT a good camp for any child with any type of special needs, however mild.
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11/29/11 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
This was my daughter's first year at camp or ever really being away from home. The day we dropped her off we were all a mess. Despite the warm welcome from Peter and counselors as we pulled in, my husband and I had an extremely hard time leaving. We ended up staying way too long (but felt very welcome to do so) so by the time we decided to leave, our daughter was in tears. Then, out of nowhere, Meg appeared and asked my daughter to help her with a "special mission". I can't express how impressed and grateful we were for her timing and ability to know that we needed support. From that moment on, our daughter had a fabulous time. She is kind of a quiet, reader who doesn't care for sports so she was worried she wouldn't find anything to do. However, when we visited her, she beamed about her cooking class, her one-on-one attention while learning harmonica, and the animals. They even had kittens!
In the words of my daughter "Everyone was sooo nice! Even the other kids!"
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11/29/11 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My twin sons went to HVC for 10 summers from camper to teen program to AWAC and loved every minute of it. It was a formative experience in the values that they now hold as college students. Meg and Peter have standards of excellence in dealing with youth that are unbeatable. Their staff training is superb including their abilities to foster creative conflict resolution.
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11/29/11 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
I can't tell you what a joy this camp has been for my nephew, whom I've packed off to Hidden Valley the last two summers. He talks about it constantly, about the friends he made, all of the things he learned, about the counselors and staff and even about the food--yes, even the food! And not only did he have fun, but it really has helped him to grow and develop. He's much more independent, confident and adventurous as a result of his experiences at Hidden Valley.
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*
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11/28/11 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Hidden Valley is not the regimented, uniformed, manicured camp of Hollywood movies. But don't let the free-wheeling free-expression fool you. This camp is serious about staff training and development. The directors and returning staff spend many days training new staff, not just in policy and procedure, but in how to make a positive contribution to a community of children that will draw out young minds, encourage self expression and discovery, and form the basis of life-long friendships. Hidden Valley provides children with "invisible boundaries" -- a place to explore your abilities and try new things, with the guidance of nurturing adult supervision. In addition, HVC doesn't just provide the opportunity to improve canoeing or tennis skills, but also raises important community questions for kids to ponder and solve. Questions about sustainability, diversity, and conflict resolution -- these are real issues and the kids at HVC are invited to contribute their own thoughts on them.
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11/28/11 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Our daughter's bags are already packed for next summer. She's collecting her friendship bracelet string, summer reading books and counting the days until she can see her friends and favorite counselors. We've been sending her to Hidden Valley for the past 2 years, and are really excited for her 3rd summer (and she's requested that we extend her stay this year, which is huge) Each year, she's met new friends, connected with old ones, and bonded with her counselors. It's November, and we're still recalling memories of the summer. A perfect example of the love and support she experienced her first summer; She lost TWO teeth while at camp that summer. Each time, Meg, the nurses and her counselors gave her the love, support and individual attention that she needed. She felt safe, special, and part of the big family at HVC. By the time we saw her, she was on to her next big thing!
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8/8/11 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
(1)Facilities were disappointing; (2) staff members were, with a few exceptions, not engaging - most came across as less-than-thrilled to be at HVC and incapable of sincere interest in the children (no Maria von Trapps but lots of clock-watchers) . . . and many were from the alternative lifestyle community (no judgement, just FYI); and (3) camp directors talked a good game, but came up short on substance: Meg and Peter work hard to project a warm-and-fuzzy image, but - in my experience - acted in a heartless manner when they denied me contact with my child who was suffering severe homesickness in the first few days of camp. Needless to say, after a number of red-flags, I decided to withdraw my son (and his sister) from HVC early and, upon doing so, instantly triggered Meg's not-so-warm-and-fuzzy alter-ego (not mentioned in the marketing brochure, btw). Positives: (1)the food was excellent; (2) the cook can accomodate food allergies; and (3) the property is spectacular.
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10/17/10 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
HVC has given me the best 5 summers of my life! I started as a "two weeker" when I was 9 and I went back until I did the teen program Adventures. I have made the best friends I have ever had at camp and I will never forget what a nice environment I was in. I recommend this camp for any type of boy or girl! I wish I could go back again but I'm too old now. The only bad reason to go is that you'll miss it when ever you aren't there!
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*
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1/29/10 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I've been going to this camp for six years and they have been the best six summers of my life. I love all the people there, and the friends I have made will last a lifetime. I have learned so many new things and had so many unique experiences during my six years here. The counselors are great and always there for you. The activities are so much fun and the summer is the best part of my year because of this camp.
