Jellystone Memories

Jellystone park in Sturgeon Bay Wisconosin was hearven.

It was my favorite camping place as a child. We would go with another family every year for a week every summer. One year we traveled to Arkansas and through the Ozark Mountains. We tried a few other campgrounds in Wisconsin, but my favorite was Jellystone in Sturgeon Bay.

When we went to this campground, we kids would pack our swimsuits on the top of our suitcases and when we arrived, we would immediately head to the pools. It was amazing that when we arrived back at our campsite, the tents were up, lights were strung, picnic tables were placed, and the fire was built.

I loved that there were three pools for us kids to enjoy. I loved the medium one with the curvy slide and the big one with the diving board. Jill and I would sit like an egg on the side of the big pool with our arms wrapped around our legs. Then we would tip forward and fall into the water. We would count on each other to see who could go the deepest, surface, and hold their breath the longest.

There was a putt-putt course and a candy shack. the main building had a tv, pool tables, and a gift shop. I could spend hours looking at the souvenirs, beach towels, gift mugs, and refrigerator magnets.

One night a week there were outdoor movies. The evening featured a yogi bear cartoon with his sidekick BooBoo Bear.

Every evening a cart would cruise through the campground with bug spray billowing behind. I’m afraid that it was DDT or some other poisonous toxic chemical that the children following behind were inhaling. There were kids on bikes and kids running. I loved the smell, but I thought it was crazy to be smelling bug killer that much.

We would spend hours at the pool every day. When afternoon hit, we would head back to the site for onion sandwiches. After that, bike riding was a highlight.

One year, on my bike adventure, I found a frog pond. It was on the map of the campground. A small road, a train really, led down to an algae-covered water hole surrounded by tall grass and thick trees. If I sat for a really, really long time, very, very quietly, millions of frogs would begin to chirp and sing and thrum.

Going back to the campsite, we had been to this particular campground so many times that we had our favorite site. It was on the edge of the campground, not on a heavily traveled section. Our site had two small poplars that made a long V. In between the two trees, Dad had hammered a 12-inch board for his shaving supplies and a nail to having a mirror. this shaving station was a permanent marker to indicate “our” site.

As I reminisce about the idyllic days spent at Jellystone Park in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, I can’t help but chuckle at the thought of our camping escapades. It was truly a slice of heaven, or perhaps more accurately, a slice of Yogi Bear’s picnic basket. Every corner held a new adventure, from the thrilling pools to the putt-putt course and candy shack. Who could forget the nightly bug spray ritual, or the frog pond symphony? And our beloved campsite, with its makeshift shaving station, stood as a symbol of family unity amidst the chaos of outdoor fun—Jellystone, where even the smallest moments became cherished memories.