Long Leave Ideas

You get 9 long leaves during your summer at CCB and we are here to help you make them all count! This little corner of the world is filled with endless options for people looking for different experiences. This ties in perfectly with the "Mental Health at Camp" blog in this email series. We all need something a little different to recharge and come back to work at our best so we have created some suggestions for all different types of recharging activities to do in the area.

Relaxed but outdoorsy stuff with friends

1. Go Tubing! The Lower Green River is an all day trip that is in the STUNNING Green River Gorge. This is one of the most popular rivers in the area to tube. The French Broad Section 0 and Davidson River are two rivers that are within 20 minutes of camp and make for a great, relaxing afternoon activity with friends. Not much beats relaxing in a cold mountain river in the sunshine with good friends. 

2. Hike to Lake Dense in Dupont. Borrow a camp van, head to the grocery store, buy all the food you have been craving and hike to the stunning Lake Dense in DuPont Forest. The hike is around 3 miles return and relatively flat. The lake has a picnic area and dock and is incredibly quiet and serene! Must do! 

Alone time OuTDOORSY ideas

1. Borrow a camp bike and ride to Dollys (30 min bike ride) for icecream. Stop in at the grocery store BiLo and grab some picnic supplies then ride to the Davidson River (10min) and choose a spot by the river to read/nap/snack and relax to the sound of nature. 

2. Hike into the woods around CCB! Sometimes you just need some alone time napping/reading/relaxing in the woods. CCB has some incredibly peaceful places to relax and recharge. Find your favorite!

High Adventure outdoorsy stuff with friends

1. Go Caving in Worleys! This is a full-day trip and is definitely worth it if you have never gone caving and want to experience it! We will probably run this once this summer for staff. 

2. Wakeboarding at Lake Jocassee. Does it get much better than relaxing on a boat with friends, wakeboarding, swimming at waterfalls and enjoying the NC sun?! This is our most popular time-off activity.

3. Zip Line at the Gorge! The Gorge is an amazing experience to do with friends. Zip Line above the Green River Gorge and enjoy the epic scenery. Enjoy lunch in downtown Saluda and wander the main street afterward.

City based ideas with friends

1. Biltmore House! Biltmore House is the largest home in America and is the #1 tourist destination in the area. There is so much to do on the property-tour the house, hike, walk insanely stunning gardens, swim, eat at a bunch of restaurants, buy souvenirs for home and take the most epic Insta pics. A little pricey but worth checking out and making a full day of it!

2. CoEd Movie Theatre. Brevards local movie theatre and quite the cultural experience! A favorite for short leave activities. Biltmore Cinemas is a little further away but is a modern movie theatre that shows a larger variety of movies. Great restaurants and shopping in the area.

3. Book in a food tour of Asheville. Asheville is a foodie paradise. If you LOVE delicious food-these tours are worth the money to sample as many of the top restaurant's favorite dishes.

City based ideas alone time!

1. Get a ride into Asheville with a group then do your own thing! Get coffee at one of the quaint coffee shops, head to Malaprops book store and cozy up in a corner nook and read and wander to all the different art studios. 

2. Cozy up at Cup and Saucer in Brevard. Ride a bike/get a lift with a group into downtown Brevard and heap to Cup and Saucer on Main Street. Delicious coffee and snacks and the perfect place to read a book/people watch. Check out DD Bullwinkles Outdoors Store next door while you are there.

We hope your time off bucket list is looking pretty full at this stage. Obviously working at camp with the campers is the main reason you are here-but being able to explore these lesser-known areas of the country is another massive bonus for working at Camp Carolina. Get stoked!