Camp Jeanne d’Arc has the best dining experience of any summer camp in the country. Wow, that’s quite a claim! I’m sticking with it because it’s not only the camp food that is great, but it’s the welcoming environment and the ritual of coming together that create memorable moments around meals. The mixed-age family-style tables, the salad bar, leftover Saturdays (a camper favorite), camper-led reflections, and let’s not forget the SINGING – all support the case that it’s the best summer camp dining experience out there!
It’s the Whole Dining Experience
Mealtime at Camp Jeanne d’Arc is an experience your camper will treasure! When else will a room full of a hundred or so girls eating lunch spontaneously bust into a choreographed rendition of The Greatest Showman’s “This is Me?” Or where else will an Owl’s reflection about finding her voice bring the room to tears? And then almost immediately after, chants of “Sail, Sail, Sail” … “Canoe, Canoe, Canoe” shakes the building as campers try to prove which is the best boating activity at Camp.
Mealtime as a Ritual
Mealtime at Camp is also a ritual. Meals bring the entire Camp community together three times a day. Before breakfast, we raise the flag ceremoniously and carefully fold it away on our way into dinner. Friends who were at different activities in the morning reconvene over tacos and popsicles. Little sisters can give a quick hug to their big sister as they make their way to their table. Counselors connect in with their cabin, and find the camper who was nervous about her first time horseback riding. Meals act as a community-wide check-in that fosters security and a sense of belonging.
The Camp Food is the Best!
And the camp food! Spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, chicken and burgers, walking tacos, oatmeal, grilled cheese, stir fry, BBQ, bacon and eggs, waffles! Hungry campers are excited to find out what’s being served each meal – and no worries if they don’t care for the hot option – sandwiches and a well-stocked salad bar are always available.
Don’t forget Dessert!
I’m missing something, right? Dessert! Sometimes dessert is served in the Hearth, like chocolate cream pie or chipwiches. Or the candy cart is known to swing by at lunchtime. Other times we head to the campfire for s’mores. Have you ever roasted Starbursts over an open flame? It’s life-changing! And nothing is better than the Owls delivering milk and cookies to the cabins before lights out.
Camp Food Feeds the Whole Camper
Ultimately, the dining experience at Camp Jeanne d’Arc lives up to the grand claim: it is the best in the country. This is because mealtime is far more than just food; it is a cherished ritual that gathers the entire Camp community and fosters a deep sense of belonging. When you combine the engaging environment with delicious camp food options—like BBQ and a well-stocked salad bar—plus special treats like roasting Starbursts, you realize the dining experience truly feeds the whole camper.
