Camp Alix — Oct 22

📣 CAMP BULLETIN BOARD

✈️Submit your travel info by Thursday, Oct 15 so I can plan shuttle pickups.
✨Pack something sparkly for Friday's hibachi dinner.
🌵The Joshua Tree van leaves Friday at 9:00 AM sharp. Bring sneakers.

DAILY PROGRAM

The Schedule

A loose plan. This is camp, not boot camp. Everything is optional except having fun, and the counselor may change things on a whim.

THU 10/22

MOVE-IN DAY

Afternoon

Roll in whenever. The house opens at 4. Claim a bed, crack a drink, and hit the pool.

Evening

Welcome dinner at the big outdoor table, then the first campfire. Embarrassing Alix stories encouraged.

FRI 10/23

JOSHUA TREE FIELD TRIP

9:00 AM

The van leaves, sharp. First stop is Joshua Tree village for coffee, water, and a grab-and-go lunch.

Morning

In the park: the Hidden Valley Nature Trail (an easy one-mile loop through the boulders), a photo stop at Skull Rock, and the Cholla Cactus Garden. Then we drive out the south entrance, eating lunch on the way.

~2:00 PM

Back at the villa for drinks and pool time. Then get glam.

🌵 JOSHUA TREE PREP

Closed-toe shoes. Sneakers are fine; flip-flops are not.
Water. Nothing is sold inside the park, so fill up in town.
Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. There's almost no shade.
A light layer. Mornings in the high desert are cool.
Expect no cell service for most of the park. Download your playlist ahead of time.
Park entry is per vehicle, so the van covers us all. Bring your America the Beautiful pass if you have one.

EVENING · HIBACHI AT THE VILLA

DRESS CODE

✨ SPARKLES ✨

A hibachi chef is coming to us. Wear sequins, glitter, metallics, rhinestones, disco-ball energy. More is more.

SAT 10/24

CAMP OLYMPICS

Morning

Slow start: coffee, pool laps, or a hammock nap.

Midday

The Camp Olympics. Details are classified until game time.

Afternoon

Pool, hot tub, sauna, or absolutely nothing.

Evening

Dinner at the house, plus a little something special for our head camper. Last night around the fire.

SUN 10/25

LIGHTS OUT

Morning

Farewell breakfast and the camp cleanup crew.

10:00 AM

Checkout. Leave whenever you need to, but hugs are mandatory.

GETTING THERE

The Camp Shuttle

Camp is in Indio, about 30 minutes from Palm Springs (PSP). Arrive anytime Thursday 10/22 (the house opens at 4) and leave anytime Sunday 10/25 (checkout is at 10).

🚐 Steph's driving

15 SEATS

I'm renting a 15-passenger van and doing the airport pickups and drop-offs. Submit your travel plans below. I'll group everyone into runs and text you your pickup time before the trip. Flying into ONT or LAX? Submit anyway and we'll work out a plan.

Travel Check-In

Please submit by Thursday, Oct 15. Plans changed? Just submit again; your new answers replace the old ones.

Who are you? 🚗 I'm driving to camp (no flights)

🛬 Getting to camp

Date Airport Flight # Lands at

Pick me up in the shuttle

🛫 Heading home

Date Airport Flight # Takes off at

Drop me off in the shuttle

Anything else? (optional)

TRAVEL BOARD

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GEAR CHECK

Packing List

It's the desert in October: sunny days around 85–90°F, crisp nights near 60°F. Pack for both.

Swimsuits (plural probably)
Athletic shoes + activewear for Camp Olympics
Sunscreen, sunglasses & a hat — desert sun is no joke
A warm layer for campfire nights
A cute dinner outfit for Saturday dinner
Something SPARKLY ✨ for Friday's hibachi night
Sneakers or trail shoes + a small daypack for Joshua Tree
Water bottle — hydration is a camp value

CHOW TIME

The Mess Hall

We'll mostly cook together at camp — the kitchen is huge (double ovens, two dishwashers, a smoker, and yes, a margarita machine). We'll organize meal crews so everyone chips in once and lounges the rest of the time.

Friday night, dinner comes to us: a hibachi chef cooks right at the villa. The theme is sparkles ✨.

Groceries and shared supplies will be tallied and split after the weekend. If a dietary need slipped through the cracks, message Steph ASAP.

CAMP RULES & MORE

FAQ

What's the weather like?

Late October in Indio is ideal: sunny days around 85–90°F, cooling to about 60°F at night. The pool is heated.

What does the $421 cover?

Lodging for all three nights. Budget separately for flights, groceries/shared supplies, the Friday hibachi dinner, and the van. Those are split evenly after the trip.

Do I have to compete in Camp Olympics?

Participation in Camp Olympics is spiritually mandatory but physically optional. Spectating with a margarita counts.

How hard is the Joshua Tree day?

Easy. The one real hike is the Hidden Valley loop: about a mile, mostly flat, with a little rock scrambling if you want it. Everything else is short walks from the van. It's about an hour's drive each way, and we're back by mid-afternoon for the pool. If you'd rather stay back and lounge, that's allowed too. Just tell Steph so the van doesn't wait for you.

Quiet hours?

The estate is private with no close neighbors, but Indio has outdoor noise rules after 10 PM — we'll move the party inside (the game room can take it).

Where do updates happen?

The iMessage group chat is camp HQ — flight plans, carpools, theme-night reveals, and schedule changes all land there.

CAMPGROUNDS

The Camp

A 2-acre private estate with 10 bedrooms, 7 baths, and 19 beds — everyone gets a real bed. It's basically a resort. See the full listing →

WATERFRONT

Heated pool with Baja shelf · hot tub · barrel sauna · poolside cabana · hammock grove

ATHLETICS

Pickleball court · beach volleyball & badminton · 5-hole putting green · disc golf · croquet & cornhole

REC HALL

Pool table · ping-pong · arcade games · foosball · giant chess

MESS HALL

Chef's kitchen · big grill + smoker · outdoor bar · margarita machine · dining for 20+ · fire pit

Photos from the Airbnb listing

THE ROSTER

Meet the Campers

Fourteen campers (bride included), one campground.

HEAD CAMPER

Alix

The bride 💍

COUNSELOR

Steph

Your host.

CAMPER

Abby Robertson

CAMPER

Bethanie Mangigian

CAMPER

Chichi Lin

CAMPER

Hannah Bunis

CAMPER

Jana Decoster

CAMPER

Kaitlyn Bruce

CAMPER

Kasey Jackson

CAMPER

Meredith Berge

CAMPER

Morgan Jones

CAMPER

Sarah Graham

CAMPER

Sophie Dougadir

CAMPER

Sydney Kastner

TUITION

Camp Dues

Lodging was $421 per camper, paid in two installments of $210.50 (Aug 1 and Oct 1). Thank you! If you're still settling up, Venmo below.

ADDITIONAL EXPENSES

The $421 covers lodging only. We're not expecting much beyond that, but a few things will be split evenly among campers once we're all there:

Groceries & shared house supplies — tallied and split after the weekend
Rental car — going big with a 15-passenger van 🚐
A few other small miscellaneous expenses as they come up

SEND VIA VENMO

@steph-tanner

If the timing puts you in a pinch, just message Steph directly — we'll work it out, no questions asked. Nobody misses camp over a deadline. ♡