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*
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10/8/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Hidden Valley is a warm, friendly, inclusive camp. The program fosters independence and individual choice in a well-supervised setting. That is why I chose it for my son. His experience at HVC has been happy and fun-fulled and that is why he has returned for three years with next summer (2010) being his 4th! One of the things that drew me to the camp is the thoughtful, comprehensive staff training that takes place over a two week period! I have consistently found the counselors to be enthusiastic as well as mature in their ability to to create a memorable summer experience. My son and most of his cabinmates have returned year after year. I can see how their friendships have grown and how the counselors work hard to create a cohesive sense of cabin life. I feel that this reflects the emphasis on community that is a hallmark of Peter and Meg's camp philosophy. Hidden Valley is a wonderful camp!
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*
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10/3/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My child had another fabulous summer at HVC. After 4 summers at this lovely Maine camp, he continued on to HVCs Teen program this July. I have concluded that each year my son has had a wonderful new experience which includes developing different skills and enriching his friendships. For him to be completely outdoors for 4 weeks under the guidance of a very special & supportive staff is assuring to me that he is in the right place. The counselors each bring their complete devotion to the campers as well as thier personal talents. We Love Hidden Valley Camp!!
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*
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10/2/09 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My child loves this camp, and has spent wonderful and meaningful summers there. It's got a great, special feeling to it, and the very caring owners and the whole staff create an atmosphere that allows children to be creative and relaxed, become self-confident, and thrive. I recommend it highly!
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*
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10/2/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
This was my 13 year old's first summer at HVC, and she loved it. While there are many wonderful (and unique!) structured activities (for children with an interest in the arts and in animals especially, this is a perfect match) - -what is most notable about Hidden Valley is it is a place for play - -the thing we lament kids don't get to do anymore. The pace, the gentle but creative and lively staff, and the sense of safety at Hidden Valley all contribute to a spirit of play that is present in multiple ways every day. From the far-from-standard routines in the daily morning and evening meetings (such as the much-beloved "cheese of the day" segment) to the creativity with which the campers adorn their cabins, the spirit of play is facilitated and celebrated. This takes extraordinary staff to make happen. After four weeks in this environment, my middle-school daughter stepped off the bus at the end of camp looking more happy and relaxed than we'd seen her in a long time.
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*
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10/1/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My daughter has been going to HVC for 5 years now. She comes back each summer with renewed confidence and a better sense of herself. During some tough years socially at school, she found her place during the two months at HVC. I wondered what the ingredient was that made this camp special for our child who was feeling socially unsure of herself during the year and then so secure after the summer was over. I studied the way the camp is run in scrupulous detail for answers that satisfied me and think I found the golden nugget. I found out that the counselors form a close knit community during their three week training before camp starts. When the children arrive, they are brought into the fold, of this carefully chosen and trained community.
The first summer, my daughter was needing a lot of nurturing and attention from her counselors, and then slowly, the confidence she built with them, allowed her to gain confidence with her peers. She then made some close friends and in subs
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*
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10/1/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Hidden Valley is an extraordinary camp. It is committed to providing a nurturing and stimulating environment for its campers. The counselors are selected very carefully, are incredibly sensitive and responsible, and make each child feel loved, supported and cared for. Hidden Valley also gives the kids the chance to select their own programs and activities in a way that is both empowering, creative and fun. The facilities are also wonderful and the staff and camp owners are always accessible to both campers and parents alike. Our daughter left camp with a real sense of self-confidence and independence. Equally important, the camp's philophy instills in the kids the importance of treating one another with kindness and respect. I know many parents who send (or have sent) their children to Hidden Valley and there is unanimous agreement that Hidden Valley offers everything that we could wish for in a camp on every level.
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*
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10/1/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
This was my daughter's second year at HVC. When I picked her up, one of her first questions was, "When can I sign up for next year?" She attended the first year not knowing anyone. As the camp session neared, she became apprehensive, Meg and Peter, the directors, were incredibly helpful with suggestions and strategies via email and phone conversations. Once she arrived at camp the directors and counselors were right on it. The camp/home communication is fabulous. Most importantly the staff embraced my daughter and the other campers for who they are and taught them to do the same for others. It is such an accepting, warm environment. My daughter got to be silly, creative(the activities are amazing!), and just a kid with friends she made from all over the world.
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*
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10/1/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Hidden Valley Camp has provided my son, 14 yrs. and my daughter, 13 yrs, with several summers of joy and fun. The array of program choices available is amazing. The kids also report that the food is delicious! The Directors, Meg and Peter Kassen, set the tone for the entire staff. All the adults are caring and available. The individual staff members present their activities in a way that encourages growth, while providing the sense of safety and well-being needed by children and young adults. Though all summers have been wonderful for our kids, I have to give particularly high marks to the teen program Alive. The staff showed amazing talents and an understanding of their talented teen campers that as a parent and a teacher I found completely delightful. I highly recommend Hidden Valley Camp!
