BULLYING AND ASSAULT AT CAMP…read more 1 star for activities and food Edit- after a review by the YMCA director in response to my complaint and this review below, they found that "no paperwork existed for this incident" which is very strange. Since then we have connected with the family of the boy who stepped in to help my son and they confirmed this incident. I am shocked that paperwork disappeared but frankly, not surprised... Is this really who you'd trust your child to? And it is pretty expensive as far as camps go... My 10 year-old son attended this camp and, on the way home, told us about his week. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to hear that he was repeatedly bullied by his cabin mates but also his counselor, "Nebula", who seemed to have it out for him. She refused to sign his memento on the last day, told him he couldn't participate in the talent show, berated him at mealtimes, and found fault in everything he did. My kid isn't perfect, but he's friendly, smart, empathetic, and makes friends easily. To make matters worse , he was also physically assaulted by another camper, punched in the face, and bitten in the leg. Another camper intervened (we have confirmation of events from this camper and his family!) and also got punched (This has now been verified by 3 campers!). The kid who assaulted them both didn't get sent home and no one contacted us to let us know of this but eventually, the counselor did intervene, apparently, so there is a record of this at the camp. I'm so frustrated that this was his first camp experience and immediately contacted the camp director, who is addressing this, but I feel that others should be warned. My son says the camp activities were great, but the people were just awful. This is a shocking review from a super positive child, and I feel bad that he spent a week in this toxic environment. If you are thinking you might want to send your child to YMCA Camp Collins, I'd seriously reconsider.

My son went to the camp with his 6th class. The cabin was nice but it wasn't fully cleaned out from…read morethe previous campers. The beds had crumbs and the floor had some trash left behind. The worst part for him was the rotten egg water. He barely drank any water all week. They finally brought in a Gatorade jug of fresh water on the day they were leaving. If the parents knew about this I'm sure we would of donated money to bring in fresh water. The second complaint was the food. The taco meat was green and they found hair in the food. Very disappointing for him and myself.

This school gave me great advice for a school that would fit my needs for our 4 year old. Really…read moreappreciate the quick responsiveness and the friendliness!

My son has a weak immune system and gets sick very easily and often in crowded environments…read more Finding a preschool that is outdoors and takes extra precautions has been so great for him. I have grown much more comfortable getting my kids outside in most weather conditions with the right gear. So even when it is terribly cold out, all bundled up my son LOVES being outside at school. I love the mixture of learning with nature (he loves exploring) and typical educational things like letters and numbers. The staff is very sweet, and they take weather conditions very seriously if it is too dangerous to be outside.

We stopped by Camp Angelos near Dabney State park on the Sandy River since my friends are planning…read morea wedding there. It looks like a great outdoor location. In fact, it's booked eleven months in advance on weekends already. (If you're interested it's worth a call to see if someone cancelled.) I love their idea to have a long weekend wedding. With people traveling from afar for the wedding, why spend one night together. Why not spend a whole weekend together? There are hotels nearby in Troutdale 10 minutes away for older family members that can't camp or those that don't care for camping. Within a thirty minute drive are lots of hikes and waterfalls or downtown Portland for visitors to explore. There are numerous spots that overlook the Sandy River and the beach on the river has a pavilion with a giant fire pit and warming log ovens. My friends are planning a whole pig roast here. Up at the main lodge is the big hall with a hidden kitchen area. It has high wood beam framed ceilings with tall windows. It also has a nice back deck for enjoying the fresh air and cocktails. Behind the lodge is an outdoor pizza oven pavilion next to a charming grape arbor. I can't wait to use that! To the side of the lodge is a cute fishing pond fed by a natural waterfall with a gazebo. It's undergoing renovations right now, but will be fantastic when finished. The gazebo is apparently an awesome spot to put the bar so adults can mingle and relax away from where the kids like to cavort. In front of the lodge is a large lawn edged with giant cyprus trees, perfect for large ceremonies. There are also a couple of other nice locations along the river or in a meadow for smaller ceremonies. There's so many great spots for wedding photos, the photographer will go crazy: the grand porch, the waterfall, the grape arbor with twinkle lights, the gazebo and pond, riverside on the beach, at the caboose, or, heck, even shooting on the archery court. We will be decorating with twinkle lights near outlets, candles in mason jars hung in the trees, banners, garlands, and flowers, just enough to make the natural setting pop. Oh, and we will whip up a special flag out of some nylon and paint for the flag pole. There's basketball, archery, baseball, volleyball/badminton locations. I think it may be bring your own equipment or rent it though. I will find out and post an update. There seems to be good hiking through the fern forest along the Sandy. There's two classrooms where day care will be hosted by family friends over the weekend in case parents want to adventure. Other than the wedding day, time will be spent larking about the property perhaps even doing a scavenger hunt. Camp-style bunk-bed cabins can hold 144 guests. It's communal bathrooms, camp style, but the maintenance is good. There's a few rooms in the main lodge with an extra entrance of their own. Also, a caboose with beds is tucked in the forest by the archery range. If an arrow goes awry, the steel will protect you. You are also welcome to pitch tents where you like. They also just put in new mattresses on all the beds. It's going to be an awesome camp adventure wedding weekend. Going old school for the wedding!

