A Day at Camp Skimino

A guest blog by Cynthia Griffin, marketing and communications intern for Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast

This summer, Girl Scouts are making lifelong memories at all of our camp locations. From decorating makeshift dinosaur eggs to smashing gooey s'mores between two graham crackers, our girls are building courage, confidence and character at camp.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast’s Camp Skimino is a year-round destination in Williamsburg, Virginia. This year, girls gathered around the campfire and bonded over camp stories they will never forget.

Lorelei (Elei) Mease is what you would call a veteran camper. She’s been a Girl Scout and a camper for six years. Elei enjoys Skimino so much that she travels from a different council every summer to enjoy all of its amenities, including an indoor climbing wall.

This year, she decided to become a Program Aide at Camp Skimino. Elei loves everything about being outdoors, which makes Skimino a great place for her to camp because there is a lot for her to do outside, including helping Daisies and Brownies navigate their way through a low-ropes course!

“I love going on the ropes course and the rock wall. Being at camp is my natural habitat.”

She is working toward being a Counselor in Training (CIT) so she can continue camping while also being a role model for the younger Girl Scouts.

Camping at Skimino, or any of our camps, isn’t just for young girls, though. Safya and Ariane Naim loved camping so much that they decided to become CITs.

The sisters, originally from Washington D.C, came to Virginia Beach two years ago. Though this was their first year at Camp Skimino, they both agreed that it is the best Girl Scout camp that they have ever been to.

“This council’s camp is well run, and everyone knows the answer to any question that you might have,” Safya said.

As a CIT, Safya helped girls see the value of Girl Scouts, something she realized very early during her time as a member.

“I have been a Girl Scout for a very long time and I don’t regret a single moment,” she said.

Ariane enjoyed the nice environment of camp and making lots of memories at Camp Skimino this year. She plans on working on her Gold Award as she continues to make more memories while being a Girl Scout.

Camp Skimino served as a scientific destination this summer as girls explored the long-lost world of dinosaurs. At 98 acres, the large space allowed girls to create their own fossils, geocache for dino-eggs and even dig to see what might have been left behind in the woods!

Girl Scout Junior Emma Stubbs went exploring during her time at Camp Skimino and loved every minute of it.

“We do a lot of things with science,” Emma explained. She wants to be a chemist or geologist, which made the Jurassic Camp at Skimino a great place for her this summer!

There’s still so much to explore at Skimino, or any Girl Scout camp. The adventure has just begun. Learn more about our summer destination locations on our website.