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10/1/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
My son and daughter, both age 11, recently finished their fourth summer at Hidden Valley, and look forward to returning next summer. My son too uses the word "magical" to describe HVC. My children are quite different, yet each has found their own unique summer home away from home. The array of activities is amazing in itself, and the facilities are great - even the food! But I think I would give the staff the highest praise of all. The counselors receive extensive pre-camp training, and each year I count on them to help my daughter through her initial separation/homesickness phase - which even at age 8 she moved through beautifully, so almost immediately I was getting letters home saying, in huge letters, "thank you, thank you, I am having the best time!" The first year I picked them up, I was pleased to see the nurses had even trimmed my children's fingernails! This year, when I asked them in August if they wanted to return next summer I heard a resounding "of course!"
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*
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10/1/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My older daughter was a camper at Hidden Valley for six years, and the younger one has attended for the last three summers. Even though they are very different children, with their own likes and dislikes, talents, and ways of socializing, each one of them feels completely at home and at peace at this wonderful place. Peter and Meg work as hard as is humanly possible to give each camper the chance to grow socially, physically, creatively. I was thrilled that the older one wanted to sign up for the teen arts program this summer, to be with the girls who I know will be her lifelong friends. I am continually impressed by the character, patience, and humor of the staff, and can already see the way these qualities have rubbed off on my own children.
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*
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10/1/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Our daughter, Molly, 12, is counting the days until she returns to Hidden Valley Camp. One of her friend’s brother is a counselor in training at HVC, and recently told him, "I think Hidden Valley is the most magical, wonderful, place on earth." This young man, Gabe, took a second, smiled, and said, "You know, Molly, I believe you are right."
HVC is a haven, a jewel, a sanctuary, where children can be exactly what they were born to be: free, fulfilled, expressive, sharing, compassionate and above all else, loving and purposeful. Molly expands from the moment she leaves our home for the ride to Freedom, Maine, and from her lips, HVC is “the best four weeks of my life.” The entire staff, and each counselor, mirrors the loving and kind values of Peter and Meg Kassen. I don’t know if camp counselors can be trained in compassion, kindness, and generosity, although every person working at HVC lives in that loving spirit, for which our family, and especially Molly, are grateful.
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10/1/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My son (10) and daughter (8) are happy and enthusiastic HVC campers. Hidden Valley is a warm and caring environment that provides campers with a safe and fun place to try new things, make new friends, and gain independence in a way they just don't experience at home. My son is a competitive sports guy at home, but found plenty of great sports activities with a less competitive edge at HVC - where he could also spread his wings and try new and creative activities such as theatre and arts. My daughter flourished during her time away - caring for llamas, making glass beads, sleeping on the top bunk and chatting with her wonderful new friends and counselors. HVC trains their staff unbelievably well, and hires folks who are not only experienced in what they teach - but who all have a love of children and experience in this area. My kids are counting the days until next summer...wouldn't think of sending them anywhere else!
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SYSTEM: 6 positive duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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2/21/09 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
My child will never forget the cruel manner in which she was treated by the staff and directors of this camp. She did however make some wonderful friends there. Yet the staff was very unprofessional - almost immature - to the point of doing great emotional harm to campers. The camp plays great lip service to their "open are caring" philosophy. However, in practice they are very close-minded, judgmental and show very little understanding or tolerance for any points of view other than their own. Many counselors are poor role models for kids; taking openly and endorsing the poor, unsafe and unhealthy choices they themselves make (underage drinking, sex and drug use are all topics that are "glorified" by much of the staff). Be sure your child is very comfortable in a total liberal environment. But be warned against questioning that envirnment and speaking up for positive values and morals. That is when the staff and directors get defensive, angry and mean spirited.
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12/21/08 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
best camp ever!! I've been going for 5 years and they have been the 5 best summers of my life. I've met the most amazing friends here!! The activities are amazing and it's definitely not your ordinary camp. It's so much fun!!!!
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7/26/08 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I have sent two kids to HVC, one for five years and this is the second year for my other. It is a truly extraordinary camp, fun, goofy, interesting, artsy,inclusive, off-beat but also with the kind of values that indirectly teach kids how to be better human beings. Each year my kids go there, I see so many positive changes when they return home. I love that there is no visiting day and a parent can just show up; that is because those camp directors are confident of their product as they should be. I recommend HVC wholeheartedly the only caveat being that if a child is extremely sports oriented and competitively inclined, this may not be the ideal place.
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4/30/08 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
THIS IS THE GREATEST CAMP EVER!! i was in blue moon 1st session 07 too! so whoever wrote that, if you read this, its juliet :D
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2/8/08 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Hidden Valley was the happiest childhood memory I have. I love it so much I'm going back there this summer, as a counselor!
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*
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2/5/08 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I worked at Hidden Valley and found it to be a really wonderful place. I loved working in such a caring, educational, lively environment for both staff and campers. They recently built a new horse barn with stalls, and privatly leased horses which is fantastic and the horses are cared for as if they were campers. The food, medical services, new barn and a soon to be great new ropes course all make Hidden Valley the magical place it is today. i loved it, what a wonderful home away from home.