It's now been nearly two months since our wedding at Camp Angelos and we still have friends and…read morefamily tell us how amazing our venue was! We rented the entire camp for the weekend, including all cabins and most buildings for our guests, and were blown away by the accommodating staff, gorgeous grounds and rustic experience. Mary Jo and her team bent over backwards to answer our questions and schedule multiple visits over the year leading up to the wedding to allow our families and vendors to plan our event, and we couldn't have asked for a better wedding as a result. This was the perfect venue for two Portland natives who love the outdoors. Thank you, Mary Jo and team, for a truly unforgettable weekend at your stunning property!

I have a really fun time at the college learning my favorite assignments and doing picture taking…read morevideos and also this college is really fun and if you are thinking about going to college come to this college it's great. The community is just so welcoming and you could literally just walk on campus and become a student that's how easy it is so join today. Make sure to like review by the way OK bye

Our 6 year old started lessons here with Coach Cameron earlier this year after having a mix of…read morepositive and negative experiences at the ymca. He was very timid and had trust issues with past teachers which would cause him to progress/regress depending on the teacher's approach. He has thrived since coming to the lessons at Hood. After a few weeks he began swimming independently, his confidence and comfort in the water has grown immensely. Can't say enough good things! We will be enrolling our daughter as well. We originally started lessons after a recommendation from a friend who's two children also thrived with Coach Cameron.

I could not sing my praises loud enough for Summit Day. From the moment you step into the center…read moreyou can tell you're in a warm, nurturing community where they truly value fostering curiosity and joy. No one prepares you for how difficult it is to leave your little one with others for the first time, but every single teacher is invested in each child's academic, social and emotional development with their play based curriculum. The classrooms are safe, clean, and designed for exploration, and you can tell the kids are excited to come back each day to learn more. The teachers are extremely professional and caring (shoutout to Miss Leslie!), providing updates on each child through Playground which is so convenient and provides complete peace of mind. Also the fact that they teach both Spanish and English at every age level sets a wonderful foundation for bilingual growth and exposure throughout childhood. The owners truly care about each and every family, always offering to sit down with parents to discuss goals, concerns, etc. and you can tell they genuinely want to create the best environment for all the kids.

From the owner: You can schedule a tour directly from our website! Just click on "Schedule a Tour" on the top right…read morefrom your computer, or find the Playground booking link on our Google Maps listing.

I really want to give Trout Creek 5 stars, but I just can't at this point…read more They have adopted a drop off/pick up process for the kids that's like being in line at chickfilet. The drop off stresses me out. It is so rushed that we barely get a chance to say goodbye as 2 counselors are taking his stuff out of the car for him, another is ushering him to the field and another is talking to me to check him in and is asking for cards/gifts for him. Not even time for a quick picture and I got a surprised look from the counselor when I got out of the car for a hug. He went to Trout Creek last year as well and it was the same thing then. I sent an email to the office mid-year after receiving a newsletter from them with questions about why they have adopted this process and how cool it would be to actually be able to see the camp!! (No response back.) My kid isn't a big chatter, so we don't hear much about what happens. We rely on viewing the photos they post (thank you!) to learn more about the camp and see what it looks like. It is interesting that they let the kids pick their counselor and their cabin after check-in concludes. If that was figured out ahead of time and cabins were assigned, maybe other parts of check- in could be easier? I did see on their website this morning before drop off that they offered an open house on June 14 from 1-4pm. That's awesome!! A time families can come check out the camp. The only problem is I don't remember any notice of that in newsletters that were sent out or on the registration page. We would have loved to come! All this said, my kid had a great time at camp last year and wanted to come back. I just wish I could recommend the camp and the $350+/week price But without seeing the facilities or really meeting any of the staff - there isn't a lot to go on. Hopefully, I can do a review update soon with a better score!! I really do want this can to succeed and grow! No pictures because I couldn't take any!

My son (10) didn't stop talking the whole way home. He loved it. The cabin leaders are great…read moreteenagers that all the kids look up to and make the experience special for them.

I learned to row! I can't say enough good things about this experience. Rick was my instructor,…read moreand he is so knowledgeable, experienced, and chill, I never had an anxious moment. They have youth groups here so you have to keep that in mind if you want a less crowded lake. Also, if its during lessons there might not be an extra boat for you. But time it right and you can be out there nearly alone (row with a buddy, do I need to remind you why?), with glassy calm water, a bit of mist clinging to the surface and the calls of birds all around. Membership, if that's your choice, comes with a place to store your own boat and permission to use the club boats. It's a comfortable facility with plenty of parking and a spacious dock. I have a rowing machine that I use regularly. I knew being on the water would feel different, but land based rowing def helped me. You'll want that endurance in your heart and arms, and strength in your glutes for a long row. Dont worry if you're new, though. It's not so difficult that you can't enjoy it while you're building your skill, confidence, and strength. I'm looking for people to row with, so dm me if you'd like to go together.

I can not give enough stars for VLC. I grew up around water and playing sports but once I actually…read morewent to a practice, I quit the other sports to spend my time on the water. It was a combination of loving, supportive and knowledgeable coaches, dedicated and happy teammates, and the sport itself. I considered the team my family! They are flexible to meet the needs of individuals while providing a variety of camps and opportunities for potential rowers or water lovers. VLC is an experience, not just a business.

So here we are day 1- and I am giving 5 stars....WHY?! Because we have a very nervous kiddo. We…read morearrived at the beautiful space and immediately the instructors saw he was nervous. They were incredible. They were patient. They took their time and also it appeared as though there was NO pressure or expectations from the kiddos. Thank you! Thank you for understanding that kids have so much to un-pack from the previous year! THank you more than you can understand. I HIGHLY suggest Circus Camp for your kiddos