The magic of Plantation Farm Camp started decades ago with the vision of Abe and Eve.  Through the years, the joy, the friends, the stewardship of the farm have changed lives.  Enjoy some of the memories that have been shared with us of Plantation through the years. And, please continue to send us more stories, pictures, and video because together we are creating Plantation's living history.

Memories

I went to Plantation Camp from Pasadena California in 1955.  It was the BEST camp I went to in many years of going to camps!

We went as a group on the train from LA and Pasadena and Barstow to San Francisco.  That was a fun experience in itself!  Then we took a bus to Plantation.  I loved all the chores: taking care of animals, milking cows and separating out the cream to make butter, working in the vegetable garden, maintaining the lake, picking berries to make pies, etc.

We had lessons in carding and spinning and weaving.  We took wonderful river hikes and trips to Stumps beach.  We took the cow to mate with a bull in another town.  We had barrel races and a barn dance.  I loved the environment, the adult counselors, many of whom were couples, and the other campers.  It was a memorable experience.

I didn't send my children to Plantation because they chose other camps.  I'm sorry I didn't send them to Plantation.  My grandson is turning ten in January and I plan to send him to Plantation.  I don't think there is a better camp experience.

Sallie Kladnik
age 64

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For me, the Summer of Love was spent at Plantation, but really, it was more than one summer.

The first year I went to camp, on campership, was 1967, the famous Summer of Love. At Planta-tion, it was not about free love and being a hippy, at least not in the ways conjured by popular myth.

It was about being 10 years old and falling in love with everything. The bright orange and purple sweatshirt of the Mother-to-All who ran the garden. The cute college-student energy of the young woman who was my pigeon-chore counselor. Crush. Who knew pigeons could be cool?

I loved fishing and caught a fish with an unbaited hook that snagged the bluegill’s belly. I loved horseback riding and rushed every day to see whether my riding skill had been properly recognized by Prunella. Prunella was the donkey that mysterious redrew her list of equestrian hierarchy each night.

I loved my counselor who read us “The Hobbit,” and my other counselor who played guitar and looked like a real cowgirl. I loved sleeping in a canvas tent where deer would come to eat the apples in the tree above.

Read the rest of Carlos' memories.

Carlos Alcala

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The first time I came to Plantation was in 1964. Abe and Eve were still running the Camp.  I had heard about the Crittendens and Planation from my uncle Gaston, a close friend of Abe and Eve, but I had no idea what Plantation-Camp was all about. Before I left Switzerland I wrote a letter to Abe and Eve asking if it would be possible to visit them. Their friendly answer  was YES!

Ever since I can remember, I was crazy about glamouros Hollywood. I wanted to go there and see it all with my own eyes. I imagined that all the famous Moviestars would be promenading up and down Sunset Boulevard or hang out at Schwab's Drugstore. I admit I had a strange image of Hollywood!  When I reached San Francisco by Greyhound-Bus I called Eve to let her know I was in SF. She sent Tom Frankel to pick me up at the Santa Rosa Bus Station.

When we reached Plantation it took me a while to adjust to the unusual lifestyle. Everything was new to me, I had never seen or used a bluebox before. To sleep in an old Army-Tent with no floor on a lopsided bed, the springs hanging through that my butt almost hit the floor, or to take a shower under the blue sky was a novelty to me. But I learned to appreciat it, especialy when there was no hot water left and the fire already extinguished.I was surprised when the cold, drizzling fog came kreeping up from the Ocean and embraced Plantation with his cold hands.  Once walking through the grass on Alpine -Meadows up to the cowbarn my pants were wet up too my knees, not to speak about my wet, cold feet. In the barn I had to hold the shovel to catch the cow pie and missed the right moment several times!

I hated the neverending Cookouts on Sunday morning, someone always stepped into someone else's plate, the bacon burned, the pancakes turned out too thick, sticky syrup got into tents sleeping-bags and the dishes were never done properly! Eve assigned me to chicken and ducks chores. the first time I helped to feed chickens I got attacked by a colorfull but mean rooster. Within no time I was covered with duckmud and chickenpoop. This was not my kind of place, I wanted to live the glamour-life of Hollywood with rhinestones and fine feathering, meeting the stars and ride the big waves with the beautiful tanned, blond beach boys. At Plantation I was only wasting my time between cowpies and chickenpoop. To be honest my reaction to this new experience of outdoor living was: "Let me out of here, fast!
Arriving in LA I was deeply shocked by the yellow smog hanging in the air, and even more disappointed because no famous Filmstars paraded up and down Sunset-Boulevard, there was no trace of Hollywood Glamour. Shirley MacLaine or Audrey Hepburn not even Liz Taylor were nowhere around and the blond beachboys surfing, turned out to be rather boring dudes. I felt really let down and cheated by LA.

