|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Current Programs being presented:SAGAGRANDS (Ages 6-14) Sold Out! |
| Frequently Asked Questions About Sagamore’s Grandparent/Grandchild Camp |
| 1. What is Great Camp Sagamore? Great Camp Sagamore is a non-profit organization that owns this National Historic Landmark. Guests are welcomed annually from Memorial Day through October. Sagamore dates from 1897. It was once a private retreat of the Vanderbilts. Now, it is used for environmental and educational purposes. Great Camp Sagamore is not a hotel or resort, and therefore unable to provide you with the same services that hotels can provide. Sagamore employs a small seasonal staff and several college interns majoring in public speaking, history, child education, outdoor education, and forestry. We are an educational staff, not a resort staff. The same personnel that run programs and give historic tours of the camp are the same people that prepare your rooms, fix your meals, and live on the property. |
| 2. Housing: Do grandparents & grandchildren share a room? How many people share a bathroom? You can expect to share a room with your grandchild or, if the family size warrants, to have adjacent rooms. Most rooms are double occupancy with twin beds; a few have more than two beds. Rooms share bathrooms in the hallway. Approximately 4-6 people share a bathroom. You are welcome to make housing requests (to room with or near another grandparent & grandchild) in advance by including a note to the registrar when mailing back your health forms. We never guarantee any particular room, but we will try our best to make you as comfortable as possible in our rustic setting. Sagamore houses guests in three lodges. The dining hall is in a separate building as is the Elderhostel meeting room/classroom. The furthest lodge is approximately 700 feet from the dining hall, up a hill with a small grade. Guests must be able to climb stairs because all the bedrooms and classrooms are in buildings that have stair access. |
| 3. Meals: What are the meals like? What about food allergies? What if my grandchild is picky? Meals are served buffet style in our grand dining hall. Breakfast normally includes fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals, bread/bagels, muffins/pastries, jams/jellies and one hot entrée of the chef’s choice. Lunch normally consists of fresh fruit, a green salad with various dressing choices, an additional salad (ex. Pasta, tuna, etc.), one hot entrée or sandwich fixings and soup (weather dependent!). Dinner includes fresh fruit, mixed green salad, bread or rolls, vegetables, starch, one hot entrée, and dessert. All meals include choices of tea, milk, coffee, and juices. Experience has taught us to keep a supply of peanut butter and jelly out for those children who do not like the afternoon or evening choices. Sagamore cannot accommodate any food allergies or special diets, which include lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, diabetic, raw food, kosher, or vegan diets. Those guests with special diets are encouraged to bring their own prepared food to supplement the menus above. Sagamore has a walk-in cooler (refrigerator) and a microwave for guest use. |
| 4. Communication: How do I contact my family while at camp? How do they contact me? Is there internet/fax access? Grandparents are encouraged to bring prepaid calling cards with them (most cellular phones do not work in this area). There aren’t any telephones in any of the rooms. There are three phones in camp that guests may use to make outgoing calls. We suggest that parents pre-arrange times when grandparents and grandchildren may contact them at home. Parents may also leave a message for grandparents and grandchildren via the office at (315) 354-5311 ext. 21. Messages are placed on a public phone message board in the hallway near the office for grandparents and grandchildren to retrieve on their own. Only in the event of an emergency will the office find a grandparent or grandchild to take a phone call. Parents may leave emergency messages only on ext. 37 if it is between the hours of 9pm-8am. Internet access (dial-up only) is available to guests that bring their own laptop computers and have toll-free numbers to reach their ISP providers. Fax machine access is available at the main office for a fee. |
| 5. Activities: Are the majority of activities done together or apart? What is the day like? The whole idea of camp is to spend time together, which is why the majority of activities are done together. The central themes of nature and community have motivated the staff to assemble a variety of activities that you can do with your grandchildren. Grandparents and their grandchildren gather into pre-assigned smaller groups to attend each activity. Several craft and outdoor activities are repeated throughout the day or week so that all groups have a chance to participate. In the late afternoon, families have a chance to relax or explore on their own. Following dinner, everyone gathers for the evening entertainment or around the campfire. Itineraries are provided upon arrival. |
| 6. Instructors: Whom are the instructors running the programs? Great Camp Sagamore employs an experienced program administrator who plans, oversees, and assists all activities during Grands Camp. Each session also consists of a crafts director and at least one program leader. Sagamore is eagerly looking forward to the return of Nancy Sue Foltz as Grands Camp Crafts Director, and program leaders such as Peggy Lynn, Dan Duggan, Susan Trump, John Kirk, and Trish Miller. In addition, Sagamore employs several program college interns, studying the fields of environmental and childhood education. There is always at least one individual on staff with lifeguard certification, CPR, and basic first-aid qualifications. |
| 7. Facilities: What can we do in our free time? Where do we swim? Sagamore features a tennis/basketball court, volleyball, croquet, and miles of wilderness hiking trails. We have a swim area on Sagamore Lake with designated wading and swimmer areas, and a large floating raft. Lifeguard supervised swim times will be noted on itineraries. Children are not permitted in the water without their grandparent present at any time. Additionally, there is a wonderful sand beach at the far end of the lake, which you can access by canoe or rowboat. Sagamore has about six canoes, two rowboats, personal flotation devices (PFD’s) in many children & adult sizes, paddles, etc. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on Sagamore Lake. |
| 8. Emergencies: How far is Sagamore from a doctor/a pharmacy/a hospital? The Town of Raquette Lake has volunteer ambulance and fire departments. The nearest pharmacy and clinic are located in Old Forge, approximately 30 miles away. The nearest hospitals are located in Utica and Saranac Lake, each approximately 80 miles away. |
| 9. Arrival/Departure: What time is check-in/check-out? How late can we arrive? Check-in begins at 4pm on Sunday. The rooms are pre-assigned, and the time at which you arrive does not affect which room you are in. If you arrive early, we will still be cleaning rooms that the previous group vacated earlier that day. It is not possible to check into your rooms before 4pm. At check-in, you will receive your room assignment, make nametags, receive itineraries and additional information, after which you’ll have a chance to unpack and relax. Dinner is served at 6pm that evening. Afterwards, everyone will gather for introductions and orientation. For your and your grandchild(ren)’s convenience please plan your travel accordingly to honor the 4PM check in time. Families unable to arrive before 6:45pm must call us and alert us to approximate arrival time, and should stop for dinner prior to their arrival at Sagamore. Check-out is at 10am on Friday. |
| 10. Transportation: What’s the best way to get to Great Camp Sagamore? What if I don’t drive? Fortunately, Sagamore is scenic and remote. Unfortunately, as a result, there isn’t any public transportation to Sagamore. Amtrak serves Albany (Rensselaer) and Utica. The nearest airports are located in Syracuse and Albany. Bus service reaches only to Warrensburg. Limo service is expensive, but available from the airports in Syracuse and Albany. For more information on limo services, please contact your local AAA agent, visit www.yellowpages.com, or call Hamilton County Tourism at (800) 648-5239. Most grandparents prefer to rent a car from the airport. Back to Top |
