News From Plum Lake
Updates from camp, stories from the summer, and news for campers, parents and alumni.
Dear Highlands Supporters, We’re in the middle of our 118th season here at Highlands, and I’m proud to say that the magic on Plum Lake continues. We have our highest enrollment numbers in years, with both first and second terms “full.” And nearly all our staff is comprised of returnees. How lucky we are! We…
2020 was a weird year. Our young people bore much of the burden of a closed-down world with missed opportunities and rites of passage. At Highlands, our oldest boys missed their opportunity to be the big men on campus: to sub for counselors on their day off or to take the youngest camper for their…
We hope this message finds you well in body and spirit at the beginning of this holiday season. We are writing today because we have exciting news to share with you. Tracy and I, as well as the entire Bachmann family, are committed to Camp Highlands’ ongoing success. It is in this spirit we are…
I spend a goodly amount of time fantasizing about crushing my smartphone. It’s a love/hate relationship. I’m connected to my family, clients, news, and entertainment around the clock, but I’m also connected to my family, clients, news, and entertainment around the clock. Know what I mean? Scientists are still debating the effect screens play on…
Harry Potter Day Saturday was epic. If you couldn’t tell from the photos what was going on, it was Harry Potter Day, complete with Dementors and Quidditch! My favorite activity was the log roll (very en pointe, right…ummm?) which involved boys running down a line of old windsurfer boards tied in a row. If my…
Nearly a week has gone by–time flies when you’re having fun! Your boys have been AFTER it. The weather has been largely cooperative, if not entertaining. Last night’s storms had us hanging out on the porches watching the sky. That’s the amazing thing about being unplugged: instead of a screen, we connect with the people…
We’ve had an awesome week here at camp. I would have told you sooner, but alas, nearly the entire Chicagoland area vacations in the north woods, and it appears that all those folks streaming and uploading their Instagram stories has clogged up the ol’ internets! Here’s to hoping things are better this week. Here’s the…
The weather is trending toward SUMMER. Yes! Boys are getting into the groove, they’ve got the routines down and now they’re getting down to the business of making those real friendships and measurable progress in their activities. Next week will fly by with the Decathlon and the Fourth of July on the horizon. Trips and…