All of a sudden I wished I were back at Plantation. I wanted to see the real stars at night, I wanted to hear the waves crashing upon the wild coast, I wanted to see the huge Redwoods, I wanted to smell the earth and the eukaliptus trees, I wanted to hear the wake-up bell, I even missed the duckmud and the chickenpoop, I wanted to hear the songs we sung after breakfast and I wanted to do all the fun dances on Saturday-Evening in the barn. By the end of the summer I realized I had experienced something very special, met so many good people and that I wanted to come back to Plantation again!
When Abe and Eve passed the hat on to Dave and Ginny Crittenden to run Camp, I was overjoyed when they hired me as a fulltime Councelor. With Dave and Ginny a new Generation took over and the lifestyle changed remarkably, things were handled in a more relaxed way. The Staff was younger and some rigid rules were abandoned.

Dave and Ginny did a remarkable Job. They never lost the grip or control, they always knew what was going on. I admired them a great deal, without them Plantation might not have survived, it wouldn't have been the great place it was during their "sovereign authority"! Thanks to Dave and Ginny's generosity I was able to return many summers ( ten years )!  And with every summer Plantation began to grow more on me, it became my safe haven. I learned so much, I learned to respect nature, I learned to live with, accept and understand people of different races and nationalities and experienced what it means to be tolerant.

Now, many years later I love to think back and remember so many things that, thanks to Plantation, became important to me! Plantation became part of me and I love the thought that I became part of Plantation.

Love,
Christophe

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So much of what it gave me as a child and young adult defines the person I am today at 57!!  I read about the Beach Bake and wanted to let you know that it was my father who came up with the idea to go to Stumps for a salmon bake and day at the beach.   He would dig a large pit in the sand, start a fire in it from the beach wood and place whole,foil wrapped salmon in over the coals and cover it up with the sand.  He also devised the hitch and hike.  I know it has since become hot dogs instead of fish and maybe not a hitch and hike anymore, but it is wonderful for me to read about and recollect all those lovely traditions.  Best of all knowing that they still happen.

Sarah

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At 44, I still wake up some summer nights surprised that I am not in my tent or chalet -- haven't been a camper since age 12 My five summers at Plantation were spent during Dave and Ginny's first years (my brother's with Abe and Eve) when Dave and Suzanne were favorite counselors with a dog named bear -- Dave the rowdy horse chore table counselor, who once sang "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha on horseback.

Although I live in New York City, I also dream of sending my now 2 year-old, Stefan son to Plantation.  Still best friends with alum, Maggie M.

Carrie ('71-'75)

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as the summer nears an end.....i turn 54 on august 24th and i had my 11th and 12th birthdays there at plantation as a second session camper....nowadays some schools are already started by then....but back in the day, we were still at camp....birthday cake with frosting and all....memorable...needless to say.....1964/1965
i was in alpine both times i was there...

and now vanessa and devon have both been campers for many more years than i was and they have both worked there as counselors also.....stumps beach is where we used to have the Salmon Bake and i found Abalone chips all on my own and i am still fascinated and adoring of that magic amazing item....abalone.    i was introduced to sea ranch when i first did anna halprin's dancer's workshop in 1975.   and so i guess i was meant to know about that neck of the woods.   recently i have seen two teachers from the elementary school that vanessa and devon went to...sf day school....and both have said that the eighth grade has been up to plantation recently for their outdoor ed...or some such retreat.....and i went to boarding high school in colorado for my junior and senior years....colorado rocky mountain school...i was there at the same time as jenny smallwood, as a matter of Fact.

so YES...i knew abe and eve...and learned mumbledepeg...and did cow chore....and rode some great horses (oro)....and played fox and geese and we wore whistles......we had tea under the huge willow tree....there were still Cribs in the lake.....and there were lots of Bandits and we sang camp songs and heard about the little girl that died by serving deadly nightshade to her dolls.....

this is a rambling gift....to me...to you....i have the highest regard for plantation....i ALWAYS have.....i grew up in beverly hills and taking the train to plantation and living outdoors 24/7 was the best thing in the whole world for me forever and i knew it.

i sent vanessa there as soon as she was old enough....i saw the ad in a sunset magazine and called to ask if it was the Same Plantation????? they said yes it was....and it IS...peter's tree and all.....my birthday present to myself is to send this to you and to say thank you and i love you

(wood chore/garden chore/hitch and hikes/barn dances/reflections/with her head tucked underneath her arm she walked the midnite tower....it is endless.......my kids come home with stories of things that still exist there and i can't even believe it....the whole thing is endlessly rewarding and Marvelous....long live plantation.....Blessings.

dave crittenden
tony crittenden
two french guys...
harry richardson's
that green moss that grows on the trees
homing pigeons
potter's wheels
etc

sending love always.
catherine

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