Holiday Camp was located at Pilgrim Pines Camp and Conference Center, 16 miles from Redlands, past Oak Glen, and on Glen Road in the beautiful pines of San Bernardino National Forest. Pilgrim Pines has a wonderful trail that went to the Rock of Ages, a little rest area, the Big Tree Arch, Holiday Cave, and Kuehl Falls. Another trail goes along a Jeep road to Pilgrim Point, Oak Glen Point, and Valley View Point, the latter two also doubling as helicopter landing sites. From the Jeep Road, the Cedar Mountain Trail goes to Wilshire Peak, Oak Glen Peak, and Cedar Mountain, before splitting off to points unknown.
Pilgrim Pines itself, in Upper Camp, has seven cabins called Providence, Plymouth, Pilgrim, Scrooby, Windsor, Cambridge, and Salem. There are a basketball court, a volleyball court, a horse shoe pit, and a swimming pool. Besides the Administration Building, there are a very large Dining Hall, the beautiful alpine Main Lodge, a Craft Lodge, a Creek Lodge, and an Infirmary. Lower camp has even more cabins.
Holiday Camp was held from December 26th for up to a week. It was first started in 1976 by Diki Shields and Dick Oakes. The teachers the first year were Sunni Bloland (Romanian), Ya'akov Eden (Israeli), and Dick Oakes (International), with Nancy Ruyter handling the singing classes. Folks brought their costumes for the gala New Year's Eve party and there were folklore sessions, after parties, and other pleasaant surprises. The camp was special because of the wood floors, beautiful scenery, and the really great food.
The second year, 1977, the teachers were Sunni Bloland (Romanian), Ya'akov Eden (Israeli), Dick Oakes (International), and Bora Özkök (Turkish), with Trudy Israel doing the singing classes and the Nama Orchestra bringing live music to the camp. Again, costumes were brought for the New Year's Party and folks again had folklore sessions and after parties.
The 1978 Holiday Camp saw Margalit Oved (Israeli), Dick Oakes (International), Katina Shields (Greek), and Don Allen (Squares, Rounds, and Contras). We also had the New Year's Eve Party and offered, for the first time, two units of credit at the University of California Extension, Riverside. Naturally, there were the usual New Year's Party, folklore sessions, and after parties. This year we had our Third Annual Real, Live, Tell It Like It Is (was) Survey.
For the fourth year, 1979, we had Ya'akov Eden (Israeli), Dennis Boxell (Balkan), Dick Oakes (International), and Don Allen (Squares), and Katina Shields (Greek). Yep, the New Year's Party livened up December 31st and there were folklore sessions and after parties to keep things lively. University credit was again offered.
Dick and Diki held a Barbecue and Folk Dance at Pilgrim Pines Camp on Sunday, September 19, 1979. There were hamburgers, corn on the cob, and apple pie for all comers.
In 1980, we had another great lineup of teachers, including Dennis Boxell (Balkan), Ya'akov Eden (Israeli), Dick Oakes (International), Don Allen (Squares), and Katina Shields (Greek). Children's classes were added for the first time, but there were the usual folklore sessions, after parties, and other pleasant surprises. And, yes, university credit was made available. This year, the camp started on December 27th.
That ended, for a while, the Holiday Camp experience. But in 1997, with Dick in Colorado, Diki teamed up with Rich Duree to try another Holiday Camp at Pilgrim Pines. The teachers were Mihai David (Romanian) and Richard Duree (International). Teaching was of "Nostalgia Folk Dances" from the 1960s and 1970s.
Mike Gordon did most of the flyers, advertising, and syllabi covers for Holiday Camp and Dick did the maps and schedules. Mike and his wife, Laurie, also did the Holidejkemp Folk Culture Seminar, a humorous skit that had everyone holding their sides to keep them from splitting.
Well, that was the end of Holiday Camp. Or was it? Only time will tell!