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10/23/07 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
<33333333 Blue Moon '07 1st session!! HVC is the best, i seriously like being there more than at home a lot of the time (not the home is bad, HVC is just so much better) the food is so great there! My friends at home always get so annoyed at me because i'm always talking about camp! The classes are the coolest, as are the counslers. Everyone there is so nice and Blue Sky is the best! (better than some normal sodas actually) if you're thinking about sending your kid here but are scared that they'll get homesick, don't worry! They'll be kept so busy doing awesome stuff that they won't feel homesick at all. They'll make great friends. one of the best things about camp is that there is no "popularity" labels on anyone, so people are close that would never ever be close in the normal world because one "itsn't cool" theres none of that at camp...no way.
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9/27/07 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I have two daughters who attended Hidden Valley for many years, ending in 2006. They both loved their experiences, and I found it to be the ideal camp environment: friendly, caring, non-competitive, creative. They consistently offer unusual and interesting programs, presented by a wonderful and dedicated staff. The setting is beautiful and even the food (yes, the food!) is outstanding. We were all sad when the girls' camp years were over.
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SYSTEM: 4 positive duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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8/3/07 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
HVC is the best camp i've ever been to! I love everything about it. And next yeaar will be my 5th year! I plan to go there until I'm 13 and then become a counsler
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8/3/07 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
This camp is sooo awesome tats it unbelievable its just stunningly, absoulutly, intensly unbelievable. soo umm its awesome its sooo aweesome like i cant put it into words but its really fun and i like it and its awsesome and i like it its just fantastic soo fantastic that i cant handle it its just wonderful and awesome
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6/28/07 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
I went to hidden valley for four years and I loved the camp. The counselors are great and I made a lot of friends. I loved every minute in the regular camp. For my last year I did their teen program and it was far from wonderful. There weren't enough choices and my cabin had issues.
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4/28/07 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
i did love this camp but the second time around is sort of boring. You make great friends and the activities are awsome but the evening activities are always the same.... best friends you will ever ever meet are here! Also make sure you do llama care, they are so cool and DON'T do animal care- BORING
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3/23/07 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
I was really upset at how they treat their horses. There are too many, they don't have a proper stable with stalls, and they're all too skinny. There is not a safe place to tend to an injured horse, not the majority of the staff would have cared anyway. I've been showing for 10 years and I know way more than they did. The condition of the horses and "stable" made me really sad. I don't think they should keep horses and offer riding when they don't care enough to do it right.
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3/9/07 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I had an amazing first year then joined Brumby, the horse program and had another amazing time horsewise. But my second year campwise was kinda off. Not saying it was bad but the stuff they did didn't seem as cool the second time around. That could be because I'm 13 now...?
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2/1/07 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
i think the camp was pretty fun the counselers were 2 strict though and u had 2 go 2 bed at 8:30 most of the time. i didnt make that good friends eather
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1/19/07 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
One of my best friends went to this camp and although I didn't I can say that she had an amazing expirence. The day that she came home she called me crying because she missed it so much. She went for 5 years I think and HVC is all she would talk about.
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10/31/06 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
Although outwardly this seems like a very good camp, their practices don't live up to their hippy ideals. I went for two years and then my third year I hated it.
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10/20/06 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
HVC is not your average sleepaway "Camp Wallawalla"...it is most definitely one of a kind and everyone goes away with GREAT memories and friends. I'm still in contact with some of my HVC friends and I am now a freshman in college!
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9/14/06 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
Hidden Valley is awesome if your are 11 and under. When you're older, it's just boring though. Take fusing with Doni, he's the best
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9/5/06 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
HVC has there own way of doing things. Kids come from all over the country and world and HVC gives a unique oppertunity to meet kids from France, england, Japan, South Korea and even more countries. I have been to many summer camps over the years and have found the facilitys at HVC to be amazing. They are way above what you would expect from a summer camp and on par with a hotel. The food is excellent and offers loads of choices. I was disapointed by the lake though but they do make up for it with a pool. Peter and Meg the directors are a little bit fruity but were very nice people. Most of the kids come from New York (westchester countty) but i met kids from every corner and are still freinds with them to this day. the reunions are fun and well done however the age bar has continued to fall and if you are 13 or 14 you will probably be the oldest one there. The other HVC activities and programs offer things no other camp does.
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8/15/06 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I have to say wombles stinks (the cabin) but the counselors rock. Nicola, if you read this rock on, same thing chris and Scott.
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6/20/06 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I couldn't say enough wonderful things about this camp. Two of my kids have each attended for three years and love every minute of it. The directors Peter and Meg are caring, intelligent, organized and simply the best at what they do.
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